Action Figure Review: Mouse-Jaw from Turtles of Grayskull by Mattel

 

   Today I'm reviewing my first new item of 2024 and it's a pretty unusual figure: Mouse-Jaw from Mattel's Turtles of Grayskull. Yes, Turtles of Grayskull, a mashup of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Masters of the Universe. This is a pretty interesting concept, though it's not unusual for TMNT to be mashing up with nearly every property on the planet as we've seen the TMNT with Karate Kid, Stranger Things, Ghostbusters, Batman, WWE, Star Trek, Street Fighter, Power Rangers, Universal Monsters, and now He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. That means we also now have TMNT toys from Mattel, which means that nearly every toy company in existence has made TMNT figures now. To be honest, I'm really glad that Mattel released these instead of Playmates. They're made using the MOTU Origins parts, so they complement what we already have, and Playmates just hasn't impressed me with anything they've released in probably around a decade. Mouse-Jaw is a blend of Trap-Jaw from MOTU and a M.O.U.S.E.R. from TMNT and is part of a deluxe series with build-a-figure parts to craft your own Metal-Boto figure. Ready to check out Mouse-Jaw? Then join me after the break...

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, a barbell jointed head, and a hinged jaw.

Accessories: Belt, harness, flame effect, M.O.U.S.E.R.. body, two M.O.U.S.E.R. legs, collectible card, and the right arm, hand, connector piece, axe, laser, and grip hands for the Metal-Boto build-a-figure. 

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* Combing elements of TMNT and MOTU, Mouse-Jaw represents Trap-Jaw after being experimented by Krang. He's equipped with elements of Baxter Stockman's M.O.U.S.E.R. technology, which is reflected in his cybernetic arm, jaw, and armor. Rather than black and purple highlight colors, Trap-Jaw is now sporting white with little red highlights, just like the Mousers (they can be spelled Mouser or M.O.U.S.E.R.). It's an interesting color scheme and the white definitely stands out, making Mouse-Jaw look pretty different. The removable shoulder harness really adds to the look, making his arm look large and heavy. 

* Instead of the magenta helmet of Trap-Jaw, Mouse-Jaw is wearing a similarly shaped white helmet that looks like the head of a Mouser. Trap-Jaw's face looks the same as usual but the white M.O.U.S.E.R. helmet is quite a bit more classy. 

* The jaw moves, too! It looks more like a M.O.U.S.E.R. jaw with fewer teeth than usual. Open it up ad you can see the missing lower jaw of Mouse-Jaw.

* The cybernetic arm also resembles a Mouser. It's a really nice mish-mash of styles and has some excellent sculpted detail. This guy is way more than just a simple repaint of the MOTU Origins Trap-Jaw. 

* While Trap-Jaw is still wearing his robot/space pirate boots, his feet have also been redesigned to look more like the robotic feet of M.O.U.S.E.R.s. 

* The Turtles of Grayskull figures use Mattel's MOTU Origins designs, so they're aesthetically similar to the vintage MOTU 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. They're quite fun to play with and pretty durable, feeling more like a toy than a strict collectible. They're also modular and can be easily separated to make your own lazy boy customs!

* Mouse-Jaw includes a fire beam effect that can be placed in his cybernetic arm or in the mouth of the Mouser companion bot. 

* The M.O.U.S.E.R. included with Mouse-Jaw is a fully articulated figure with hinged ankles, swivel hips, a swivel neck, extending neck, and hinged upper and lower jaws. It's a really nice take on the M.O.U.S.E.R.s and it should be instantly recognizable to TMNT fans. They'd make nice sidekicks for Skeletor's Hover Robots! 

* When you open the jaws you can see a cannon inside. This can hold the flame effect shown above or it can hold the included weapons that are intended for Metal-Boto. Want a Mouser with a laser firing axe coming out of its mouth? Have at it!

* The M.O.U.S.E.R. serves as an additional hand attachment for Mouse-Jaw. Just pop off the legs and place the tail peg into the hole on the cybernetic arm. The M.O.U.S.E.R.'s head functions like a laser cannon with the hidden blaster and like Trap-Jaw's classic claw hand. 

* Mouse-Jaw's belt is really funny with a turtle shell and crossbones design instead of a skull and crossbones. There are also two holes on the sides which the Mouser legs can attach to, allowing them to function like thigh armor for Mouse-Jaw. 

* There's no minicomic included but you do get a thick, sturdy art card with a bio on the back. 

* There are four figures in this deluxe boxed series, each of which come with parts for the build-a-figure of Metal-Boto, a hybrid of Metal Head and Roboto. Mouse-Jaw comes with the right arm, the right hand, an attachment hand connector, and three weapons for Metal-Boto. The next figure to include a build-a-figure part is Sla'ker, a combination of Slash and Faker. 

* Since these are modular, the extra Metal-Boto parts can be used with Mouse-Jaw. Here's Mouse-Jaw with Metal-Boto's arm. It's pretty cool looking, actually. 

* I love Roboto's double bladed axe hand and it can be used here or be placed in the Mouth of the Mouser. It also fits on Mouse-Jaw's regular hand, too. 

* The double barrel laser blaster and the standard Robot claw can attach to Mouse-Jaw or the M.O.U.S.E.R., too. 

The Negatives:

* My only complaint is that the Mouser's head is a bit heavy while his legs aren't. It's too easy for him to tip over.

   What a cool figure and a neat concept, right? I really like the blend of MOTU and TMNT and I'm thrilled that Mattel has made them compatible with MOTU Origins. Mouse-Jaw is a very cool, very inspired blend of Trap-Jaw with the M.O.U.S.E.R.s and it works quite well fitting in with both properties. Trap-Jaw looks really neat here and th M.O.U.S.E.R. is just a super fun little figure. The fact that the Metal-Boto piece work so well with Mouse-Jaw just adds even more value than the pieces on their own would add. He's an Epic figure and a nice taste of what might be a very fun line to follow in 2024. 





Looking for more of Trap-Jaw? Then check out my review archive for Trap-Jaw: Trap-Jaw's Tourist Trap!

For more Mousers/ M.O.U.S.E.R.s, I've also reviewed the Mouser included with the Super7 TMNT Utimates Baxter Stockman and Baxter Stockman (Glow-in-the-Dark), and the TMNT 2012 M.O.U.S.E.R.S pack.