Friday, February 18, 2022

Action Figure Review: Buzz-Off from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Ready for another series of Masters of the Universe Origins figures? Well here it comes and this series contains three more vintage characters and one variant (Buzz-Off, The Sorceress, Jitsu, and a minicomic "naked" Stratos). Today I'm checking out Buzz-Off and, wow, does he look fantastic. I never owned the vintage Buzz-Off as a kid. In fact, I believe my first ever Buzz-Off figure was the Masters of the Universe Classics release. I still remember tracking the shipment and being overly thrilled to get home and check him out. The Origins version is definitely based on the original figure but that's not a bad thing at all. Let's check out this buzzworthy Andreenid warrior after the break...



The Facts:

Height: 5 3/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, calve swivels, swivel/hinge knees, balljointed hips, swivel waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, swivel wings, and a double balljointed head.

Accessories: 2 wings, axe, helmet, and minicomic.

Non-Scalper Price: $15-$18 dollars


Comparison:

* On the left is the Origins Buzz-Off while the vintage Buzz-Off is on the right. They look pretty similar, don't they? I really think this is one of the best Origins yet as it retains the excellent look of the vintage toy with some nice improvements such as functional claws, more pronounced antennae, and more articulation. 

The Positives:



* Buzz-Off is a wacky, fun character with a great color scheme. I love his brown and yellow. It just stands out so well and manages to look bright and colorful without being overly bright. Not that that would matter or anything, as MOTU is wacky as all get out, but the brown nicely mutes the yellow. The colors are great and there is a lot of detail on his chest. This surely means we'll get Whiplash at some point, right? They shared a torso and legs so almost everything for Whiplash is present. 









* The headsculpt is really good on this one. It's fairly similar to the vintage toy but less round and more insect-like to me. He also has longer antennae that look fantastic. Seriously, they really make a difference here. I love those metallic blue eyes, too. 

* Buzz-Off's wings work the same way as the wings of the vintage toy: They're removable pieces that can pop on to the tab in the back. They feel sturdy, as does the tab. You can swivel them around which really allows for some cooler poses and the wings themselves have a cool techno-organic look to them. Seriously, they seem like they're mechanical somehow. Do Andreenid have mechanical wings? I mean, the Avians need jetpacks and Webstor uses a grappling hook, so maybe?





* The new limbs and hands/ feet here are really cool. Not only does Buzz-Off have really cool claws but there is a groove in the back that allows for him to actually hold his weapon as well. Nice work all around here. 
* The MOTU Origins figures are built like the vintage toys but with more modern articulation. While their bulky frames make the articulation a bit clumsy, they do feel like an evolution of the vintage line. Imagine what you would get if you mixed a vintage figure with a MOTUC figure. They're quite fun to play with and they feel very sturdy.


* They're also modular and can be easily separated to make your own lazy boy customs!




* Since Buzz-Off is the Heroic Spy in the Sky it only makes sense that Mattel included his really cool spy helmet. It fits over his antennae and stays on nice and tight. 




* Buzz-Off also comes with his classic brown axe. thanks to the grooves in his claws, he can actually hold it convincingly this time, too.





*  Each figure in the series also comes with a mini comic. Yes, an actual minicomic. Everybody gets the same comic but it's a cool way to familiarize kids picking up these figures with the characters. This is a simple story where Stratos and Buzz-Off go after Jitsu. Nothing too special but cool art and just the fact that it's included is a big perk. 
   Buzz-Off is definitely the star of this series so far (I believe it's series 7) and one of the best Origins figures released to date. He' really has a nice complement of accessories, a fantastic design, and is another figure that both feels faithful to the vintage toy and yet improves upon it. Buzz-Off isn't one of my absolute favorites or anything but his Origins figure is certifiably Epic. he's well worth snatching up. Other than the Stratos variant, series 7 looks to be a very strong series and I'm eager to review them all in the next week or two. Stay tuned for more Masters of the Universe reviews!



   If you're looking for more Buzz-Off items, check out the following: The M.U.S.C.L.E. green Buzz-Off and series 1 Buzz-Off, the Funko POP! Buzz-Off, the MOTU Eternia Minis Buzz-Off and Horde Zombie Buzz-Off, Super7's neo-vintage Buzz-Off, and the 200x styled Buzz-Off head from the Heads of Eternia pack.


For more Masters of the Universe Origins reviews check out the following:

 











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3 comments:

  1. Spyda-ManFebruary 18, 2022 at 3:53 PM

    One of my earliest MOTU figures that I ever owned and therefore one of my all-time favorite MOTU characters! Love this updated figure!!

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    Replies
    1. Barbecue17February 22, 2022 at 8:26 AM

      The figures we had as kids, especially with MOTU, definitely seem to become our favorites. I don't know why I never had Buzz-Off. I'm a bit younger so I didn't get into MOTU probably until closer to 1986 or so, so maybe he just wasn't as easily available at that point?

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  2. Barbecue17February 22, 2022 at 8:35 AM

    Yeah, the helmet is unusual. It's another one of those things where what should be a character's natural ability is seemingly augmented, like Webstor's grappling hook or Stratos' jetpack. That is really funny about the axe. I'm in a number of action figure accessory identification groups and it's interesting how some accessories appear over and over again in lots that people find.

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