Imaginext Gorilla Grodd (Stand-In Edition)

When not picking up Imaginext superheroes for myself, I like to grab up whatever piece-meal figures and accessories I can from garage sales and the flea market (especially when it's cheap) for my intern. A couple years ago I found the Gorilla Mountain playset and a bunch of jungle animals for her, and whenever we play I like to imagine this Gorilla is the Flash rogue Gorilla Grodd.

Fisher-Price released an official Gorilla Grodd, but in my mind it pales in comparison to this basic Gorilla, which, other than his mind control helmet, is all Gorilla Grodd is!

"I've got a monkey on my back!"

He's stamped '2006', and I believe he was sold alone or with a monkey or bird or something, and not as part of the Gorilla Mountain playset. Because, you know, that would have just made too much sense!

When you push down on his head, depending on the positioning of his arms, you can approximate the stereotypical chest-pounding action of great apes. Ook oook oook!

He stands upright well, leans into the four-on-the-floor pose well, and has a surprising amount of arm movement due to ball jointed shoulders and elbow articulation, even with the silly action feature.

A simple, solid Gorilla with a great sculpt that makes for a fun toy, especially when you imagine him plotting the overthrow of man's world from his secret base behind Gorilla Mountain!