Series: Planet of the Apes 12”

Craftsmanship: 8.8 / 10

- Love the outfit

- Would have been more “authentic” with real hair

- Easy to display and pose

- Gun doesn’t easily held

Playability: 7.0 / 10

- Clothes and accessories can be torn

- Cool club

- Lots of articulation

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Is it strange to want to dress like an action figure?  I suppose it’s not that strange.  After all, there are people out there that will dress as their favorite videogame character or their online avatars with very little provocation and absolutely no guarantee that the rest of the population won’t laugh at them.  I’m not so sure I’d be laughed at if I were to make a wear clothes like the Gorilla Soldier, particularly if I was packing a club and rifle.

I’ve always liked the quality that Sideshow pours into the clothing for its 12” collectibles.  The Gorilla Soldier’s outfit is direct from the film, with real buttons, faux leather and boots.  He carries a club, which can be hooked on his bandolier, and a rifle that slings over either shoulder.

The facial sculpt is great, as is the sculpted hair.  I would have loved real hair for even more authenticity.  As it is, and taken in concert with the paint application, the hair is a good approximation to the movie source.  Either hand easily holds the club, but the rifle is a bit of an enigma.  For the life of me I can’t figure out how it’s supposed to fit in his hands.  The closest I got was “cradling” the rifle in his arms or held with both hands awkwardly in front of him.  The sculpt of the hands and rifle don’t allow the rifle to stay in place.

The rifle itself is pretty cool, with a sliding bolt action that once again establishes that Sideshow always tries to get the details right.

Playability with other 12” figures is great.  He has the same “human” articulation that all of Sideshow’s 12” figures feature – ball, hinge, seam – so setting up all kinds of cool dioramas is possible.  I almost have enough figures to do a really kick-butt Clash of Sci-Fi Films diorama, complete with backstory – time travel and crullers are involved – and highlighted by Gorilla Soldier going toe-to-toe with Darth Vader.  However, something I recently noticed with the packaging, Sideshow recommends Gorilla Soldier as a collectible and not as a play

toy and even goes as far to say "not suitable for anyone under 14."  (This warning isn’t unique to Gorilla Soldier, it’s just the first time I noticed it.)  It’s a good rule of thumb because anyone younger is liable to abuse Gorilla Soldier like a standard hard plastic figure.  In this case, the clothes can be ripped, torn, frayed, shredded, etc. and the accessories can be lost.  With the kind of base that Sideshow packs with its 12” figures, I recommend installing the big ape, put him in a cool pose, then appreciate.

Final judgment: He will definitely appeal to Planet of the Apes fans and they won’t be disappointed.

- Omni

(March 29, 2005)

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