Thursday, March 31, 2022

Action Figure Review: Clawful from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 


   Grab your Old Bay and some drawn butter; today we're taking a look at Clawful! Clawful is known as the warrior with the grip of evil and he's one of the 1984 additions to the Evil Warriors. I'm pretty sure I got Clawful for Christmas as a kid, maybe in 1986 or 1987, and while he wasn't one of my absolute favorites as a kid I always did like his oversized claw. This guy looks like he's ready to throw down with Fisto and Jitsu with that massive right claw. Clawful is part of the newest series of Masters of the Universe Origins figures and he's another figure that I really think is an improvement over the vintage toy. Let's check out this take on Clawful after the break and see if he packs some serious pinch...





The Facts:

Height: 5 3/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, swivel/hinge knees, balljointed hips, swivel waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge left wrist, swivel right forearm, pinching claw, and a double balljointed head.

Accessories: Armor, mace, and minicomic.

Non-Scalper Price: $15-$18 dollars

Comparison:


* The Origins Clawful is on the left while the vintage Clawful is on the right. What's different? Other than the general build of the figures the armor is brighter on the new figure while the skin is darker. The head also has more teeth rather than the weird fangs of the vintage toy.

The Positives:


* Clawful is kind of weird because he looks like a luchadore in a crab costume rather than an actual crab person (his race is called the Karikoni). That's due to his exposed, more human looking arms and legs and having a regular torso. With the armor from Origins (which is much sturdier and looks better) he looks more crab-like, though, and the darker skin tone matches the reds of his claws, torso, and head. The more pronounced ridges and such on his body also look better here and give him a more inhuman appearance.


* Clawful has always kind of looked like a Muppet thanks to his massive, goofy eyebrows, but Mattel did make his mouth look a bit more fearsome here. He has way more teeth than the vintage toy and they look sharper and more frightening. His head is also much more detailed. He looks pretty good. Still kind of goofy, but in a good way. Clawful definitely has never been depicted as the sharpest knife in the drawer.






*The back of Clawful's armor (or is this actually his shell) has a really neat ridged pattern on it, just like the vintage toy. 

* Clawful seems to be a fiddler crab since he has one claw much larger than the other. Not only is it super cool just running around with one claw larger than the other but this one has some real pinching power. Move the little tab on the bottom and you can open the claw. There's a little mechanism inside so that it snaps shut on its own. For safety, get some little rubber bands to put around it like the lobsters wore that grocery stores used to sell. Remember going to the grocery store and watching those guys hanging out in the tanks?




* Like Buzz-Off, Clawful benefits from the more detailed limbs and more monstrous hands and feet. They definitely make him more exciting than most figures with the same limbs and boots and such.

* 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!




* Clawful comes sporting his club which looks much like the classic accessory. The loop is larger but he can also hold the handle with his smaller claw as well.




* I'm never going to turn down a minicomic and I love that Mattel brought them back for Origins. This one looks cool as it introduces Sun-Man into Masters of the Universe but what the heck is going on with Clawful on the cover? He looks like a bird or something! There's just way too much going on in this issue for 6 pages, as well. Anti-Eternia He-Man shows up to beat down Skeletor and Clawful and then Sun-Man shows up to defeat him. There are Horde Troops randomly running around, too, and He-Man and Sun-Man never even exchange dialogue. Sun-Man deserves better!
   Clawful is definitely an Epic Masters of the Universe Origins figure. He's fantastic. Great sculpt, improved headsculpt over the vintage toy, a functioning claw; what else could Clawful have that you'd want? I like Masters of the Universe Origins more and more with each release and this series definitely has me pumped up. I don't have Sun-Man or the Horde Trooper yet but when I get them you can be sure that I'll review them right away. Will either of them overtake Clawful for the title of the best figure in series 8? We'll have to wait and see. Just know that I have my best people out there looking for the rest of series 8 as we speak.



   Are you a fan of Clawful? Then get a big side of melted butter and check out my reviews of the M.U.S.C.L.E. Clawful from Series 3, Pack A , the Funko POP! Clawful #1018, and the MOTUC Heads of Eternia pack that features a Clawful head.

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





2 comments:

  1. This guy is so cool. Definitely need to pull out the Old Bay!

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    Replies
    1. Some of these more monstrous characters have really benefitted from the Origins redos. Clawful and Buzz-Off both look better than the vintage figures for sure.

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