Boom! I found a Teela I can support. I didn’t even know they made this one.
So this is “Captain of the Guard” Teela, who is being knighted “Man-At-Arms.” The Teela that becomes angry and angsty. She throws that crown down in a tantrum of a fit in the Revelation show. Rightfully so, I suppose. But all of the Teela figures I saw before this one in the Masterverse line has had that “emo bodybuilder-bounty hunter” look. To me, Teela should be pretty. In fact, usually. Generally. Masters of the Universe females should retain a certain level of feminine attractiveness. I am a fan of the curves on the Filmation show, and as great as the animation on Revelation and Revolution is, that classic female form was abandoned probably on grounds of modern tastes.
But this Teela doesn’t appear manly at all! Keep reading to see how this figure has been one of the best figures I have gotten in a long time.
Packaging
OK. So this is the boring blue package. You can see in the window box everything she comes with. Also, the sword has come loose from her hand.
I got this figure at Toy Federation in Greer, SC. It seems like they had another there also. At $20 for a 7-inch scale A-list character, you can’t beat that.
The art on the side is outstanding, but check out the art on the back of the box.
Once again. BOOM! Whoever did this (Eamon O’Donahue?) great work. Wonderful fantasy artwork feminine beauty. You can see some Wind Raiders flying overhead and some castle to her right. The bio here is a summary of her role in the Revelations cartoon.
The bottom of the package shows off some other figures you can get. At this point I have Teela (of course), Mer-Man, and Skeletor (viking). I don’t care for that inferior Viking He-Man. (That’s no Vikor.). Notice that the Teela in the picture looks fairly different than the actual figure.
Figure Basics (with comparison)
Below is a “Two-for-one” pic. I am showing you everything you get in the box, PLUS what the alternate head looks like on Masters of the Universe Classics Battleground Teela. So, Comparison time? There are things I like about both. But I am into that long red hair. This is the best head I have put on Battleground Teela. Yes…it is loose on that ball joint. But that doesn’t matter. MASTERVERSE Teela has knobby knees and fat elbows. But MOTUC Teela has unsightly pin joins. I have pointed out before when speaking of Despara vs Evil Lyn. The MOTUC females seem more rigid, and it’s true. They are less posable. It is a tradeoff for superior sculpting and paint, I guess. MASTERVERSE Teela also has bigger muscles, but they don’t ooze the manliness. MOTUC Teela is bustier, and I appreciate the more skin shown here. But MASTERVERSE Teela has a classic costume reminiscent of Filmation and also of the vintage figure…a figure I never had. I really never even saw on a shelf until I was an adult.
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela with extra hands and holding the sword and shield. MOTUC Battleground Teela with alternate “hair-down” head from MASTERVERSE Teela, also holding her original sword and the Great Unrest weapons pack shield.
Action Pics
Here you can see Teela in battle against Mer-Man from the same wave. You can see how the skirt does hinder some of the posing. (You can also see that she and Mer-Man wear the same color of underwear!)
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela vs. Mer-Man. Mer-Man is armed with not only his scimitar, but also MOTUC Sir Lazer-Lot’s shield.
Finally, I can properly display the father and daughter pair. (You can see Man-At-Arms review here.)
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Man-At-Arms. Teela is wielding The MOTUC Great Unrest Weapons pack sword and pistol, while Man-At-Arms is wielding MOTUC Sir Lazer-Lot’s sword and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Two-Bad’s pistol.
So here she is with a classic group of Filmation friends. I like this kind of “disarmed” picture.
Pictured: All are MASTERVERSE figures. The He-Man shown is my favorite in the line, 40th anniversary.
Why the SpartanNerd believes this is one of the greatest action figures.
At the beginning of this post, I made a bold assertion. This Teela is one of my very favorites. The next picture is going to show you why.
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Scare Glow con-exclusive with Subternia backdrop and an added plant detail, MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela, who is armed with the MOTUC Great Unrest weapons pack snake armor and Staff of Ka. Both characters are using Mythic Legions magic effects, and Scare Glow is on the Cosmic Legions figure stand.
Whoa! Alot going on here! I had to take out the hair dryer because the MOTUC armor is getting some age, but new MASTERVERSE Teela’s head fit right inside after a little blast, making this my preferred way of displaying her. She looks just like the cross-sell art I saw on the cardbacks as a kid. Yes. This is getting into serious collector territory. After all, you are looking at years of building up this figure. But I love it!
SpartanNerd’s rating of MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela
You might have guessed that I would give this figure a rating of 5/5, and you are correct. It hits all of the boxes just as it is.
