31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe: Dracula (Transylvania) from Universal Monsters by NECA

 

"I am... Dracula."

"I bid you welcome."

  Welcome to 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe, the 2024 edition of 31 Days of Toy Terror! This year is the 12th year of 31 Days of Toy Terror so I decided to do something extra special for this  countdown to the spookiest day of the year. This time we're focused on the Universal Monsters! These guys and gals are horror movie royalty and this year we're celebrating them all. To kick off the festivities this year we're starting with a look at NECA's Count Dracula in his Transylvania garb. Count Dracula isn't the first figure from NECA's Universal Monsters series of "Ultimates" figures but he is the first star of the Universal Studios horror films in the era of sound films. While Lon Chaney's Quasimodo and Phantom are typically placed alongside the later Universal Monsters, Bela Lugosi's Dracula is kind of the anchor of the films as a whole. I think he's a fitting subject for our first review, don't you think? 

“Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring.”

Join us after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 7 1/2 inches

Articulation: Double swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/ hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 5 interchangeable hands, 3 portraits w/ necks, candle, tray, 2 goblets, wine bottle, bat, 2-piece flight pole for bat, and fabric cape.

Original Retail Price: $35 dollars

Year of Release: 2023

The Positives:

* This is as classic of a Bela Lugosi Count Dracula as you're going to find. Yes, he has a cape, but I'm going to get there in a bit. Lugosi's Count Dracula is an individual of class and sophistication with a charming personality at times. Universal Studios had purchased both the rights to Bram Stoker's novel (unlike some others) and the rights to the 1924 stage play, so the film was official but borrows largely from the play (where Lugosi was already playing Dracula) with some inspiration from Nosferatu as well. NECA has captured Dracula's costume perfectly here. It's a largely colorless affair with the exception of the medallion, a touch added by Lugosi. The tuxedo is well sculpted and the paint work neat and clean. He's a dapper guy and his outfit definitely depicts him in a manner you'd expect from someone of nobility.

* Bela Lugosi's likeness rights aren't always sought after by companies making Universal Monsters merchandise, so sometimes you get a Dracula that does not resemble Lugosi at all. This one does, though. I mean, there's no way NECA wasn't going to deliver. It's realistic. Eerily realistic. The first portrait really captures Lugosi's smile, both charming and still unsettling. The work on his facial features is unreal and the paint really captures Lugosi's appearance. 

* The second portrait captures Dracula's hypnotic stare. The eyes even look just bit different in color! Interestingly, these aren't just portraits; the necks are included, too (there's a vampire joke in there somewhere). While many of the Universal Monsters figures from NECA have a Black & White paint variant, Dracula has a black & white variant wearing the suit he sports in England. You can swap these heads onto that figure to get a different full color look. 

* The third portrait shows Dracula angry, or perhaps recoiling from the site of a crucifix. Look at how angry his eyes are! That's some excellent detail and a great example of conveying emotion in a  sculpt. NECA credits Trevor Grove and Kyle Windrix with the sculpting and it's clear that they're top of the game artists. 

* Here's a look at the back of the Count's tuxedo. It's quite stylish. His trousers also have some very shiny seams on them. He certainly dresses to impress, doesn't he?

* Dracula's cape is a separate soft goods piece with a plastic collar. The collar fits around his neck and shirt collar and stays on with just friction. The material is of a good quality and looks nice draped across Drac's shoulders. I do wish there were some ways for him to hold the cape better for poses where he's raising the cape but it's overall an excellent 1/12th scaled cape and it really completes the look of the figure.

* How's the articulation? It's pretty good and allows for some wonderfully expressive poses, especially with the arms, head, and hands. If you have any of the figures like the Phantom of the Opera or Dr. Burke/ The Man in the Beaver Hat, you kind of know what to expect: A decent range of movement with a fairly sturdy feel.  There's some waist movement but no real torso movement. The legs move freely, though, allowing you to pose him more dramatically.

* Dracula comes with five swappable hands. There are two pair of expressive gesturing hands, one with the fingers more relaxed and one a bit wilder, and a right hand with tight grip. That works well for allowing Dracula to hold his included accessories. They swap easily and the left hands have Dracula's distinctive ring on them.

* The candlestick holder and candle that Count Dracula carries down to meet Renfield is very cool. Definitely a piece with an elaborate gothic feel. NECA did an incredible job here with solid paint work for the flame and the candle and some intricate sculpting on the serpentine design of the holder and it's handle. 

* Dracula also comes with a tray, two goblets, and a bottle of wine. He brings these to Renfield when the man first visits Castle Dracula. The goblets are each filled with wine and are not permanently attached to the tray.

* NECA has also included a bat which somehow looks more realistic than the bat from the film. This is a nice sculpt and is clearly more than just an average bat. 

* To allow the bat to hover it can be perched atop a clear plastic rod that attached to a black plastic disk. The plastic rod has a ball on top that plugs into the bat's stomach, allowing it to rotate atop the balljoint.

The Negatives:

* While trying attach the bat to the plastic rod I must have pressed too hard because the rod snapped. I really tried to get the bat on there as easily as I could but it just didn't work out. I used a bit of Loctite glue to get it attached, but it does seem a bi fragile, so be careful.

   There haven't been too many Dracula figures over the years that really captured Bela Lugosi's likeness. Some have, or have tried, with mixed results, but NECA's really excels. There's no doubt as to who this is when you look at any of the included portraits. With great accessories (I love that candleholder), multiple impressive portraits, and an outfit that is spot on, Count Dracula in his Transylvania deserves to be at the forefront of your display. He's an Epic figure that really shows off the quality of NECA's work. We've got so many monsters to go in the next month so stay tuned for more spookiness to come. 



For more Dracula reviews check out the Funko ReAction Dracula, the McFarlane's Monsters Dracula Playset, the Playmobil Take Along Haunted House 9312, the Big Bucket of Monsters Dracula, and Dracula from Monster Force.