Masters of the Universe Classics: Skeletor: Evil Lord of Destruction Figure Review

Being a late comer to the "Masters of the Universe Classics" line, I had the misfortune of missing out on Skeletor when he was first released earlier last year.  When I heard that Mattel was going to re-release an "improved-version" of Skeletor as a "bonus" figure, I was given a second chance.  I used to own the old-school Skeletor, but had the bad luck of losing him (twice)!  I lost one while playing with him with the car window down (for some reason), and suddenly (due to a bump or my own clumsiness) dropped Skeletor on the road.  Man, that was really heartbreaking.

Although I missed out on He-Man, at least I would be able to finally get my hands on one of my most beloved villains.  When it was noon, I wasted no time and ordered myself Skeletor.  Surprisingly, my order went through very smoothly.  Even more surprising, Skeletor was still available a couple of days after his re-release.  He was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on January 27, 2010.




Flavor Text:

"Skeletor, Evil Lord of Destruction

Real Name: Keldor

Mortally wounded in a battle with his half-brother, Captain Randor, Keldor turned to his dark-arts master Hordak to save his life.  Merging Keldor with the extra-dimensional being Demo-Man from Despondos, Keldor was forever changed into Skeletor, Overlord of Evil!  He gathered together many of Eternia's greatest outcasts and evil warriors in his quest to gain entry into Castle Grayskull and to obtain what he believes is the universe's ultimate power source."



The Good:

• Skeletor has 20 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, jointed shoulders, swivel upper biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, swivel/hinged legs, hinged knees, swivel "boots", hinged ankles, and hinged "side" (left) ankle.

• He comes with four accessories: removable chest armor, sword, half-sword, and Havoc Staff.

• This is yet another definite "nostalgia-inducing" figure from the MOTUC line (yeah, I'm aware it's called "Masters of the Universe Classics" for a reason).  The Four Horsemen have "modernized" Skeletor: his body is proportional (no more "neanderthal-looking" Skeletor!); his "loin-cloth" is wider and less "pointer-looking"; Skeletor no longer wears boots by showing off his beautiful three-toed clawed feet; and his armor is no longer plain purple, instead it has different shades of purple in certain spots.

• Although I'm quite pleased that the Four Horsemen retained most of Skeletor's old-school appearance, I'm especially glad that Skeletor retains his "hyper-masculine" appearance (the impossibly bulging musculature).

• You can see how much thought and detail went into sculpting Skeletor's face: the space between Skeletor's ghoulish face and his hood gives off the illusion that all there really is under that hood is a skull.

• As advertised, Skeletor has a tight grip on both his right and left hand, which can hold the sword and staff in each hand.

• Skeletor's Havoc Staff is extremely well-sculpted (the skull of the ram creature), and the staff itself is made of slightly thick, sturdy plastic.

The Bad:

• The paint application on Skeletor has gone completely awry: purple-colored dots scattered all over Skeletor's body; a white dot on Skeletor's back (right above the ab-crunch joint); a visible streak of red paint on his face; "dirt" marks all over Skeletor's arms and legs; and "scuff" marks on Skeletor's sword.

• Streaks of left-over dried glue can be seen on Skeletor's elbow joints and on one-side of his sword.
  

• Due to the horrible weapon-packing design, Skeletor's "half-power" sword arrived curved inward.

• I'm starting to notice a pattern here of weak ankle joints in the MOTUC line.  Skeletor has a really loose right ankle joint which on occasion decides to give-in, sabotaging Skeletor's pose.
  

The Ugly:

• You can see the letter "R" and "L" on Skeletor's respective hinged knee-joint area.

Additional Notes:

• Skeletor came packaged with a small plastic "rubber-band" wrapped around the ball-jointed neck for some reason.  I had to remove his head in order to get rid of the plastic.

• This re-release (the second) of Skeletor has several running changes: his biography mentions "Demo-Man from Despondos"; there are slight changes in paint application for Skeletor's face; and his hands are sculpted to have a "tighter" grip on his weapons.

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for approximately $28.00 (price includes S&H and tax).  Due to the popularity of this "bonus" figure, it is no longer available for purchase on MattyCollector's website. Your only recourse is eBay or other online retailers such as BigBadToyStore who will (once again) price-gouge you, because they can.  Don't go shopping for this on Amazon; the last time I checked, these unscrupulous sellers were pricing him at the $55.00 and up range.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL, eBAY, BIGBADTOYSTORE, OR AMAZON.  I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.

I feel bad for those on the MOTUC subscription (I believe the costs run over $100.00) because it seems Mattel has a habit of re-releasing their "limited run" supply of figures.  At the same time, I'm grateful because it allows collectors like me to get in on the MOTUC action.  Despite the paint application flaws, curved "half-sword" and weak ankle joint, I really love this figure.  Blame it on nostalgia and my love of skeletons.  This figure is one classic that you shouldn't pass on.

