Today for Franken-Friday I'm checking out a Universal Monsters figure from the 1990s: Frankenstein from Sideshow Toys' Universal Studios Monsters line. And, yes, they do call him Frankenstein here. And, yes, that is perfectly acceptable. Anyways, I was looking back at my review archives and realized I've never reviewed any of these figures on the site. The Universal Studios Monsters was a cool set of 8 inch figures released by Sideshow Toys from 1998 through 2001. Sideshow did a lot with the Universal Monsters license back in the late 1990s (after Hasbro had a run with the license), including a lot of stuff on the lower end that was sold at retail in places like Target, Toys R' Us, and Media Play. Sideshow is still releasing Universal Monsters product but it's now mostly higher end collectibles. This line was definitely indicative of many collector lines of the time with limited articulation, diorama like elements, and a focus on display over play. Still, they were neat and they covered a wide range of characters from 1923's silent version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame with Lon Chaney to 1956's The Mole People. Frankenstein (or Frankenstein's Monster) was part of the first series in 1998, along with the Wolf Man and the Mummy. Ready to check out another tribute to the Boris Karloff's Monster? Then join me after the break...
The Facts:
Height: 8 1/4th inches
Articulation: Hinged knees, swivel hips, swivel forearms, hinged elbows, swivel shoulders, and a swivel neck.
Accessories: Display base, 2 pair of manacles, and a torch.
Year of Release: 1998
Original Retail Price: $10 dollars
* Tall, still, rather ill-fitting clothes? Sideshow did a great job of capturing the Frankenstein Monster's classic look. His boots have the raised heels, so they make him extra tall, and his jacket looks great. The folds and creases make it look like it's straining to stay on his massive figure. His jacket is more of a charcoal gray while the rest of his outfit (pants and shirt) are a standard black.
* One thing I've noticed on all of the Sideshow Universal Studios Monsters figures I've seen is that the portraits are typically quite good. Compare these to most other figures released in 1998 and I think you'll agree these are quite ahead of their time. The sculpt is inarguably Boris Karloff as Frankenstein and not just a generic Frankenstein Monster. The bolts on the neck and the staples on his head look excellent but it's those heavy lidded eye that really sell the likeness.
* The accessories are a pretty cool part of each figure and Frankenstein's Monster comes out nicely. He comes with two sets of manacles, one shorter and one longer. The chains are metal and the cuffs are painted to give them a rusty look. I've had the manacles on my figure for a good long time (it's probably been over a decade since I took them off) and the paint on the cuffs has kind of on to Frankenstein's wrists. That happens with stuff, so not a knock, but just be careful if this review inspires you to go out and buy a 26 year old Frankenstein figure.
* Let's talk about the weakness of this line: There are some very fragile joints, at least on the earliest figures. Rather than a pin that goes all the way through, the elbow joints on the series 1 (and I believe series 2) figures use a clear plastic peg that swivels, connecting the elbow on the insides. These proved to be very weak and even some reviews I found from the time mentioned this problem. Clear plastic like this seems to just not hold up. Fortunately, these are easy to fix with some Loctite glue, but just know these are problematic before you start tracking these down.
I quite an admirer of this line. Yes, they're fairly static action figures, almost like statues with a little bit of mobility, but I love the larger size, the excellent Karloff portrait, and the display base. They're very classy! The weak elbow joints are definitely a detractor, however, and one that was a problem early on in the line. I think Sideshow did change things up a bit around the third series, however. How's the overall package? This is a Good and a 1/2 Frankenstein. Not really designed for straight play, but a nice display piece for sure with just the right amount of extras to allow you to change things up a bit.
If you're a fan of Frankenstein's Monster I've reviewed some other Frankenstein themed items including Funko's ReAction Frankenstein, the Imaginext Frankenstein's Monster, various monsters from the Playmobil Take Along Haunted House and Vampire and Monster set, the Monster in My Pocket The Monster, Frankenstein's Monster from Mezco's Tower of Fear, the mini Frankenstein from Mighty Max Escapes from Skull Dungeon, Frankenstein from Monster Force, and the Real Ghostbusters' Frankenstein Monster. There's also Frankenghost from The Worst, who's the Ghost of Frankenstein('s monster). Check out the Keshi Surprise in Flesh Frankenghost, Teal Frankenghost and the ReAction Frankenghost!
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