On December 13, 2003, Toho lit up Japanese screens with Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., the 28th film in the G-franchise, which saw the big guy mixing it up with Mechagodzilla and Mothra (not to mention the latter's larvae). This proved to be one of the sturdiest entries in the Millenium series, bringing back fan favorites like the Shobijin (known colloquially as "the Mothra Twins") as well as actor Hiroshi Koizumi reprising his role as Dr. Shinichi Chujo from the original 1961 Mothra film.
As this year marks the 20th anniversary of the film's release, we're getting several big celebrations, including a recent Fathom event that marked the first time Tokyo S.O.S. played theatrically in the United States. Now the pop culture mavens at Mondo have released their incredible Godzilla Tokyo SOS Premium Scale Statue, which is already nearly sold out. If you're a hardcore G-fan, you need look no further than FANGORIA's detailed unboxing below to entice you into pulling the trigger on bringing this bad boy home.
Art Box
Right out of the gate, Mondo boldly states their intention for authenticity by having all the text on the box be in Japanese. It gives it the feel of an item you had to special order from some hobby shop in Osaka instead of a collectible company in Austin, Texas. The gorgeous art depicting Godzilla rampaging through the city is by Italian comic book artist Francisco Francavilla, with packaging design by Gabe Chicoine.
Packaging
As per usual, the packaging by Mondo is safe for the item and thoughtfully put together for easy re-pack. Everything is covered with tissue paper to prevent superficial scratches, and foam has been added to a few of the more delicate items. If you drop this much on a statue, you don't want it falling to pieces in shipping or storage.
Base
This is the first Mondo Godzilla piece to actually incorporate a cityscape into the base, and you gotta love it. As a fan of the live monster wrestling shows Kaiju Big Battel, I enjoy nothing more than a small-scale city ripe for destruction! While not quite HO scale, this base incorporates plenty of rubble, a partly-demolished building, cars, buses, and even a bicycle. There's even a fallen piece from Mechagodzilla's wrists… a possible tease of a future statue?
Body
The first thing to note is that this piece does not contain any PVC as the company's previous Godzilla statues did, consisting entirely of polystone resin. This puts it more in the realm of products from go-to statue companies like Sideshow or Prime 1. This might be partly why the price is in a higher range. It's also good that only the head and tail of the creature involve switch-outs, meaning the sculpt itself can feel seamless.
Head
While most Toho Godzilla movies have a similar look for Big G, there are always subtle variations with each new Man In Suit. For Tokyo S.O.S. he has a more menacing look given his status as the antagonist in the film, and that subtle variation is reflected in this head sculpt. The eyes, in particular, perfectly capture that primal rage of the character. Not shown is a jaw swap, so his maw can be closed but… let's be honest, who wants a placid Godzilla with his mouth shut?
Mothra Larvae
These little guys are technically a sequel to the egg in Mondo's previous Mothra statue, with the twin larvae emerging from the egg on Infant Island and heading toward Japan to help their momma. The airbrush work here is quite good, those fiercely red eyes make these some bugs you don't want to mess with, being the ones ultimately responsible for helping Mecha-G take down Godzilla.
Full Assembly
There he is, a thing of destructive beauty… Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! This is the first statue from Mondo to rival the Sideshow Premium Format-scale with a price to match. Previous Mondo Godzilla statues (made partly with PVC) retailed between $350 and $375, whereas the pure polystone/resin Tokyo SOS piece will run you $585.
Alternate Assembly
There are at least three main configurations with this statue, the second being with the added Larvae attached to the big guy's tail. With the added creature, you get the extra height to the piece as well, becoming 20" inches tall compared to 16" inches without the larvae attachment. If you have space issues on your shelf, the second larvae can also be moved on top of the building on the base.
Face Detail
One of the horrific highlights of the battle is the moment when Godzilla pulls a Mike Tyson and bites off one of his opponent's appendages, namely a Mothra leg. While a sad moment for our mothy hero, it at least gives us a clue as to what G's turkey preference would be on Thanksgiving.
Body Detail
The red scar on Godzilla's chest is similar to the glowing hot firey nuclear G from 1995's Godzilla vs Destroyah or the way his entire body glows in the more recent Shin Godzilla. The paintwork does a nice subtle job of integrating the red from the rest of the dark grey body.
Feet Detail
While we already saw some base detail, once you see it in scale with G's feet and the larva, it really provides that scale of destruction we all cherish these movies for. It also shows how well-planned the color schemes were, with the majority of the base an ashy grey to contrast with the creatures.
Reverse View
The actual test of a great statue is whether or not it looks great from behind. This one does not disappoint, as it seems sculptor Tommy Hodges and painter Hector Arce put just as much thought and care into how it all looks from behind. The only downside is you do prominently see the seam between the head and the rest of the body.
Reverse Detail
Extra care was put into the dorsal plates, often referred to as G's "fins" or "spines." Notice how a darker paint was added to help blend them with the body, while a different shade of blue was added to indicate when he uses his blue heat rays or "fire breath."
Reverse Building Detail
While we're at it let's gawk a little at the detail on this building. It has a special groove to help the second larvae rest on it, but also looks good without the creature.
Profile
Godzilla has one of the most recognizable silhouettes in movie history, and this is a fantastic way to display him. One could also turn him around completely and have him facing Mondo's previous Mothra statue, or vice versa.
Fire Breath Head
The swappable "Heat Ray Attack" head is semi-transparent and is an ultra-cool addition to this statue. One of the hallmarks of all Mondo collectible toys or statues is the sheer volume of fun extras the company loads into every package.
Fire Breath Assembly
Most fans will likely prefer this final assembly since the fire breath is so dynamic, and the hue of the blue really makes the piece pop. Whichever form you choose to assemble this Tokyo SOS statue, you had best start soon… with an edition size of only 600, you can bet these will all be spoken for shortly.
Previous Mondo G-Statues
Having previously unboxed two other beautiful Godzilla statues from Mondo -Godzilla 89 (from Godzilla vs. Biollante) and Mothra (from Tokyo S.O.S.)- I have to say this new Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. piece is not only a worthy addition but a big clawed footstep forward. Since both those previous pieces are long sold out, and the new piece is currently classified as "Almost Gone" on the Mondo website, you may want to get on this one before it crawls back into the ocean from whence it came. Fingers crossed that the company will be able to create the ultimate Kiryu (Mechagodzilla) collectible to make it a Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S three-for-three.
