It’s been more than 80 years since Boris Karloff first terrified audiences as Imhotep’s Mummy, but the character is still regarded as one of the cornerstones of the classic Universal Monsters. Mezco Toys has been slowly releasing stylized versions of Universal’s iconic monsters, beginning with Frankenstein’s Monster two years ago and followed by the Creature in mid-2013. It’s now over a year later and the Mummy has finally begun to hit retailers. Was it worth the wait? Spoiler: You better believe it.
The box is simple and classy, and, aside from a few twist-ties, it’s completely collector-friendly. The text on the back is geared for the line in its entirety rather than the figure itself, but it’s still nice to have.
For those unfamiliar with the line, Mezco‘s Universal Monsters are approximately 9 inches tall with limited articulation and an extremely stylized sculpt. It’s definitely not the sort of line that appeals to everyone, but if you’re even slightly interested in artsy designer figures or monsters in general, then you’re in for a treat. As with the previous two releases, the sculpt is the main draw for the Mummy — and it is fantastic. This is Karloff’s mummy through and through. The head sculpt, while cartoonish, is full of tiny details. The wrinkles and sunken features really give this guy tons of personality. The rest of the figure is even more impressive as each and every wrapping is sculpted on. Mezco could have easily used paint to create the illusion of separate wrappings, but they went all out and gave this figure the attention it deserves — right down to his sculpted scarab ring.
The paintwork is also top notch and does its job of bring out the sculpt without overpowering it. Deep shadows are used on the face to further accentuate the sunken features, and the wrappings are all appropriately aged. So many figures get ruined when a company tries to “dirty” them up, but Mezco did it right. He’s dusty and old, but he’s also been protected by a tomb for centuries. Not rolling around in the mud.
Articulation is standard for this line, which is to say pretty minimal. He has a terrific ball-jointed head, pin-and-disc shoulders, cut elbows, cut wrists, ab crunch, cut waist, and ball ankles. One of the issues I had with the Creature figure was that the ball ankles were A) unnecessary and B) not tight enough to support the weight of the figure. I’m happy to report that these joints are much tighter this time around, but I still can’t see why they are necessary. Why have ball joints on the ankles when there is absolutely zero articulation in the entire leg? I would think simple cuts would get the job done.
Overall, I love this figure every bit as much as the previous two releases. Even with the limited articulation, it still feels like a bargain at $25. This is a very solid, very well executed figure. It’s stylized for sure, but its cartoonish nature leans towards the creepy side rather than the cute — which is much appreciated for these characters. It’s absolutely perfect for what it is.
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