Happy Franksgiving! Frankenstein's Monster with Chair from Universal Monsters by NECA

 

   Is 1935's Bride of Frankenstein the first sequel to be better than the original in film history? I think so. The Wolf Man is my favorite Universal Monsters character and film as well as a character with a very solid storyline through multiple films (especially since he was always played by Lon Chaney Jr.) but the Frankenstein film series is a close second to me for best film series, and the Bride of Frankenstein is definitely a high point, perhaps the highest, in the series. Boris Karloff returns in the sequel and his take on the creature sees some tremendous character growth. NECA has previously released a figure of Frankenstein's Monster from the first film but the popularity of the second film definitely warrants another take on him. This was actually given to me as a birthday gift from my birthday back in September and was ordered by my parents in late August or early September, but he didn't show up until a few weeks ago. NECA's online store is really not very user friendly and their customer service is a bit rough, but, fortunately, they did deliver and I received my birthday gift in early November. Honestly, I had originally wanted this guy to be the crowning jewel of 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe but I ended up creating Happy Franksgiving! to give the guy his own special month. Ready to check out Frankenstein's Monster from Bride of Frankenstein? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 8 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/ hinge elbows, forearm swivels, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 5 interchangeable hands, 3 portraits, chair base, chair, 2 chains, mug, bowl, and bread.  

Original Retail Price: $60 dollars

The Positives:


* This is a NECA figure, so you know the sculpt and paint are going to be excellent. This figure might look similar to the Monster from the first film but a closer look reveals that he's quite a bit worse for wear after the climax of the original film. Now his skin is burned in places and his clothes are quite charred with bits of his sleeves and jacket ripped and torn apart, particularly the sleeves. The Monster is quite tall and NECA captured his proportions well. His outfit is excellent, too, and besides the damage there are multiple nice textures on this piece.

* Frankenstein's Monster comes with three portraits, the first being a rather calm and neutral portrait, but more expressive. Jack Pierce's makeup for the Monster in the film seemed to allow more of Karloff's expressions and features to show through, though also added in burned skin and shorter, singed hair. 

* Each of the portrait's shows off the gruesome staples on the sides of the Monster's head and the bolts in his neck. It's a heretically beautiful sculpt.

* The second portrait shows the Monster grinning with a very joyful expression on his face. Herman Munster, is that you? This is clearly from the scene where the Monster meets the blind hermit and where he begins to learn some words. I love this portrait. It's a joyous scene that is lifted from Mary Shelley's original novel to some extent (it's quite modified, as is most of the Universal film adaptation) and it's heartbreaking when it ends. I love this portrait so much.

* I love this third portrait, too. It's clearly meant to be a sneer or growl and it makes perfect sense for the Monster, especially when he's fighting off pissed off villagers or locked into the chair, but you know what? Couple this with the cigar or the right pose and he looks like he's being a bit cheeky as well. It's a fun portrait to mess around with.

*  Here's a close up of one of the Monster's burnt hands and forearms. The skin definitely looks pretty nasty!

* As usual, Frankie's sporting some massive boots as well. They're a bit dirty and covered in ash and mud, but they do make him look tall and keep his feet protected.

* How's the articulation? Just fine. Again, NECA's current 7 inch scaled horror figures aren't built like Marvel Legends or Jada's Street Fighter toys or anything, but they really do have a nice range of motion that really flows with the sculpt. Their figures have jumped up in the quality control department over the past decade and now most NECA releases feel as sturdy as about anything else out there. Frankenstein's usually a pretty stilted guy with stiff motions but he can still get a little crazy if you want him to.

* Five swappable hands come with the Monster. Four of them are pretty basic hands. You've got two right hands with different grips/ poses, and two left hands with different grips or poses. There is a hand that interacts well with each of the accessories, so that's a winner in my book.