The two head sculpts are beautifully crafted and painted. The sculpt of her clothes is also very nice. She has great articulation. You have options for displaying her hands. The weakest thing here is that yellow shield, which could use some paint. I threw away the box, but this is beautiful artwork worth keeping a pic of in your Apple library.
But it is the world of possibility that makes this figure fun. Right now that “hair-down” head is on Battleground Teela, who is riding Battle Cat. EPIC! Right now, MASTERVERSE Teela is doing battle with Mythic Legions Demistros wearing that MOTUC armor.
So Hub City Geeks, were you as enthused about this Teela as me? Let me know in the comments!
To see video of the AWOK red weapons loot box, click here.
I already reviewed the gold weapons loot, which you can read here.
This time I really wanted to catch the packaging. It was more impressive with the gold weapons, but it still rocks pretty good. (The back is the same, featuring Pale.)
In this set, you get a pair of hooked daggers, a pair of axes (possibly throwing axes), a knife or short sword with a mysterious hole, a bow, the same two-piece spear as in the gold set, and a scimitar.
I decided to get out of the light box and outdoors for these pics!
Here you can see them racked with the gold weapons on my custom weapons racks. Notice that I added that string to the bow.
Here is Savage He-Man riding on my pet potbelly, Nori. He really lends himself to the use of spears. The spear that came with him is very nice, with nice paint. But the AWOK spear is longer. I prefer the red to the gold for a character like this.
Clearly Trap Jaw wins this exchange. Man-E-Robot has successfully parried the short sword attack with the scimitar, however Trap Jaw is swinging with his own dagger arm to cut the hoses. (It could be that Man-E could “ripost” and stab Trap Jaw.)
Least impressive are the curved daggers. I thought they would look good with Beast Man, but they are underwhelming. This is the final picture of the Mythic Legions arrow. After I moved Man-At-Arms from outsided to indoors, I dropped it somewhere.
I want to know why we didn’t get a proper string and arrow with this bow? Even a plastic molded string would have been sufficient compared to no string. I fashioned this bow string out of a piece from a party hat. Notice that the Mythic Legions quiver fits nicely on Man-At-Arms armor, and also notice the figure stand he is on. This is the Mythic Legions figure stand, and I planned on reviewing it in the future, but…spoiler ahead. It is terrible.
Finally, Ram Man with the two hand axes. Because he is an axe wielder naturally, I knew he would look good holding them both. Imagine this dynamo ramming in and swinging those axes!
Rating. Well, I mean they are different enough from the gold weapons…But female figures or figures with smaller hands can’t hold these weapons. I was very tempted to try the bow with Teela for instance, but I am not risking stretching those fingers out or breaking a thumb.
I feel like these want added paint more than the gold ones. The gold weapons have dark handles and wraps, with additional paint on the jewel in the sword. But these weapons are all the same sort of drab color. I have to mark down for the bizarre exclusion of a string or arrows for the bow (We could of at least had a molded quiver, like the Mythic Legions). The packaging is really good however, and these weapons add alot to what you can do with the figures. But they feel less glamorous. In fact, there is another blue and gold set that I have been tempted to pick up…I decided on this instead and kind of feel burned. (There is this shield with a face on it that looks too “smiley” for me). But at least that set had more color
So my rating? 3/5. They aren’t terrible. But I had to improve the bow, and I feel the need to improve the paint. What do you think, Hub City Geeks? Do you think a 3/5 is a fair rating? Let me know in the comments!
I really don’t have many “good guys” from MASTERVERSE line yet. (So far, three versions of He-Man, Orko, and Ram Man.). This is a little odd, because it was the good aligned characters that appealed to me the most as a child from Masters of the Universe. But as I have gotten older, I find that the villains are definitely more interesting designs. As a child I always stuck with the Decepticons as toys, and Cobra also I believe because of the color scheme. And for Star Wars I am generally a dark-side type. But the good guys have nostalgia for me more because these were the toys I owned. One of my brothers had Skeletor’s guys and the other had the Horde. Meaning the big brother SpartanNerd always got to “win” at something else!
Man-E-Faces was yet another Valentines item for me. I picked it up in Columbia South Carolina along with Scare Glow and Khotal Kahn (from Mortal Kombat.)
And I have so many questions…I remember having this guy as a child. And I remember the filmation episode vaguely. It seems like 200x had a proper story where he could be controlled by Beast Man when he had on his monster face. So I looked him up on the internet to review some details. Wow…there is alot to this character that I either never knew or forgot. For instance, Peek-a-blue is his wife. European stories are more psychological, giving him a split personality, while American stories are lighter…he is an actor. But there are other questions. Is that his skin, or is it some kind of space suit? If it is his skin, then that is kind of gruesome that he has these hoses all over him. His face is orange…which is why this might be his skin. Other questions, who are the three extra faces?
