Thursday, March 23, 2023

Action Figure Review: Sorceress from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 


   I love the fact that Mattel is still supporting Masters of the Universe: Revelation. While Masterverse keeps expanding and growing, it's just cool to see Mattel still support a pretty solid piece of Masters of the Universe media, and it looks like the support will continue as Mattel has shown off more Revelation figures like Horde Skeletor, Clamp Champ, and Prince Adam. It doesn't hurt that most of the Revelation designs were pretty faithful to the vintage looks, so this is also a fairly classic looking Sorceress figure. Her outfit is a bit different than previous versions simply because she is wearing a longer robe rather than a one-piece deal with exposed legs, but overall the colors and design are pretty in-line with what you'd expect from the Sorceress. Ready to see if this figure has the magic? Then keep reading after the break...




The Facts:

Height: 6 5/8th inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, swivel waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 4 interchangeable hands, cape, and staff.

Non-Scalper Price: $22 dollars

The Positives:

* The Sorceress looks fantastic from the waist up and does a great job of capturing the character's look from MOTU: Revelation. The lower part of her dress (from the mid-torso joint down) is a solid piece of flexible plastic, but I'll get to that in a moment, but the colors and the work on her feathery mantle and cape is all fantastic. There are sculpted feathers on the front of the dress as well as some sculpted folds in her outfit. There's something about most of the classic MOTU color schemes that just feels so nostalgic and oh so right, and the Sorceress definitely has one of those color schemes that hits just right. 


* The Sorceress seems to look a bit older in Revelation than in most other incarnations other than the 1987 film, but I think with the toy Mattel tried to split the difference. She doesn't look incredibly young but there aren't visual signs of aging like wrinkles present here. It's a good portrait, though I wouldn't have objected to an additional more aged portrait, either. The paint on her face is really good, especially her eyes.  



* Teela Na's falcon hood is also really nice. It's clearly a separate piece, though it's glued on. A good, clean sculpt and great, sharp colors make it work. 



* Like the SkeleSorceress version of Evil-Lyn, the Sorceress has a removable sculpted collar with an attached soft goods cape. The cape has elastic loops, two for each arm, which keep it nicely attached when she's making poses. It's really nicely done and is just executed quite nicely. 






* Flip her around and you can see the orange and blue feathered fabric patterns. 



* The Sorceress has pretty much the same articulation scheme as every other Masterverse female figure, which means it's pretty nicely done. She feels like a quality figure with a nice amount of joints, a good range of motion, and a sturdy build. The only issue that causes problems is the dress, which impedes her legs some.




* Teela Na comes with two sets of hands: An expressive set and a pair of standard grips. They swap out easily and feel quite sturdy. 



* The Sorceress comes toting her classic staff with a large falcon headpiece. The falcon on top actually has a front and a back, so it's not the same on both sides. 

The Negatives:

* I don't object to the use of the plastic for the skirt on the Sorceress but it does seem to be a bit too thick, throwing off the shape of her silhouette. Maybe this would have turned out better if the material has been a bit thinner or if the sculpt was slightly altered?



* It's not really visible in this picture but the blue plastic the Sorceress' boots are molded in is clearly visible under her white boot cuffs. They must have needed a second coat or something. 






  The Sorceress is definitely one of the most recognizable MOTU characters due to her appearance in the Filmation animated series and pretty much every other piece of Masters of the Universe media, so there's no doubt that she'll probably be a popular and well received figure. The Sculpt and colors are excellent, as is her soft good cape. My only wishes are that Mattel had handled the lower part of her dress better and that she came with her falcon form of Zoar (a small version, accurate to the show). She's a Good and a 1/2 figure and it always me to get the Sorceress in a MOTU line. I just like the character a lot and I never had her as a kid. She always seemed really mysterious and I don't remember ever seeing her in person: Only on cross-sell art and such. I'm really hopeful that we'll eventually get Teela in her Sorceress outfit as well, as mother and daughter will look fantastic together. 

   If you want more of the Sorceress, Teela Na, I've also reviewed the NECA Stactions Sorceress (Classic Colors), the MOTU Origins Sorceress and Temple of Darkness Sorceress from Castle Grayskull, the green Series 2 M.U.S.C.L.E. figure, the VYNL Sorceress, the Funko POP! Sorceress #993, the Eternia Minis: Revelation Sorceress, the Action Vinyls Sorceress (Pink) and the standard Sorceress, the Pint Size Heroes Sorceress, and the Mega Construx Sorceress included with Castle Grayskull and Sorceress included with the Panthor at Point Dread set.


For more Masterverse reviews check out the following:
She-Ra
Sun-Man: Rulers of the Sun
Pig-Head

5 comments:

  1. MekaneckfrenchiefrogMarch 23, 2023 at 5:00 PM

    Did you know that the only female MOTU figure we ever got in France was Teela, because apparently Mattel France had decided that little boys weren't interested in figures representing female characters, so they decided that one girl in the line-up (Teela) was enough. As a result, we never ever got Evil-Lyn and Sorceress. I just love this figure. I too tend to think that it lacks an extra accessory (Zoar, a second head or weapon, whatever - or maybe the kind of great-looking magic book that came with the Neca Demona ?), and yes, that skirt is tight indeed. Yet in spite of all that, I'm totally pleased with it. I guess I'm just kind of biased because I like the character so much, or something..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So Mattel France pulled a McFarlane (no women cuz idiotness)? Wow, in Spain they sell the Sorceress, Shadow Weaver, Catra, and more women without complaining as they know that most of the buyers are collectors. Come on, even i would get a Second Sister or a Chun-Li figure (if i had the money and the space) and i am a male. Okay, an adult male, but even as a kid i would have liked to have both male and female figures. After all, in Metal Slug i played with the 4 characters and not only one as most of the people do.

      About the skirt, for me i see it right, if it was thinner it would feel more as a curtain for me. Obviously i can't 100% confirm my own statement as i don't have this figure.

      The sculpt is incredible, and i like it a lot. The accessories a bit lacking, but well, as i always say, you can reuse others for her. Imagine the Sorceress and Cobra Commander fighting for the staff:

      -Sorceress: It's not your Cobra Scepter, it's a magic staff, you world class buffoon!!
      -CC: Give it to me! Ssserpentor refusssed to give my ssscepter back! I haye thisss job!

      Great review, as always. Have a nice day, Barbecue!

      Delete
  2. We really enjoyed Revelation and the figures. This is a great looking figure. Great review and photos. Good job.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MekaneckfrenchiefrogMarch 24, 2023 at 2:34 AM

    Oh, that was in the 1980"s, back when original MOTU toys hit the shelves, the "one girl is enough" policy thing.. I wasn't talking about recent MOTU lines - nowadays we do get the female characters (save for Frosta, but it isn't a genre thing this time around, it's just that certain figures don't reach the European market, for whatever reason..).

    ReplyDelete
  4. MekaneckfrenchiefrogMarch 24, 2023 at 2:41 AM

    Sorry, I meant "a gender thing" - "genre" is the french word for gender.. Oops, frenglish..

    ReplyDelete

What'chu talkin' 'bout?