* What's next? How about a hand with the cigar in it? I love that scene. Frankenstein's Monster being overjoyed to be hanging out with the blind hermit and smoking a cigar is just a magical think. This hand is just really cool. Slap a Stanzo brand fedora on Frankenstein and he can be the Driving Crooner, baby!

* To recreate more of the scene with the blind hermit a few other accessories are included. First is this mug that looks like it's filled with wine. There are even spots on the sides where it looks like liquid has run down.

* And you get a bowl of soup. 

* And a loaf of bread. I kid you not, this is the most detailed loaf of bread I've ever seen on an action figure. It looks all crusty and good. There's even a bite mark out of it.

* Let's move on and talk about the chair that the Monster gets locked in inside of a dungeon. This is a pretty big piece that measures a little over 7 inches wide, 6 inches deep, and 8 1/2 inches tall. It comes in a few pieces and you have to place the chair and the two chains on the ground inside of the base. In the film the chair is sitting much higher atop multiple levels of a platform, but I'm not sure if recreating that would have been worth the display space as it would be incredibly tall, probably almost twice the height of a regular figure with the extra steps.

* The two chains look like they're strongly attached to the ground (though they are easily removable). The chains are made of metal and the manacles fit over the Monster's wrists when you remove his hands. 

* The base and the chair seat really do look like they are made of stone. If you weren't sure, you might expect to touch this and find it made of a material like polystone or something. It's quite an impressive looking accessory.

* The back of he chair with the chain for Frankenstein's neck is also incredibly well sculpted and painted. The wood grain pattern is just amazing with a bit of an aged and distressed look to it. 

* The lock is not removable but it is a separate piece that is "locked" on to the hasp. The chain is metal and also isn't removable. You just slide the Monster's head through the middle of the chain and the two wood sides. 

* Here's a shot from the back to show the steel strips reinforcing the wood back of the chair. The paint work really sells the realism of the piece, and it's especially impressive as this is the back of the chair and not something most folks are going to be displaying. I appreciate NECA going the extra mile here.

* There are two leather straps (though not really leather) that go over the back of the chair and have chains attached. They are in the film though it's tough to tell where they're attached (are the chains attached to the ceiling or back against the wall as extra reinforcement?), so you can figure out a way to work them in to your display or diorama, or just leave them hanging down the back.

* The Monster fits in there quite well and looks impressive on display. Of course, you know he's just going to break out on your shelf, looking for a nice cigar and some bread.

   This set turned out wonderfully and is loaded with fantastic display options. The dungeon chair really does make for a cool centerpiece for a Frankenstein display or for a Universal Monsters diorama of the NECA figures. With the multiple portraits included here you really can have some fun. Again, I'm just incredibly partial to making the Monster look like he's having a good time with food, drink, and a Macanudo cigar. The figure sells for $60 and it feels like you're getting a standard NECA Ultimate release with an accessory pack release, considering the size and complexity of the chair, so I think it's a good buy. This is an Epic set and nice tribute to the original film sequel that surpassed it's predecessor. There's a lot to love about the Bride of Frankenstein and this set captures quite a bit of it. Add NECA's Bride of Frankenstein figure and you get quite a bit more of the movie's appeal. Now, please, NECA, give us a Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein because he's such an important character, Ernest Thesiger as Dr. Pretorius because he's such an odd and unusual character, and Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley just because.

 If you're a fan of Frankenstein/ Frankenstein's Monster/ the Creature, I've reviewed some other Frankenstein themed items including the Figure Obscura Frankenstein's Creature, Funko's ReAction Frankenstein, the Sideshow 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, Grumpy Bear as Frankenstein #1627 from Funko, the POP! Movies Frankenstein #1630, the mini Frankenstein from Mighty Max Escapes from Skull Dungeon, Frankenstein from Monster Force, Charlie Franken-Brown from Just Play's Peanuts, 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!

For more Universal Monsters from NECA check out the following:

Dracula (Translyvania)

The Invisible Man (Glow in the Dark)
The Mummy (Black & White)
Wolf Man