Well, I should back up.
So the bio on the back of the box also says that Man-E-Faces has a shattered mind. Throwing back to those multiple personality issues European stories gave him. That his faces are the key to learning to restore Eternia is another mystery.
(Let me point out now that made a mistake in the package video, referring to Pig Head as a movie figure. Evidently Pig Head is Sun Man’s version of Skeletor. It is Pig-Boy that I was thinking of.)
Anyways, back to the figure review.
Here is everything you get in the box. The figure with the traditional Human-Monster-Robot faces. Three additional faces in a case, which are Prototype Man-E-Faces (so I hear), Keldor’s face (assumed), and Skeletor’s (assumed) face. The extra faces have a storage case. You also get two fists, a laser gun, and also his helmet is necessarily removable. That shiny blue paint is no joke!
I almost missed this detail in the packaging…(I was in the process of throwing it away)
So they made the gun into a tool! I don’t need it to turn the knob, but some kid might. What utilitarian purpose the laser is useful to me for is getting the faces to pop off of the turning drum or the carrying case.
Don’t know why you would, but the helmet looks pretty good on other characters. I feel like this is a space suit helmet.
The case has an unsightly problem. It is a perfectly fine item except for the hinge. That white stripe is where the plastic has stressed…this could have been handled differently. It seems like vintage GI Joes had this problem alot when they came with some type of ammo case. It has this “eye” design on it that fits right in with Masters of the Universe. In fact, this case reminds me a little bit of the one that held the Power Sword from 200x in the Mike Young show. (a different complaint from the Scareglow review…look how big that sword is on He-Man’s back.)
I mean…is this Skeletor? The color scheme is definitely different. But who else is a smiley skull-face? (OK. Scareglow.). Masters fans would automatically assume this. And if so, then the blue mustache has to be Keldor, right? Maybe this is a Mandela effect thing. I am remembering something from the “correct” universe. (Because if there are other universes, this one is definitely not the correct one!). What I think I remember is Man-E-Faces showing Skeletor and even Orko faces to Orko to prank him. Anyone else remember this, Hub-City Geeks?
I already mentioned the 200x story. I got to thinking, though. If he is primarily a man or a monster, and it is a split personality…couldn’t the robot version be something Man-At-Arms devised to “regulate” the two personalities?
(This pic shows an actual self defense tactic… Also, this is Metalhead from Super7 Ultimates TMNT)
So who is this?
Somewhere on the internet people are saying this is a prototype or design sketch artwork. It reminds me of Space Ghost…The colors match very well, and you can tell who he is. Would I have rather had a different face? Beast Man would have been cool, or Man-At-Arms. Or Orko. Or even He-man.
Here you can see Man-E-Faces can carry the case on his back.
How do I think this figure can be improved? The sculpt and paint are good, and there is variety of what you can do with the figure. He is very posable…no problems there. The gun is faithful to previous versions, and the carrying case is cool, but flawed at the hinge.
Hear me out, Hub City Geeks! What if you could remove this drum like you can the other figures’ heads. Just think. Now Man-E-Faces could be anyone, literally! I don’t know the logistics of it. But this is how this figure could be improved. I already show how the “space helmet” works on other figures. How much of a stretch to think about totally changing this mechanism?
I am giving Man-E-Faces a 4/5. What I say above is actually my imagination thinking of possibilities, not so much of a criticism. My criticism is that we could have had more faces, or at least different faces, and the hinge on that carrying case…as issue that Mattel would have known better than produce. They should have created a different design.
Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!
Many years ago, at about 5th-6th grade (I’m on the older side, so I might have been 11 turning 12,) I got some of the final Masters of the Universe Toys I would ever have for Christmas. These were Tyrantisaurus, Rio Blast, Extendar, and Evil Lyn. So I took Tyrantisaurus and Evil Lyn with me to my grandma’s party, where I was promptly made fun of. (That’s a doll! You have a girls toy with a purple dinosaur!) Didn’t matter to me. I loved those toys!
I haven’t owned an Evil Lyn since, (if you disregard the many MEGA ones I have.) So I didn’t even feel bad about picking up two at the same time. I got MASTERVERSE Movie inspired Evil Lyn, and MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil Lyn. (See the review of Movie Evil Lyn Here.)
