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15 Great Gifts for the Movie Obsessed

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year, you deserve a Silicone Werepup.
Movie Gift Guide 2022
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By  · Published on December 21st, 2022

Marvel Legends: Namor

Marvel Legends Namor Hasbro
Hasbro

Tenoch Huerta’s arrival as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever feels a lot like Chadwick Boseman’s arrival as Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. Namor is one of Marvel’s oldest comic book creations and one of their strangest. He’s an undersea mutant who propels himself through the ocean and the air via these tiny little wings on his feet. At first glance, it’s maybe not the most cinematically acceptable action feature, but through Ryan Coogler’s artistry, whatever potential goofiness vanishes. Plus, Huerta is a ridiculously charismatic presence. Whenever he’s onscreen, the movie is ten times more watchable. You can’t stare away.

Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line has produced many compulsively collectible figures of late, especially ones tied to Marvel’s Phase Four. I could easily highlight their new What If…? Howard the Duck or the incredible likeness achieved in their She-Hulk figure, but Tenoch Huerta’s Namor is the moment. Maybe you’re not that much of a toy collector, but you’ll want to mark this particular MCU arrival in plastic. Huerta is destined to dominate future Marvel projects, and more figures will undoubtedly be on the horizon. With this beauty, you’ll signify that you were there from the beginning.


Dungeons and Dragons Ultimate Warduke

Neca Warduke
Wizards of the Coast/NECA

The Warduke first appeared in the Dungeons and Dragons module “Quest for the Heartstone,” but he made a significant impact on my imagination through the eighties toy line based on the cartoon series. Originally designed by comic book artist Timothy Truman, the Warduke is a vicious barbarian bounty hunter feared throughout the land. He cuts a terrifying figure with his bright red eyes piercing through an utterly shadowed face beneath a bat-winged helmet. Iconic.

For years, I’ve scoured comic conventions and antique shows, looking for the Warduke toy of my youth. No luck. Ah, but that matters not. Those mischievous elves over at NECA have unveiled a new line of Dungeons and Dragons figures, an updated spin on the classic molds. They all look fabulous, but the Warduke looks the most boss. The retail price is $43, which is a touch hefty for a seven-inch figure, but nostalgia demands my wallet to open.


Funko Pop Jumbo: Temple of Khonshu Statue

Funko Pop Jumbo Temple Of Khonshu Statue
Funko

I swear I thought I was done with Funko Pops. Then, they reveal this Target-exclusive thirteen-inch Moon Knight Temple of Khonshu statue, and suddenly I’m Michael Corleone from The Godfather Part III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

With the Khonshu statue, you can set him up in your office, and he sorta just blends in with the furniture. You know, all that furniture you have devoted to capturing the moon god’s energy and power. The signature big Funko head and round blank eyes are there, but if you squint in just the right fashion, you can pretend you’re no longer addicted to the brand. You’re free now, merely enslaved to the MCU machine, which is totally different than being shackled to Funkos.


Superman: The Mechanical Monster 5 Points Deluxed Box Set

Superman The Mechanical Monster Points Deluxed Box Set
Mezco Toys

With every new Superman adaptation, I am more convinced that the forties-era Fleischer cartoons nailed it during their go-around. Max Fleischer knew cartoons could offer more than cute animals and biologically distorted humans. Even while embracing the rampantly absurd superhero genre, he strived to replicate a recognizable anatomy and the authentically emotional experience that came with it. “The Mechanical Monster” episode possibly being the peak of his ability to do just that.

Mezco Toys must agree, as their $90 Superman: The Mechanical Monster box set lovingly preserves the best bits from the classic cartoon. The set includes accurate molds of Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Mechanical Monster Number 5. Plus, there’s a quick change telephone booth, a double-sided diorama depicting the mad scientist’s lair as well as the House of Jewels, and multiple interchangeable arms for Superman and the Mechanical Monster. Yes, you can snap on a propeller attachment too.


Cooper the Werepup

Cooper The Werepup
Trick or Treat Studios

Okay, so every year, I have to include something that is a little more than ridiculous. Trick or Treat Studios are masters when it comes to fabricating prop monsters. Browsing through their site, you’ll find spot-on duplicates for Gremlins, Ghoulies, and Chucky dolls. They’ll run you between $250 and $600 a pop. High-end quality spookiness.

Cooper the Werepup carries no association with the movies. He’s an entirely original creation, but after spending hours staring into his cuddly gaze, I’ve decided that he and his Werepup friends deserve their own franchise. Created by artist Asia Ericksen, Cooper is the first in what could become a whole wave of creepy cuties. He stretches eighteen inches, weighs five pounds, and holds a solid silicone head on his shoulders. Search your couch cushions for folding money, and start rolling pennies. This puppers costs $399.99.

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Brad Gullickson is a Weekly Columnist for Film School Rejects and Senior Curator for One Perfect Shot. When not rambling about movies here, he's rambling about comics as the co-host of Comic Book Couples Counseling. Hunt him down on Twitter: @MouthDork. (He/Him)