Review: Diamond Select Universal Monsters Wolfman Toys ‘R’ Us Exclusive
In 1932 Universal Studios was searching for a hit. They found that hit in Todd Browning’s Dracula. Based on the success of Bela Lugosi’s iconic performance, Universal soon greenlit Frankenstein. In the 1930′s Monsters ruled the box office and Universal hasn’t looked back since.
Diamond Select’s Wolfman
Diamond Toys, makers of the Marvel Selects line, Minimates, and other detailed toys now has the Universal Studios Monsters license. In the first wave from last year were the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Wolfman. Coming up this year we have the Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, and Dracula. These toys should be here in time for Halloween.
Universal is considered to have two cycles of horror movies. The first started with Dracula, and included Frankenstein, The Mummy, and other films such as the Karloff and Lugosi scarefest The Black Cat. With the success of these films Universal flooded the market with horror, and interest started to wane. The monsters went to rest, only to be revived later, in the 1940′s, starting with Lon Chaney’s The Wolfman. Lon Chaney starred as Larry Talbot, who must come home to Talbot Manor and his father (played by Claude Raines), after an accident claims the life of his brother. The story moves onto Talbot taking two female friends where one is attacked by a wolf, and Larry defends the girl, and kills the wolf. Talbot’s problems start there and climax in one of the classic horror movies.
Now onto the figure itself. In the package you get the figure and a nicely detalied base with an attachable tree.The first thing I noticed was the great likeness. If you’ve seen the movie this figure will immediately be recognizable. I’ve seen other Wolfman figures where the sculptor butchers the face, oversculpting the hairy features. No such problem here. The figure is solid, and you don’t feel like you can break anything on this beast.
The figure is meant to be a display piece. That being said, the articulation on the toy is limited. I think the reason being that the figure is posed in one of The Wolfman’s classic poses. Everything else for the figure is spot on for me though. I haven’t seen a better looking figure for the Wolfman, and I still enjoy it, I’m just a little disappointed that I can’t pose him a little more.
This is the second figure I’ve gotten for this line, the first being the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I’m really looking forward to the next wave, and plan on buying all three. It’s a great line for a fan of old school horror movies like me.
I give the Diamond Select Toys ‘R’ Us Wolfman figure 4 Bela the Gypsys out of 5.
