Monday, March 14, 2022

Action Figure Review: He-Man (Grayskull Armor) from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 
   I've not watched through two episodes of season 2 of Netflix's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and I'm really enjoying it. It's fun and quite different while still having the MOTU spirit to it. The show has been overall quite strong while the accompanying toyline has been a bit mixed. I've reviewed pretty much everything from the show so far (all the links are at the bottom of this review) but today I'm checking out the first of what appears to be a new deluxe range of products. These figures are the same scale as the standard 5.5 inch figures but they have a bit more articulation, better paint, and might be a bit more detailed. I haven't found Beast Man yet but I did get my hands on the simply named He-Man. The package just calls him He-Man but many e-tailers have him listed as He-Man (Grayskull Armor), so I'm using that to differentiate him from the standard release from last year. So far in the series I haven't came across this variant yet but there is an image of King Grayskull wearing this armor, so it makes sense that He-Man might get it as some point. This version of He-Man is more dressed than any He-Man before which makes him pretty unique. Let's take a look at this version of the Most Power Man in the Universe after the break...





The Facts:

Height: 5 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel knees, balljointed hips, "Power Attack" balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel wrists, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: Power Sword and shield.

Non-Scalper Price: $15 dollars




Comparison:

* Today's He-Man is on the left while the standard series 1 He-Man is on the right. These two are the same size (though the series 1 He-Man looks different since he's standing a bit closer to the camera, I think) and I think the heads are actually slightly different. The hair is definitely different (it's a separate piece glued onto the portrait) and the chins look slightly different. Similar, but technically different I believe.



The Packaging:

 

 

* This He-Man and Beast Man come in at a $15 dollar price point compared to the $10-$11 dollar price point of the standard figures. They're also packaged in a larger box with the figure open and exposed so buyers can test out the "Power Attack" feature.







The Positives:

* I'm loving this version of He-Man. He's bulky, brawny, rocking some cool armor, and sporting a cape. He kind of reminds me of the Masters of the Universe Classics King He-Man figure. The under suit for the armor is blue while the armor itself is gold. The Sword of Grayskull is prominent on this armor, too, just like on the standard He-Man's harness. There's even some fur lining on the collar. This is pretty cool and a nicely different look for the main man.


 

* Like the previous release, this He-Man has a fairly friendly face. That seems to fit in with the fact that this line is clearly targeted towards kids who probably want a friendlier, happier hero. I like it, though. He-Man's not exactly known for being angry and ruthless, you know?


 

* The pauldrons on He-Man's Grayskull armor are really cool. Not only are they separate pieces that sit just above the shoulder but they have what looks like the stylized Grayskull logo from this show on them. I like it.

 

* This figure is articulated much like the previous He-Man figure but now he has swivel knees (helps to keep him standing upright) and swivel/hinge shoulders. Mix that in with the Power Attack feature and he's not a bad toy for playing around with. I imagine most kids into action figures would have a lot fun with him without having to worry about any weak or broken joints.





 

* It's not overly luxurious or anything but He-Man is sporting a cool, soft goods cape. Ever since the 1987 movie I've always liked when He-Man wears a cape, so this is a hit for me.


* I'm not sure if this will pop up in the show but here He-Man's Power Sword snaps on to his wrist. Rather than a handle and hilt there is an energy burst effect, like the sword has become pure energy and is part of his armor. It snaps on and looks pretty cool. It kind of reminds me of some of the New Adventures/ He-Man figures.

 

* This version of He-Man also comes with a clip on energy shield that seems to be in the shape of the Grayskull logo from this series. It clips right on his forearm and looks pretty slick.




  

    I'm really liking this guy. Definitely more than I thought I would. I love the look of He-Man in armor and this is some of the coolest armor he's ever sported. The articulation is better, the paintwork is better, and he gets two fairly fun accessories. I'm not sure he really feels "deluxe" or anything but he's definitely quite a bit cooler than the standard He-Man figure from this series. This is my favorite Netflix inspired He-Man released so far and definitely one of the best figures in the line to date. Who new that a fully armored He-Man could look so cool? This guy earns a Great and a 1/2 from me. Seriously, check him out. I'd love to see him in Masterverse at some point as well. The design is quite impressive.



I've reviewed so many action figures of He-Man/ Prince Adam that he has his own review archive. Check out Fabulous Secret Powers for all of my reviews of the most powerful man in the universe!
 
 



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