Mattel is totally revamping Masters of the Universe by releasing brand new action figures. I'll be reviewing the centerpieces of the first batch, He-Man and Skeletor. It's exciting for me to do this right now, because at the time of this writing, these figures have yet to arrive in mass quantities throughout North America. I was very surprising to find them on one of my usual Toronto toy hunts, as Canada generally lags behind the US when it comes to new toy releases.

First, some general notes. The line was sculpted by "The Four Horsemen", a group of former McFarlane Toys employees who left to form their own company because they wanted to make toys that kids would actually play with. That's they key, folks. These toys are fun, first and foremost. However, the incredible detailing on these figures really captures the look and feel of the classic characters, so the older fans who grew up with MOTU should really appreciate these.

He-Man

Here's a closer look at the detail. You can see that great care went into the sculpting. It's an exaggerated human form, just the way it should be with a guy like this. As far as movement goes, He-Man is jointed at the neck, shoulders, hips, and wrists. His waist can also turn, but it snaps back for a punching or slashing gimmick (it's pretty powerful, too). So it's not a lot of articulation, but durability became an issue and this is what we'll have to settle for. I was, however, surprised that the arms and legs can move sideways in addition to up and down, since the shoulders and hips are jointed to allow such movement. I was not expecting that, especially after reading about how plans for more articulation were scrapped. The only other disappointment, and it's very minor, is that the shield doesn't fit in his left hand as easily as it should.

Now, to talk about the sword. It's a much different design than the original, but I think it's much cooler. As far as I know, the original plan for the story was for He-Man to need a new sword as Skeletor had taken the old one. So that's why the sword is different. However, they instead chose to totally start from scratch with a brand new version of the He-Man story and kept the new sword any ways. It's detailed with a lot of technological looking bits. I find the contrast of having such a primitive weapon looking so high-tech as a good example of the line's blending of sci-fi and fantasy. By turning the hilt, the sword can change for "Battle Formation". It's a cool looking weapon and it really looks like it could do some damage.

Speaking of damage, check out that axe! This is really an impressive accessory. It's detailed with the same high-tech theme as the sword, and just looks big and bad and dangerous. Very cool. It may take a bit of work to get it to stay secured to the straps on He-Man's back, but you'll figure it out.

He-Man is a great figure. If you were ever a fan of this character and the new line makes you nervous, then have no fear. Justice has been done to He-Man. In fact, this figure kicks the hell out of the old one. He still has the power!

Skeletor

Now for the good stuff! Or rather, the evil stuff. Skeletor was one of the more memorable villains of the 80's, and this figure is a much more imposing and frightening looking take on the character. He's a scary looking dude, and truly looks the part of an overlord of evil. I also get a bit of a wizard vibe from this design.

Once again, you can see that the level of detail is very impressive. What I like best is that the armor is full of intricate bat, bone, and bug-like details. It was quite brilliant by the designers to take those kinds of influences for Skeletor's outfit. Not only does it look cool and evil, but it makes him look the part of a regal warrior, in a demented royalty kind of way. I would have liked a bit more paint application to bring out some of these details.

Another great thing about this figure is sculpting on Skeletor's muscular structure. It's hard to explain, but his body looks like a combination of powerful looking muscles and thin, weak skin. There are veins and bones sticking out and his body looks like it may fall apart at any moment, making him look like a reanimated corpse. Perhaps evil magic is the only thing keeping him from decomposing? Yet he still looks strong and formidable. He has the same level of posability as He-Man, except that his right arm has a built in smashing action, which is activated by a button on his back.

Skeletor comes with one of the coolest swords ever made. It's a double bladed sword made up of two sides. One is a bronze good side, detailed with a bird and a star, and the other is a purple evil side, detailed with a horned skull. Once again, this goes back to the original idea for the revamp, with Skeletor combining He-Man's old sword with his own. How this new sword will fit into the story now remains to be seen.

The sword can be split apart into two swords, so he can fight with both at once. The only disadvantage is that when using the smashing action when the swords are connected together, the momentum makes them come apart. I wish the connection was a bit stronger. In another homage to the original, he also comes with his skull tipped battle staff, which has never looked better.

This new Skeletor figure is impressive as a stand alone piece and as an antagonist for He-Man. He's a fantastic example, even more so than He-Man, of how action figures have evolved over the years.

Both of these figures are excellent. In fact, I think the whole line looks great. They are very detailed, but unlike some other toy lines, they are still playable. They look cool, they're creative, they're faithful to the classics, and most of all, they are fun. Older fans should love them, and most importantly, kids will too. Sure, they could use more articulation, but honestly, that should not stop anyone from enjoying them. They're just that good. I say that these are, far and away, the best action figures of the year. And in a year which has seen some great figures from lines like Star Wars and the Spider-man movie, you can take that as some very high praise from me.

By the power of Greyskull!

Sayonara.