Revelation Evil-Lyn came in this basic style of packaging that all of the first wave of MASTERVERSE figures used. You can see everything you get clearly. Unlike other figures I have opened in the line, this one had a “double blister”. And if I was keeping it MIB that would have been very nice. The top images, you can see that my crop tool hasn’t been working right, but you get the essence of the rest of the packaging. There is a nice artwork of Evil-Lyn on the side. I heard somewhere that Eamon O’Donahue was doing this artwork? I don’t think there has been a piece of MASTERVERSE artwork that I haven’t liked. I might not care for some of the Revelation designs, but this artwork is very good. Evil-Lyn has the tag “Evil Warrior Goddess,” which I am pretty sure was the vintage toy description. (I am saying it one final time, I don’t like this blue window box.)
I was tempted to get the “Bat Sorceress” version, which was SO Eternity War. Maybe I still will someday. But I got this one because she fits with the style of the rest of the bad guys that were dear to my heart. Now I am only waiting on Whiplash and Clawful! Then I will have the whole of MY bad guys. (I place Modulok in with the Horde. Never had Webstor, Ninjor, or Jitsu. Cobra Kahn and Tongue Lasher go with Snake Men, and that will be another collection for me when they ever come out.)
Here’s what you get. Evil-Lyn with an alternate, not helmeted head, a short staff and a long staff, a pocketbook, a pair of punching hands, another gripping hand, and another spellcasting hand. This is a lot of stuff, considering Movie Evil-Lyn came with basically nothing. I am especially fond of the un-helmeted head with white hair. In Filmation we only saw this a couple of times…maybe even only once. 200x and Revelation did this right. In fact, this updated Revelation design has absolutely nothing wrong with it. Nothing to complain about. The sculpt is great! Not sure if it was intentional, but the white haired head also has two-toned eyebrows, giving the appearance of some age. Notable that the other head doesn’t have this detail. (I don’t like God-Lyn. But I do really like the reformed Evil-Lyn (just Lyn?) design. Beautiful and princess-like.)
You can tell that the same designer did these two hairstyles. I in fact double checked to see if this was a re-used part. (It isn’t). The short staff and the long staff. I believe they are the same weapon…she can extend it to use more as a bo staff, and for general magic casting she uses the short staff.
Notice that these 6 to 7 inch scale figures with staffs like to be posed in this way. I have already posted a few pictures of mythic legions, Savage He-Man, and also of Mer-Man doing this pose. Probably even more characters. I will say that the joints are much looser than I would like, and also I was afraid I was going to break the right hand thumb on the gripping hand trying to get her to hold this.
And because Movie Evil-Lyn came with basically nothing, one of the staves is a good weapon for her. Either one only needs one magic staff at a time anyway. Despara here is taller, but doesn’t she seem more stiff? It isn’t an accident. The more recent figures are more posable. Movie Evil-Lyn has no problem standing or being posed. But Revelation Evil-Lyn has looser joints.
Let’s talk pocketbook. If I remember the Revelation Part 1 series, Evil-Lyn carried something around in her pouch. It contained some of the last magic left in Eternia. But no one would have to know that, would they? This is a fine purse, for any female figure actually. I couldn’t resist making this photo!
The alternate head goes nicely on Masters of the Universe Classics Battleground Teela’s body to make basically an entirely different character. I’ll concede that Evil-Lyn has less of a tan, but if she is wearing makeup then this is a fine shade of skin for her face. At least we don’t usually see Evil-Lyn in barbarian armor. See how nice of an added detail the purse is?
These two finally reunited! (The 200x story presented The Faceless One as Evil-Lyn’s father. He was the original protector of the Havoc Staff, and that green face in his off hand is the Ram Stone…magic that can take down any wall.)
That these two bonded in Revelation was quite a surprise. We got more backstories for both characters from that!
I read the Revelation comic book that detailed Skeletor’s origin story. (Spoiler…he is like the Joker. You can’t tell if he is being truthful). My point is…I don’t think Evil-Lyn could be attracted to Skeletor. Not as a bare skull face. She is too beautiful herself for that. True, she lusts for power and Skeletor provides that for her as something to admire as well as gives her an ambition to overthrow. 200x was more believable, that she thought Keldor was handsome, but then the transformation “hideous.” January 25, 2024 UPDATE- Watch Revolution! See how this turned out!
There is a loyalty of Beast Man to Evil-Lyn. Why? I don’t know. She treats him bad. And in Revelation Part 2 she turns him into a gigantic attack dog, that gets thrown into the abyss. AND that is a loose end for the next installment I suppose.
