1972's The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the movie set a new gold standard for the gangster genre, in large part because of Marlon Brando's famous portrayal of Vito Corleone, the Don of the Corleone crime family. Despite how memorable the character is in the minds of movie-goers, only a small handful of Don Vito collectibles have ever been produced, most notably from McFarlane, Hot Toys and Sideshow. To make up for that shortage, Spanish toy maker SD Toys (sd-toys.com) is stepping up to the plate with a 7-inch figure of the world famous movie mob boss.
The Don Vito figure comes packaged in a large square window box that is instantly recognizable as a Godfather collectible. The box features a bold black and red color scheme, while the film's legendary "puppet on a string" logo adorns all sides. In case you weren't familiar with The Godfather, SD Toys provides a brief bio on the back explaining the movie, character and collectible.
What's interesting is the front lower left hand corner of the box where it reads "Movie Icons #1". The Godfather figure now has a brand name, that being the first release in SD Toys' new Movie Icons series.
Out of the over-sized box and protective clamshell tray, the Don Vito figure impresses with a meaty plastic weight and robust 7-inch scale. Seated in his leather chair, Don Vito is sculpted with right hand raised, ready to issue orders. You can almost hear him speaking his most famous line, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" (I know, that was said in another scene with him standing up, but you'll be hearing it anyways :)). The figure cannot be removed from the chair, however, the chair does swivel a full 360 degrees, allowing for some varied display options.
Sculpt is instantly recognizable as Marlon Brando's mob boss character. In other words, it's a pretty darn good likeness, puffy cheeks and all. Don Vito comes dressed to the nines in a tux, complete with rose bud pinned to his lapel, while the chair is elegant with its intricate trimmings and animal head arm rests. Good paint applications tie everything together with broad swathes of black, white and browns. Again, that red rose pops out at you with fiery intensity. You may note that there are some visible plastic seam lines in some of my macro photos, especially on Don Vito's hands. Such is the sometimes unforgiving view of close-up photography. In reality, when viewing this figure in person, those seam lines aren't even noticeable.
SD Toys' The Godfather Don Vito figure commands attention on display. A conversation starter if there ever was one, this figure is sure to impress fans of the classic film. This collectible is currently available overseas in Europe and Brazil (49.95 Euros), but the company is working hard to get it distributed to the U.S. We'll keep you posted... this is a figure Godfather fans can't refuse. Meanwhile, coming soon to SD Toys' Movie Icons line is Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's and Gone with the Wind's Rhett Butler and Scarlett!
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Sample Courtesy of SD Toys
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