Art Design: The TWILIGHT ZONE series of 12" action figures by Sideshow Toys features a very distinctive and appropriately dark look. The eery TWILIGHT ZONE logo is on the front of the box, along with three photographs from the original show upon which the action figure is based. In this case, it is the Gremlin from NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET, an episode which featured William Shatner in one of his earliest Television appearances. The five-panel box is excellent for display purposes.
The Figure and Headsculpt: The figure seems to be a standard Sideshow Toys body. The butt-ugly headsculpt is really creepy and outstanding! The fur cap is not removable, and the dark highlights on the pea-soup colored outfit is genuinely gruesome and looks a lot like the actual creature that appeared in the original episode of Twilight Zone.
The Outfit and Gear: The outfit is the bodysuit that the creature is wearing. The Gremlin has no boots, but the suit is well designed and the Gremlin is not hard to stand. I doubt that he could stand on his own for a long period of time, but posing the creature in standing positions was not hard. The overall look of the Gremlin could have been great, except that the seams of the outfit are highlighted by whatever process Sideshow Toys used to darken the bodysuit. If you look at the pictures, you can see that all the seams of the bodysuit stand out boldly. The process that was used to make the suit look "dirty" is very good in that the suit really looks like someone used it to dry-wipe dusty furniture and then put it on the action figure. If the seams of the outfit did not stand out so much it would have been brilliant. However, it is hard to take a Gremlin seriously if you can see the seams of its outfit! He looks more like one of those guest villains on the original SCOOBY-DOO cartoons, or a horrifying creature from an old THREE STOOGES short-movie, where you could usually see the zipper on the back of the Gorilla or other "creature." As a joke gift, I think it would be a good figure to give someone as a Gothic "Teddy Bear." It kind of looks like the little Wolfman Teddy Bear that little Eddie Munster used to carry around with him on THE MUNSTERS TV show. The fabric used to make this outfit is nice and soft and it has padding too. The only gear that is included is a panel from the wing of the plane and three little bits of plastic "cable." The three bits of plastic cable really made this set look CHEAP. I am not sure what else could have been provided, perhaps nothing at all would have been better. The little bits of plastic are not formed to look like wiring, and they look exactly like three bits of plastic cut from a roll of plastic line.
Price and Availability: This item was purchased on e-bay for $23. including postage. The MSRP is $39.99; but other online dealers may have them at better prices.
Overall: If you saw the original episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE with the Gremlin and William Shatner then this 12" action figure is certainly a nice piece to have. In the right lighting, it works great in a diorama or photo-story. Collectors generally agree that this set would have been 1000 times better if it had been done as a two-figure set including William Shatner. The Gremlin by itself is only half the story. When you think about the episode, it was all William Shatner's reaction (and hysteria) that made the Gremlin seem scary.
Grade: B