So my rating for this figure. I only have one complaint, and it is that the joints are a bit loose. She can stand just fine, and hold her weapons (but be careful of the thumb). But it isn’t as tight as I would like. I am surprised at how small she is compared to the male figures. (Trust me. Most of the camera shots I took has her standing more in the front, skewing the effect of this). Beast Man pictured above kneeling really makes her look small. But I appreciate her femininity, especially in comparison with the design of Teela. Loose joints, but lots of accessories, another head sculpt that can be used on almost any other female figure with a removable head, a great sculpt and terrific paint job. A versatile pocketbook accessory. Two wand staffs. Nice artwork on the package. I am giving this a 5/5. I mean…maybe 4.5/5 if that is allowed. (Why not. It’s my rating system).
So what do you think, Hub City Geeks? Am I right? Let me know in the comments!
I picked up two Evil Lyn figures…Movie Evil Lyn and Revelation Evil Lyn. My reasoning? Movie Evil Lyn will be necessary to own. We have never had a figure of her! But she doesn’t look right with the non-movie figures. I’ll review MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil Lyn later. Let’s look at Movie Evil Lyn first.
Here is the packaging. This is the newer style, that gives us more cardboard and less plastic. The wraparound artwork is great, showcasing other things from this movie that MASTERVERSE will surely eventually bring us, including Movie Beast Man and Air Centurions.
At the bottom on the back we can see some upcoming figures. I am very tempted to get this Man-At-Arms. I have not gotten MASTERVERSE Teela, but they have to give us the right one. Soreceress Teela is fine, but I would rather have a good Teela and a good Sorceress. I hate the Revelations Teela, and it keeps warming the pegs at Wal-Mart too. Guess I’m not the only one. I picked up Trap Jaw, and we’ll just have to see about Skeletek. There is a “variant vibe” to him that gives me a nostalgia feeling like from the 1980’s. Of vintage variants, I had Battle Armor Skeletor and Dragon Blaster Skeletor. Never had Terror Claws or Lazer Light. But Skeletek is a new design, with a big goofy Havoc Staff arm. There is a Locutus of Borg feeling to this figure.
Anyway, on to Evil Lyn.
Here is what you get.
Evil Lyn has a removable shoulder armor with soft-goods cape, two extra hands, and a glittery translucent bluish-white Cosmic Key. AND THAT’S ALL.
Why all caps? DUDE. They could have included all kinds of things for Evil Lyn.
Now the sculpt is terrific, and this time it captures the actress, Meg Foster, very well. I know there was money thrown into those rights. I know that this sculpt and paint cost the big bucks. I know that this is a retail figure. They could have sold it as a deluxe and given us something else. A wand staff. Or some of the props from the movie (Scanner and Collar of Alldrabad come to mind). Instead we get what probably nobody wanted. An unpainted Cosmic Key.
I didn’t take a pic, but if you remove the cape Evil Lyn looks like she is dressed for the prom. You can see in my photograph I was trying to get her to do the “Batman” move with her cape. (She did this in the movie a couple of times. I couldn’t get it quite right here.)
The sculpt and paint look very nice. More accessories please!
So, there is an elephant in the room. A pink elephant. A pink bodysuit elephant. In the movie, her outfit was gray and gold. This figure presents a pink outfit with very muted gold armor.
There is something else…
I know that Evil Lyn came first, so somebody should sue somebody! Liliana is from the Funko line of Magic The Gathering action figures. A very short-lived line. You can see those tattoos all over her, and Evil Lyn has something similar going on.
She looks really good with Skeletor. (How about this Diorama? I have been working on it. I am new at making the pieces, and am learning.)
Here is the whole set of MASTERVERSE movie figures, with most everything we have minus extra hands.
Because He-Man doesn’t have Dolph Lundgren’s head sculpt, that makes him feel like the weakest offering. I know Dolph is hot commodities nowadays, playing in Aquaman and all. His likeness probably costs a ton. But is this He-Man? In this picture you can see Skeletor’s painted Cosmic Key for comparison.
And here are the ladies. You can see that Despara (from Masters of the Universe Classics) is a little bit taller.
I failed to mention that Evil Lyn (both of them) are my first female MASTERVERSE figures. Movie Evil Lyn is sturdy, but I can’t say the same for Revelation Evil Lyn. Oh well, I’ll write about that later.
My rating of Movie Evil Lyn. It irks me badly that they didn’t include any cool accessories. The sculpt looks good, and it looks like Meg. They didn’t paint the knees, and so there is an interruption of the pattern that is a little jarring if you care about details. The gold on the bodice and armor is too muted and what was gray is now pink. Why? To reflect the movie lights on the Grayskull set? Maybe. But this isn’t paint job…it is design choice. I am giving Movie Evil Lyn a reluctant 3/5. As a movie action figure a score of 4, as an action figure in a vaccum, a 2. So let’s average it. 3/5. Her sculpt looks good and the paint isn’t sloppy. This is the first representation of Meg Foster as Evil Lyn in figure form, and I have to give a point for that. But the lack of accessories is unforgivable considering she used many objects in the movie. So unforgivable.
