Universal pictures virtually created the template for horror and sci-fi movies in the first half of the 20th century, and their monsters have become cultural icons as ubiquitous with American pop-culturalism as Superman and Santa Claus. Every year, around Halloween, this group of horror icons is paraded out in some fashion or other, reminding us that while some more modern fright-masters have come close, this group still holds the monopoly on scares for many horror fans everywhere.
Back in 1980, Remco released a select few of the Universal Monsters in Kenner-style, action-figure form, complete with a carrying case that doubled as a creepy lab play set. It was a completely awesome set that I treasured and would love to own again, so when Funko announced the Universal Monsters would be part of their Kenner-inspired ReAction line, my interest was piqued, to put it mildly. When I stumbled upon the line at my local Barnes & Noble store, I didn’t stand a chance. I scooped up every one and practically sprinted home to relive 1980 all over again. It was glorious.
The thing about this format is that it relies completely on the nostalgia factor in order to succeed. There are just five points of articulation across the board, so there’s nothing here that’s going to blow anyone away by modern standards, which means nostalgia is going to be the only key selling point. I am not normally a fan of this scale or of this style of figure (I loved my Kenner Star Wars figures, but that was because there was nothing better in 1980). Something here works, though.
While I can’t speak to the success of the other properties Funko has released in this format, their take on the Universal Monsters feels like a genuine attempt to recreate some of that magic from 1980, and the joy I felt opening these figures is indicator enough to me that Funko has made something special here.
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The packaging alone is a home run. The fact that each character gets a unique cardback featuring their likeness from their respective movies is just awesome, so Funko gets major points from me for going this extra step. The cards are so nice that it’s very tempting to keep them all carded for display, but, fortunately for me and my shelf space, none of my cards were perfect, so none are really worth keeping carded, which means that temptation only lasted a moment or two before I tore right into them, feeling like a little kid again. It’s rare that toys instill that kind of emotion in me these days, but these figures did it in a big way.
Frankenstein
Frankenstein (I’m using this name since it’s what he’s called on the card) is what I would call the “heavy-hitter” of this first wave, and he was probably my favorite from the old Remco line. As simple as the sculpt is, look at that head sculpt — it absolutely does capture the sadness and loneliness of the character. Frankenstein was never “scary” to me; he was someone to be pitied, and whatever fear he inspired came from his lashing out at his situation, and here he just looks so sad. I feel like I should be playing Morrissey records whenever I pick him up.
I like that his hands are molded as to facilitate that “zombie walk” that he is known for, as though he’s about to strangle someone. He’s also slightly taller than the others, so Frankenstein here works for me. He’s a definite favorite from the bunch.
The Bride of Frankenstein
The Bride of Frankenstein is a character who didn’t get a Remco figure, so I was thrilled to learn she was included in Funko’s first wave. She mostly works. From the neck down, she’s pretty great. Her head sculpt is a bit of a bugaboo for me, however. When I picture the Bride, she is either screaming or looking absolutely petrified with fright. She didn’t get a lot of screen time in her movie, and what little we actually saw of her was absolutely unsettling, but this figure doesn’t elicit any of that. Her head sculpt is too placid to work as the character. There is no fear there. She looks as though she could be asking Franky is he wants the pot roast again tonight.
This was the key figure I was looking forward to the most, but she feels like a miss for me. The bandages on her arms and her gown are nicely sculpted, but that head misses the mark by too wide a margin. Still, I’m happy to have at least some representation of her in my set.
The Invisible Man
This is the figure from the first wave that I thought would be the least essential, but I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. His bandages, his robe, and the rich colors used to create his overall look are all awesome. He’s by far the most colorful figure in the wave, so that alone makes him stand out nicely. They even managed to nail the sculpt of his sunglasses to create a figure that looks as authentic to its source as a figure possibly could in this format. A clear plastic “invisible” variant is coming in November as an Entertainment Earth exclusive, so that is going to be a must-have companion piece to this version. I wasn’t excited about him, but the Invisible Man is a surprise favorite I’m happy to have.
The Wolf Man
In addition to Frankenstein, the Wolf Man is another heavy-hitter that anchors this first wave. The original Wolf Man was a mixture of all that is feral and all that is awkward at the same time, largely due to the limitations in special effects way back when. Those limitations made that first incarnation of the Wolf Man positively endearing, and this figure succeeds in capturing that effect. His head sculpt looks ferocious yet cute, and I love that his shirt is neatly buttoned all the way to the top. While An American Werewolf in London may be my personal favorite werewolf movie, the original Wolf Man here will always stand as the definitive “wolf man,” and Funko did some nice work in translating his likeness to this figure.
The line is a true 3.75-inch scale, so they’re going to be a bit small when posed next to, say, a Marvel Universe figure, like in the pic above. They look fantastic as a self-contained group, though, so they may become part of our permanent Halloween display.
These retro figures certainly aren’t for everyone, and I do get the complaints that have been leveled at the feet of some of the properties in the line, but these monsters feel like a success to me. Granted, that opinion may be heavily influenced by nostalgia for the Remco figures, but so what? The point is these are a joy to behold and I’m super happy to have them in my collection. I can’t wait for more!
Be on the lookout for our look at series two coming later this week!