Score: (out of five)

Masters of the Universe Classics: Battle Armor He-Man: Most Powerful Man in the Universe Figure Review

After being impressed with Mattel's "Masters of the Universe Classics" (MOTUC) Teela, I figured it was time to purchase the main character.  Now that I look back, I regret not purchasing the original He-Man figure Mattel had offered several months ago.  He was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on January 15, 2010.




Flavor Text:

"Battle Armor He-Man, Most Powerful Man in the Universe

Real Name: Adam of the House of Randor

To adapt to new enemies and situations, Adam has learned to tap further into the great power which his sword unlocks.  The combined Power of the Universe and the Knowledge of the Elders is used by Adam to imagine and create new forms of armor and weapons to combat evil.  His BATTLE ARMOR was created to protect He-Man during his early battles with Skeletor and his evil warriors.  Using the Power of Grayskull, He-Man - The Most Powerful Man in the Universe, is now shielded by his mighty BATTLE ARMOR!"


The Good:

• Battle Armor (BA) He-Man has 21 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, jointed shoulders, swivel upper biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, swivel/hinged legs, hinged knees, swivel boots, hinged ankles, and hinged "side" ankles (for lack of a better term).

• He comes with a decent number of accessories (a total of 5) for a 6-inch figure: battle armor, armor breastplate, slightly-damaged armor breastplate, heavily-damaged armor breastplate, and battle-axe.

• This is another one of THE definite "nostalgia-inducing" figures from this line (yeah, I know it's called "Masters of the Universe Classics" for a reason).  I used to own the old-school BA He-Man with the "rolling" armor breastplate action feature.  It would make a "clicking" noise each time you turned the breastplate.  Thankfully, the Four Horsemen opted not to incorporate the same "action feature" but instead [brilliantly] settled with "snap-on" armor breastplates.  I've got to say that the detailing on the three variations of He-Man's breastplates are superb!  The "H" symbol on all three breastplates is consistent and well-designed.  Even the "damage"detailing is just breathtaking!

• As expected, BA He-Man's right hand is sculpted perfectly to fit the battle-axe accessory without any "looseness" in his grip.

• You know how with most figures (including Teela) their detailing stops right at their feet?  Well, the details on BA He-Man don't stop there, but instead continue on the soles of his feet.  The straps wrapped around his boot continue around the soles of his feet.  Little things like that boost the overall score of any figure in my book.

The Bad:

• For some reason, He-Man's head sculpt reminds me of Ken from Street Fighter.  It could be the hair and quite possibly the grim facial expression.

• There are small but noticeable holes or "air bubbles" in He-Man's hair.  There are also dashes of dried and smudged paint on both his left and front sides. The more I look at it, the more flaws I see on He-Man's hair.  Way too many smudge marks, especially in the front.
  

• This is nitpicking: while his battle armor is on, He-Man's head is limited to swiveling left and right; also due to the battle armor, He-Man's bulging arms can't be placed all the way down to his sides.
  

• There are brown spots and smears on He-Man's: inner right thigh, inner left thigh, on the back of his left arm, strap closest to his elbow joint on his left arm.

• I really wish Mattel didn't apply silver paint on He-Man's body (underneath the battle armor), but instead applied it with flesh-color paint.  This would give collectors the added incentive to purchase "The Goddess" figure (basically a "green-colored" Teela) who comes with He-Man's regular armor.
  

• Although BA (Battle Armor) He-Man comes with several accessories, it would've been nice to include his shield.  Even the picture of BA He-Man on the back of the packaging has him carrying a shield in his left hand.

• The paint job on the battle-axe could've been a lot better.  Using plain gray-colored plastic cheapens the overall superior quality and overall sculpt of the figure.
  

• He-Man's thumb on his left hand (on the inside) has been smudged and mangled.

• The paint job on the left hand is weird: his hand is tan-colored from the wrist up to his knuckles.  The color gets noticeably lighter from the knuckles all the way to the fingers.  It sort of looks like He-Man's left hand got scrapped and lost some skin on something sharp, maybe from his battle axe?

The Ugly:

• Unfortunately, BA He-Man has really loose ankles joints.  If the knees are straightened, He-Man will fall flat on his face.  At least the knee joints are solid.

Additional Notes:

• There is one major mistake on the back of the packaging under He-Man's bio: "Real Name: Adam of the of House Randor".

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for a total of $28.00 (price includes S&H and tax).  Due to the popularity of this "bonus" figure, it is no longer available for purchase on MattyCollector's website. Your only recourse is eBay or other online retailers such as BigBadToyStore who will (once again) price-gouge you, because they can.  Despite the somewhat high cost of individual figures like this, Teela is one figure that you can't miss.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL, eBAY, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE.  I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.


Although I wasn't thoroughly impressed with BA He-Man at first, the more I look at him and (yes) play with him, he's becoming more and more one of my favorites from the "MOTUC" line.  The Four Horsemen sure don't disappoint.  With pretty decent sculpts and quite a number of accessories, $28.00 seems like a good deal.