Hub City Geeks, do you agree or disagree? Should she have come with more items? Do you think it looks like Meg Foster? How might you improve this figure? Let me know in the comments!
The SpartanNerd’s copy on VHS.Don’t know when the last time I watched this tape was.This time I streamed it onTubi, which was free except for a singular commercial at the beginning.
I have recently picked up two Evil Lyn figures…one MASTERVERSE Revelation, and the other MASTERVERSE “Movie Inspired.” I will be doing reviews of those figures soon, but I thought I would stop and watch the movie again…maybe the twentieth time ever. But this time with a more critical eye and thinking about recent toys.
As I watched, I jotted down some “quick notes.” I have a habit of doing this nowadays, especially on a second or third viewing of a film. I am commenting on a film that is 37 years old (as of 2024), and I am very aware of the “cult classic” effect of the movie on a modern audience. There are things about it that are forgivable, and others that are not so much. Below you can see my observations as I watched the film in bold, and my commentary a few weeks later in italics.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Castle Grayskull matte painting is very epic. You can get a scope of the scale by seeing the Sorceress standing in the right eye socket.
We only see the castle a few times.That they chose this more tower design is interesting.I wonder if they were thinking of the Eternia Playset or something like that.And while the sorceress, in white clothes reflecting the Temple of Darkness colors, can be seen in that eye socket, I believe she is still too big!
The set of Grayskull isn’t very epic. The throne room has steps that appear like average hardwood. The throne and the Great Eye of the Galaxy look very dramatic, with nice hieroglyphics on obelisks on either side of the seat. But the surrounding environment really takes away from it. I’ll have to keep watching, but isn’t the great eye similar to Skeletor’s ship?
That there is this circular design behind Skeletor actually did confuse me as a child.Because Skeletor’s invading space ship also has this circular design.What?? is he flying around with the Great Eye of the Galaxy?I wonder why a better design wasn’t created.Why not something closer to “The Collector?”
Teela and Gwildor had never eaten meat or considered it.
This always has bothered me.Teela says that Earth is “Barbaric.”Isn’t that what Masters of the Universe is supposed to be?Even as a child I thought it was odd that Teela hadn’t eaten meat.Gwildor is a wierdo.He gets a pass.But the Captain of the Guard? She would know what rib bones were.She would have at least seen animals eating meat. And we know she enjoys Roast Gooble. But Movie Teela has to be straightedge I guess.
Weapons He-Man uses. Up to the high school scene, we have seen He-Man wield the storm trooper rifle twice. The blaster that he handed Julie was evidently set to stun, or Saurod’s armor is lazer proof. She shot him point blank in the back, but it only jarred him.
He-Man stole Blade’s sword and duel wielded!
Another note…there is a “backless” part of the cape, good design choice for us to still be able to see the sword. Haven’t seen the scabbard yet.
He-Man is a heavy gun user in this movie.I know my mother didn’t approve of this.And we never see him use guns in other media much…he hardly uses weapons including his sword in Filmation.I notice that the gun that came with the new figure is solid black, but He-Man’s blaster in the movie has silver parts on the bottom. I will probably customize this. Why didn’t they just give us accurate stuff? They could use GI JOE Classified for pointers! Eventually we do see the scabbard, and it is indeed only a half-sheath.Very strange, but the figure is accurate.Dolph’s backless cape is more dramatic than that on the figure…the backless part is almost ignorable.I know why that is there… so we can see the power sword, a necessary compromise.They wanted to give him a cape to make him more superheroic, but stay true to the roots that his main weapon is supposedly a sword.
The Cosmic Key has a handle like a gun.
I don’t own the Masters of the Universe Classics Gwildor, but I don’t think we have had a toy cosmic key that really captures what it looked like in the movie.It has that cylindrical shape, with tuning forks around it, and rows of buttons, with one big red light that activates it.And what looks like a blaster handle or rifle stock sticking out perpendicularly also.But no one uses the Cosmic Key like a gun.The little strap on the two MASTERVERSE Cosmic Keys we have isn’t a gun handle or stock.
39:18 into the movie, there is a cool scene of Julie and He-Man sitting and talking in the storage room at the high school (or a nearby construction site?) The rubble and items around would make a good photo scene for figures. I wonder if there is a Courtney Cox figure out there in scale? She is wrapped in He-Man’s cape
I have been making dioramas lately, and this scene caught my eye. I haven’t looked into a Courtney Cox figure very hard. I would be a cool idea, though!I also don’t know if He-Man’s cloth cape can detach from the armor.Something I might feel up to messing with.What is the worst that could happen?I have to gorilla glue it back?
