Friday, April 12, 2019

Action Figure Review: Beastman from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

   I've been reviewing lots of Super7's Club Grayskull/ He-Man and the Masters of the Universe figures lately but do you know what I haven't yet reviewed? A single figure from Mattel's Club Grayskull/ He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line! That's going to change today as I just recently picked up Mattel's Filmation inspired Beastman and I figured I should check him out. Mattel began releasing the Club Grayskull in 2016 during the last full year that they offered Masters of the Universe Classics product. Mattel didn't release many figures during in the line but they did get a few of the heavy hitters out. Let's check out the bumbling Beastman, the August 2016 Club Grayskull release after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 7 inches

Articulation: Hinged ankles w/ lateral hinged rockers, boot swivels, hinged knees, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge hips, swivel waist, mid-torso hinge, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Collar, two bicep cuffs, whip, and a shield,

Original Price: $20 dollars

Year of Release: 2016
 The Positives:

* Overall Beastman has a great resemblance to his Filmation appearance. Mattel built these figures on bodies very similar to the standard MOTUC base bodies but with less detail to mimic Filmation's traditional animation cels. Beastman also doesn't have a hairy body like on the action figure but seems smoother and less detailed. Even the belt is less detailed. Since that's the style of the cartoon and evidently the style Mattel was going for, I'm OK with it. Beastman/ Beast Man/ Raqquill Rqazz/ Biff Beastman looks fearsome, perhaps more fearsome than he ever really looked in the cartoon, but he looks great with bright, bold colors. His collar is removable if you want to do something else with it (a feature that nearly all of Super7's figures lack).


* I love the headsulpt! I think some folks were a little disappointed in it but I think it looks great. Again, this is a fierce Beastman expression rather than the typical "dumb" Beastman expression. It's a nice portrait with solid pantwork, though.

 * I usually give Super7 the credit for introducing swivel/hinge wrists and ankles to the line but I forgot Mattel started doing this with their Club Grayskull/ He-Man and the Masters of the Universe releases. The figure moves great and feels really solid and sturdy. I still like the quality on Mattel's figures better than Super7's, although they are improving.


* Beastman includes both of his spiked bicep straps. They fit well on his arms but they're easily removable, too!


* Beastman's signature weapon is a whip and he comes with a whip that is heavily pre-posed. It isn't at all flexible like the MOTUC figure's whip, but it does stay in position when you pose the figure with it. It's not terribly exciting but it works for the figure.

* The second accessory is a shield that, oddly enough, Beastman never uses in the cartoon. It's one of the shields that the lizard people use in The House of Shokoti part 1. This is a cool if unusual item but Beastman does look great with it. Heck, Lizard Man could use it, too, if you wanted.
 The Negatives:

* My only complaint is that while Mattel did introduce lateral ankle movement into the line, they did so with these hinged lateral ankle rockers that not only look awkward but actually feature a differently colored plastic. This looks pretty rough. Fortunately, Super7 has radically improved this joint on their figures.
  Mattel actually dropped the price on these when they came out, making them less expensive the standard MOTUC figures. They did have simpler sculpts and less paintwork but the charm exuded by the Filmation designs kind of makes up for some of that. I've become a much bigger Filmation over the past five years or so and I'm not glad to have Beastman with the rest of the Evil Warriors. I still need Trap Jaw (who has gotten pricey!) so maybe Super7 will re-release him like they did He-Man and Skeletor. Beastman is a Great figure from Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line that might be worth tracking down if you missed out on him.

If you dig Beast Man, I've reviewed the Super 7 M.O.T.U.S.C.L.E. series 1 version and the Series 2 green version, as well as the MOTUC Beast Man (Blood- Red Henchman) figure, the Mega Construx Beast Man from the Battle for Eternia set, and the VYNL Beast Man.

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