Score: (out of five)

Masters of the Universe Classics: Teela Warrior Goddess Figure Review

I admit I have no real interest in Mattel's "Masters of the Universe Classics" (MOTUC) line.  But when I heard much buzz about the upcoming Teela figure, I found myself just a tad bit curious.  I checked those forums and found myself falling in love with the sculpt of Teela.  Now, don't get me wrong.  When I was much younger, I loved the MOTU.  I had almost every single action figure from the old school line from back in the day.  Heck, I even had an old-school Teela (you know, the one with the wide hips and big butt).  Seeing an updated version of Teela had me sold.  Luckily, I was able to snag one for myself.  I figured she would sell out in seconds, but she lasted for a week or possibly more.  She was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on October 15, 2009 for public consumption).



Flavor Text:


"Teela Warrior Goddess

Real Name: Teela

The adoptive daughter of Duncan, the current Man-At-Arms, Teela grew up in the palace of King Randor.  Trained from an early age in the ways of battle, at 18 she became Captain of the Guard, leading Randor's troops and acting as a defacto member of the Masters of the Universe.  She has yet to become aware of her true heritage as the magically cloned daughter of, and heir to, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull.  She carries the Staff of Ka which was once used by the Snake Men in their epic battles against the Horde and King Grayskull during the Great Wars.  Teela uses her magical staff to track her foes' every move!"



The Good:

• Teela has 19 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, jointed shoulders, swivel upper arms, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, quasi-swivel/hinged legs, hinged knees, swivel boots, hinged ankles with hinged "side" ankles (for lack of a better term).
  

• Teela has an astounding amount of accessories (a total of 7) for a 6-inch figure: regular head, "battle-mode" armored head, snake armor, sword, shield, Staff of Ka, and Zoar the falcon.
  

• Zoar the falcon has 4 points of articulation: hinged wings and swivel claws.

• The facial sculpt of Teela is very well done.  Her calm and yet feminine demeanor is befitting of a warrior goddess.  All action figure sculptors take note, this is how you sculpt a woman's face (particularly you, NECA).

• Earlier on, I thought Teela had a bit too much blush on her cheeks, but as time passed, its presence grew on me and I've come to accept it.
  

• This is one of THE definite "nostalgia-inducing" figures I've owned so far.  I used to have the old-school Teela figure (you know, the one with the over-sized hips and bright pink lips).  It's nice to see The Four Horsemen keep the "classic-look" of Teela's armor intact, but with more "bells and whistles" detailing.

• Although Teela is missing a crucial point of articulation (the ab-crunch or swivel waist), her "multi-hinged" ankles more than make up for the loss.
  

• Teela's left hand is sculpted perfectly to fit the sword in her hand without any sort of "looseness" in her grip.  Her right hand is sculpted a bit too tight for her to hold the Staff of Ka, but with a little persuasion, it manages to fit in perfectly.
  

• Teela's chest is sculpted just right, and I'm glad that she wasn't endowed with any over-exaggerated features (like double "D" chests).  I've heard people complain that her chest area was a bit lacking, but I think it's perfect.  After all, it's armor she's wearing over it.

The Bad:

• You'll notice the back of Teela's neck is "sticking out" allowing the ball-joint to be seen on both sides of her head.  Also, if you examine the back of her head, you can definitely see where her head and neck ball-joint meet look unbalanced/off-center.  While this isn't too much of a big deal, this is probably the only real negative aspect of this otherwise flawless figure.

• It's strange, but Teela is sporting the "sun-burned" look around her neck and upper-chest area.  She must've forgotten her sun-screen or something.

• The paint application in certain spots is just plain sloppy.  The gold paint is smeared between Teela's circular belt around her waist in the back.  Paint around her armored wrists are either scratched off or haven't been applied properly.
  

• The overall paint application for Zoar the falcon is okay but there is a noticeable smear on the right-side wing right where the hinge is.  There is also a black dot near the back of its head.
  

• I had a hard time placing Teela's shield on her armored right wrist.  Due to the design of the shield, I was afraid of scratching the paint off of the already problematic armored wrist area.  I wish the "snap-on" shield were sculpted more tightly.

The Ugly:

• Not surprisingly, there's nothing ugly about this figure.

Additional Notes:

• I've heard that some people have received their Teela's without her ponytail attached.  Luckily, I haven't had that problem.

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for a total of $28.00 (price includes S&H and tax).  My review of this figure has been late, so you will no longer be able to purchase Teela from MattyCollector directly.  Your only recourse is eBay or other online retailers such as BigBadToyStore who will obviously price-gouge you, because they can.  Despite the somewhat high cost of individual figures like this, Teela is one figure that you can't miss.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL, eBAY, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE.  I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.

Teela is the only reason behind my sudden interest in the "MOTUC" line.  She is one of the finest female action figures I've ever seen sculpted so.  It may come as a surprise to you, but Teela actually looks like a woman (you know who I'm referring to ::cough:: cough:: NECA).  The Four Horsemen have done one hell of a job.  With great sculpts and large number of accessories, my $28.00 is well-spent.

Score: (out of five)