5’5” short hair pink sweater
This is Kevin’s description of Julie to Lubick. He really narrowed it down, didn’t he? (NOPE)
Gwildor in a ’57 Chevy…pink. “Primitive land boat.“
l love some ’57 Chevy action.The very first model car I build was of a ’57 with flame decals.This idea in this movie calls out to so many other things, from Christine to the Delorean to Grease.
42:30. Skeletor and Evil Lyn staring into each others eyes.
Evil Lyn is agging on his obsession with He-Man. This tracks with modern portrayals.
Indeed modern depictions of Evil Lyn contain this seductress element. The best is the depiction in the comics, where she used that guy to gain access to the Eye of Grayskull, and to get revenge on him for betraying Trap Jaw. In 200x Mike Young cartoon, she clearly strikes something up with Keldor, and adoringly gushes over Skeletor’s power later on, seemingly to regret the loss of that relationship. And in Masters of the Universe Revelation seducing Skeletor is her way of gaining the power of Grayskull for herself. This intimate scene in the movie is probably the first time we saw such a relationship between the two. In filmation, she was clearly second in power and ability, but no romance.
Skeletor’s force lightning evaporates Saurod. My thought about Sauron…he is the least likable of the mercs.
As a child I had this toy.I remember throwing him up in the air and getting it stuck in a pine tree.So he got zapped here and “sapped” there!
Possible accessories for evil Lyn: Scanner, Hologram projector, (The image of the Cosmic Key actually looks a little bit like Gwildors vintage toy), Collar of Aldrabad
Evil Lyn IS NOT wearing pink. It looks gray actually
Why am I pointing these out?Because the MASTERVERSE Evil Lyn woefully didn’t come with anything except that unpainted, “translucent”, Cosmic Key…the same sculpt of Skeletor’s without paint.They could have included all of these.In fact, the hologram projector would have been a no-brainer.The wand that she has in so many depictions, with the dragons claw and spherical crystal could have been easily modified.Just give it a flat top!So the SpartanNerd has a bit of color blindness…sometimes I don’t see shades so good.And as I watched the movie, I kept looking to see if she was wearing pink this whole time but somehow I missed it.But no I’m pretty sure it’s gray.There is a lot of lighting that makes it look pinker, purpler, redder than it actually is.Also, it is definitely a skin-tight garment.She isn’t showing much skin, something else I wondered.
Skeletor’s army has a control tablet that blows up the microwave because of its interferance. Why is Kevin putting Burger King trash in the sink? But he is microwaving a fresh bucket of Robbie’s Ribs…
One of those nonsensical things you might miss if you don’t look for it.Probably Burger King paid for product placement. Another great question.Why hasn’t a Gwildor figure ever come with a bucket of ribs?
Evil Lyn leaves right as pink Cadillac arrives. Classic 1980’s
Seems like this gag comes up in many movies.It is a classic.
Music Store destruction! The music store scene has some of THE WORST acting
It’s true.So true.As a guitar player and musician, I looked closely at what kind of instruments were being destroyed.These are cheapies.I wonder if this was a set or an actual store somewhere. The shouted lines, the over-acted anxiety from He-Man to Gwildor to Karg. This is the hardest scene to watch.
Beast Man leads the stormtroopers. Like twenty.
There are alot of extras under those costumes.Seeing Beast Man as a commander is a little bit different.He doesn’t speak, only growls and grovels in this movie.And yet the storm troopers (this is what they are, but it isn’t clear what their actual name is,) follow his lead. The guys in the air are called Air Centurions
Evil Lyn has a round ship. Skeletor has a round ship. The great eye of the galaxy is round. Dumb design choices
Just pointing this out again. They did build a different Eternia for this movie. I get it. I suppose they didn’t want it to look like Star Wars or Star Trek, (both in peoples’ minds at the time.) I heard someone say that Gary Goddard wanted a New Gods story, disguised as Masters of the Universe. Maybe that’s why. From a filmography standpoint, and I am not an expert…this is the Christopher Reeves era, so the camera tricks to convince you that they are flying might have relied on that gimmick, where the rear view of the ship had to be obscured. (For some really bad Superman style flying effects, check out Robocop 3. Very cringy.)
One of the most heroic fights is when He-Man steals the centurion’s flying disc. This movie so far has been kind of light on He-man solo action. But we see him use the blaster, lose the blaster. Then use his sword to take out some guys. When he lands to where Skeletor has his friends hostage, he throws like five stormtroopers off of him and grabs his sword, but then Skeletor blackmails him with the old “It’s you or your friends” routine.
