The Shape of Water - AMPHIBIAN MAN!

Guillermo del Toro Collection - The Shape of Water - Amphibian Man - NECA 2019

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. I'm breaking a big rule by posting a review of an ostensibly male character here on this blog. But to my credit, amphibians can have very ambiguous genders, and I honestly don't have any other outlet to post these pictures (I've pretty much withdrawn from the forum and message board scene). The Shape of Water was easily my favorite film of 2017. It combined all my favorite genres: forbidden romance, historical noir, science fiction, cryptozoology, archaeology, and of course a gill-monster. Apparently Guillermo del Toro watched Creature From the Black Lagoon as a child and had the same reaction I did: why doesn't the monster ever get the girl? I saw the Creature as a misunderstood romantic, and this new film tells the story I always wanted. The Guillermo del Toro collection from NECA is a line with a lot of potential. As far as I'm aware, there aren't any more figures on the horizon, but my fingers are crossed for Mimic and Crimson Peak. Let's check out the Amphibian Man below!

This figure makes great use of different plastics. His gills are made from a thin rubbery plastic while the main part of his body is stiff and rigid. The abdomen and crotch piece is a stiff armature covered with a rubbery skin. This effectively covers up the pesky hip articulation while allowing freedom of movement. I only hope the rubber parts hold up over time and don't disintegrate. 

The plastic of the body is very subtly translucent which gives him a very realistic cinematic look.

Instead of coming with interchangeable hands, Amphibian Man comes with interchangeable forearms. He has an alternate head with an articulated jaw, two webbing accessories that attach under his arms, and a plate of eggs.

This figure comes with the restraining platform base from the government facility. The wrist shackles are solid and require the hands to be popped off to put them on. The neck shackle is hinged. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but there is a glossy finish splattered around the middle of the platform so it adds to the illusion of the Amphibian Man dripping.

Time for some Group and Comparison Pics!

Here are my three favorite Gill-Men: Creature From the Black Lagoon (Sideshow), Shape of Water Amphibian Man (NECA), and Abe Sapien from Hellboy (Mezco).

And here is the Amphibian Man and Abe Sapien with Fauno from Pan's Labyrinth. All three are portrayed by actor Doug Jones. Some other notable characters he has played are Silver Surfer from Rise of the Silver Surfer, Long John from Mimic, Mother from Crimson Peak, Angel of Death from Hellboy II, and Commander Saru from Star Trek Discovery (among many others). He should have his own line.

Cheers!