I took a long time to open He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon CollectionBuzz-Off (and weirdly Spikor is still sitting around unreviewed.) I was looking at Buzz-Off in the package for nearly three months before finally shooting and opening the packaging - why I waited, I don't know. It's a nice figure!
He's not as wide as the previous version. The toy-based release had his axe and a moving mask helmet, and could probably be had for as little as five bucks. So why pay $20 for this one?
It's the "collection" part of "Cartoon Collection" that makes this guy compelling. Shortly before opening him, I took a bunch of figures off my Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain, and replaced them all with the Filmation guys. And it's awesome. It's like a cartoon I watched 40 years ago just leaped to life. Putting this figure next to Cringer and Orko and Prince Adam and the rest makes a huge difference, with lighter colors and less detail. The figure - like the animation model - uses Clawful claw hands and three-toed feet and boots. The head is new, the torso is new, and the lance is new.
Articulation is a standard bit of business, with bend-and-swivel claw wrists, rocker ankles, and perfectly good clamps on which to hold said soft gold plastic lance. His head sculpt is a little soft, but arguably as good as these things tend to get. The green eyes can be covered by flight goggles, and it's all very cute.
I always found the character's voice to be grating, but it's one of several performed by animation studio head Lou Scheimer. I'm pretty sure he did about half the cast - and he did a really good job. It's better than I could do. Sadly, the toy does not talk, so you'll need to rely on anything etched in your brain from watching those 130 episodes from 1983-1985.
I wish he had a special "prop" accessory. Given he also has articulated wings with a redesigned back that looks better than the simple peg, it was probably the best use of budget - I assume this one cost a lot more to engineer and release.
Supposedly the Cartoon Collection is winding down, and if that's true it's unfortunate. I'd love to see goofy variants like Sailor Trap Jaw, or absent characters like Mekaneck, or Filmation-style characters that never made the show like Stinkor. And a fold-up Eternos Palace would be nice. But, that's unlikely as we shift gears into the movie next year, and whatever toys come with it.
I'm glad they did this figure - it's a good choice, it's made fairly well, and it looks distinctive in the greater collection of mutants and weirdos. He's not my favorite character, but he looks good. The one thing that scares me is his swirly plastic lance - will he succumb to Gold Plastic Syndrome? Are people 3D scanning it now just in case we need it later? Get on that, people with better gear than me.
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