He-man’s only true “weakness” is that he is bound to protect his friends.
He-man does indeed have half of a scabbard that hangs down awkwardly. He has no cape when Skeletor takes him away and you can see it well. Also, what are those gems on his arms?
Teela remarks when He-Man throws down his sword. What is the story here? Does she know about Adam and He-Man at this point? Is it because it is easy access to Grayskull? Is it necessary to open The Great Eye of the Galaxy? That this is a power sword isn’t really addressed in this movie. It is hinted at. And He-Man does raise it for a “I have the power” moment in the movie, but does this give him more energy? Does the blast drive back enemies? Unclear.
Skeletor winces as He-man takes the beating. A good detail. It makes Blade seem more sadistic. It reflects that Skeletor knows what that whip feels like.
Frank Langella was truly, truly a master in this role. This year he is 86 years old. I haven’t seen any other movies of his. But he really did Skeletor right. Menacing, calculating, diabolical. Also just over the top.
Gwildor has two strong ET moments. When he puts on the women’s clothing. And when he rigs up a cosmic key (like the communicator made from a speak n spell in ET).
That Kevin is a “master songmaker” kind of brings the high fantasy of “The universe is made of music” into realistic earth terms. Many people are musicians…this is something we can relate to. And every kid watching this movie would have a music class at school. This was the age of hair metal and synth pop. Guns-N-Roses was huge. Van Halen. Etc. And Hip-Hop. And every cartoon from He-Man and all of the upstarts underneath him had a theme song. And kids would sing those every day. This part of the movie makes the power everyones.
Some of Skeletor’s best acting is in the whip scene. Also, he said He-Man’s friends should rot. When a skeleton tells you this that hurts…but he also calls sorceress an old crone. Her old-lady-look mirrors his sunken-in face look
The fight at the end where Skeletor declares himself a god. Skeletor keeps zapping He-Man. But he is seemingly indestructible. Even the Darkseid eye beams. When He-Man grabs his sword, we see it absorb Skeletor’s lightning.
This tracks with the idea of the power sword being a conduit of the power, however this isn’t really talked about until later fandom, for instance The Four Horsemen designing the techno sword to harmonize with Grayskull.
Skeletor draws the dark sword at the end of the fight, after He-Man breaks the Havoc Staff.
I brought this up because I asked the question “Did Skeletor even use this sword?” when I reviewed the movie figure. I didn’t remember when. This is the only time, when He-Man offers to save him.
The time paradox problem. He-Man’s armor is extra gold for the end
OK. Here goes. If Gwildor had the ability to send Julie and Kevin back in time, so that Julie could prevent her parents from crashing on the plane, then couldn’t this whole movie have been avoided? Evil Lyn duped him into giving up the Cosmic Key, but he had a prototype. So, why not go back in time and…tell himself not to fall for the trick? Tell himself how dangerous the Cosmic Key is? Or hire bodyguards? Or any number of solutions that would have by-passed the bulk of the movie. I suppose this is the problem of all time-travel movies.
Julie wakes up in a gown in her bed. And walks down the stairs to her huge surprise…she can stop her parents! But the way it is framed. Like Christmas morning when you are going to get presents…this is the feeling of the scene!
As I watched this final scene, this was my thought. I mean, we just had Christmas here. And some of my fondest memories was going down the stairs on Christmas morning to find presents.
Julie is wearing a frumpy gown…it looks a little bit juvenile for a teenager. These are the pajamas that kids are supposed to identify with. She sees her parents. And the smile, the reaction. Even if her parents go and fly…even if she goes with them this time. She has already made a difference in the timeline so that they won’t die. And what better present could there be?
But like I said…why?
“I’LL BE BACK!”
Sadly, Skeletor never got that return, did he.I remember talking to my friends.“When will He-Man 2 come out?” I was in denial that the movie wasn’t well received and He-Man was going underground.I lumped this sequel into the Back To The Future (Two sequels happened) category of possible movies. Rocky had tons of sequels. There were rumors of Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure sequels (This happened). There were rumors of Star Wars movies that would tell of Darth Vader becoming evil. (These were only rumors of children!Surely this would never happen.That would be too crazy!) But no He-Man movie ever came out again…or since. I became aware of “New Adventures,” and my younger brothers had He-Man and Slush Head. I disliked the different, wimpier design. I never watched the cartoon but once. But I jumped for Joy in my first year of marriage when they announced the trailer for 200x. I spent hours downloading that trailer over dial-up!
I just heard today on the ForEternia Podcast that the Netflix live-action movie that seemed to be the closest ever to a movie was just shelved. WHY?!
spartannerd 