Club Tokyo

Collectible Reviews

M1 Godzilla 2000 Reissue

by Bob Schneider - (5/20/2002)

M1 originally released its Godzilla 2000 model a couple of years ago to celebrate the famous monster's first appearance in the new millennium. But since Toho reused the same suit for the following movie, Godzilla vs. Megagilas, the manufacturer took advantage of the opportunity to reissue the same figure with an alternate paint job along with the new Megagilas model. Now, let's take a look at the new Mire-Goji and see how it compares to the first version.

The reissue's paint scheme is actually a very subtle departure from the original's. Both versions appear to be molded in the same forest green vinyl and detailed with red eyes and mouth and silver teeth and nails. The only difference is in the shading used on the body and dorsal plates. On the original, the body is lightly sprayed with a shiny pale green and the plates are a bright lilac that blends neatly into a band of silver along the base. On the new model, M1 used metallic aqua blue and maroon shades for the body and plates, respectively. It looks like the manufacturer also added some flat, dark gray paint to the middle surfaces of the plates, between the maroon and the silver. Under the right lighting, this combination is quite striking since the matte finish of the gray paint really sets off the glistening tips and ridge along the spine. At a glance, though, the figure looks similar enough to the original version that some casual observers might not notice the difference at all. Perhaps this strategy was a reaction on M1's part to the plethora of exclusive variations produced by other manufacturers which have flooded the market recently. By choosing a color scheme so closely matched to the original, M1 is effectively releasing a new variation of a popular figure without creating any unnecessary fuss or hype. You're not buying a rare, limited edition, one of a kind, exclusive variation here; it's more like getting reacquainted with an old friend in a slightly different style of clothing. For what it's worth, I prefer the cooler tones of the new color scheme, though the original is admittedly more faithful to the way the monster actually appeared on screen.

With its bulging eyes, overhanging teeth, and spiky dorsal plates, some measuring a full two inches in height, the sculpt is an excellent rendering. Like all of M1's products, the Godzilla 2000 is a big, heavy, sturdy chunk of vinyl. The figure stands just under nine inches in height and is equipped with movable arms, legs, and tail. If you were expecting a poseable head as well, you may be disappointed to learn that on M1's Godzilla figures, the head, neck, and torso are all part of a single molding. This design approach makes more practical sense than usual in the case of the Mire Goji, though, because of its distinctive neck shroud running from the top of the chest to the base of the chin. A separate head molding wouldn't align properly with the neck contours except when the head was facing straight forward anyway.

Since I purchased my Godzilla 2000 figure along with the Megagilas model as a set, I spent a lot of time checking them out (that is, playing with them) side by side. Though the figures are scaled similarly, the Megagilas may be just a tad too large relative to Godzilla, but that's fine with me. M1 is making the right choice maintaining a fairly consistent size for all of its Godzilla figures, and the Megagilas wouldn't have been nearly as impressive if it hadn't been so massive. While fidgeting with the figures, I noticed something else interesting: Megagilas's legs are just the right distance apart to enable them to fit snugly over Godzilla's shoulders and topmost dorsal plates. This enables the two figures to be displayed in an exciting battle pose, with the big insect looking like it just swooped down to attack Goji from behind. The only other pair of figures I know of that can be displayed in this way are Bandai's recent Movie Monsters series GMK Godzilla and Mothra, but M1 beat Bandai to the punch by releasing its Godzilla and Megagilas figures months earlier. Like most collectors, I'm always trying to find new ways to show off my prized possessions and I'd love to see more manufacturers design products that can interlock in novel action poses. Let's hope both M1 and Bandai come up with more feature-matched figures like these in years to come.

I suppose M1's Godzilla 2000 reissue is destined to be overshadowed by its companion piece, but that's only because the Megagilas figure is such a knock out -- hey, you don't get voted Collectible of the Year in Club Tokyo's Year End Survey without making quite an impression on fans. But the Godzilla 2000 is one superb collectible in its own right. It's a beautifully crafted toy that looks even better, albeit very similar, in the new color scheme. Anyone who missed picking up the original model should be delighted to see the reissue, and even if you already own the first version, it might be worth your while checking out the reissue. If you still need more reason to buy the figure, who could resist picking up the piece in a set along with the Collectible of the Year? With top quality products like these to its credit, no wonder M1 is quickly becoming Japan's most legendary manufacturer of kaiju collectibles.