Review of Sy-Klone action figure
Masters of the Universe Classics

Introduction

As regular readers know, I have no idea who the Masters of the Universe characters are outside the obvious. He-man, Skeletor, She-Ra...yea, I know them. But Sy-Klone? Uh, no.

So I looked him up - he has the power of the wind. My grandfather had that power whenever you pulled his finger. Sy-Klone was on the old 80's cartoon, as well as the 200X version. This figure seems to combine some features of both, although I don't know that it does much to improve his rather lame back story.

He was the April release from Matty Collector, where you could pick him up for $20.

Packaging - ***1/2
The packaging is largely the same as the previous releases - MOCers will appreciate the consistency. Obviously, it's not collector friendly and you'll destroy it getting the figure out, but I love the retro appearance of the graphics and design.

Sculpting - ***
This is one of the less detailed sculpts in the series, with most of the surfaces very smooth and untextured.  The face looks good, but is pretty generic when compared with other figures released so far.

I like the helmet, but most of the rest of the armor has a bit of a George Jetson look to it. He sports a huge 'cosmic' radar device on his chest, which has a great looking 'screen', but sticks out quite a bit from the normal torso.

He's a rather dull figure for me, but this is coming from a non-fan of the show that loves the figures for their uniqueness and high quality. Sy-Klone is a bit more simplistic in many ways, but particularly when it comes to his sculpt.

Paint - ***
The paint isn't bad, but is fairly basic as well. Other than the eyes and eyebrows, there really isn't much in the way of real 'detail', and most of the plastic is done in broad and very bright colors. Being a Michigan State fan, I'm not really keen on the bright yellow and blue, but the radar screen is a real highlight.  The printed design mimics a sweeping radar or sonar arm as you move the figure side to side, and it's a great effect.

Articulation - ***1/2
He sports the same basic body as the rest of the line, with all the excellent articulation. There's ball jointed shoulders and hips, as well as a true ball jointed neck. The head can tilt fairly well, and it adds quite a bit to any pose.

There's pin elbows and knees, cut wrists and boots, pin ankles, and even the cut waist. The radar on his chest makes the ab crunch ineffective, but the rest of the normal articulation is here, and it all functions well.

Accessories - **1/2
Sy-Klone isn't as well outfitted as many of his brethren, but he does come with a couple extras. 

There's his small shield which can snap on either wrist. It looks good, but the paint work is fairly basic.

There's also the large hi-def tv antenna on his back, which he uses to avoid paying ridiculously overpriced cable bills. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The red 'swirl' attaches to his back and can tilt forward and back. It's...interesting. Just these two extras is a bit light, especially since he lacks a sword or staff.

Fun Factor - ****
While he might not be my favorite of the overall series, he's still a fun toy, and kids are going to appreciate his chest plate for it's cool factor.

Value - **
With most of the recent releases, I've been less annoyed by the $20 price tag, but that's because they've had lots of extras, including extra heads in some cases. With only the two accessories, this price point is tougher for me to call a decent value. While the funky radar read out on his chest is probably more expensive than standard paint, it's still not enough to convince me he's really worth the $20 plus shipping.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***
I'm a huge fan of this series, but I have to say that this might be my least favorite so far. He's not a terrible figure by any means, but he's just a tad too goofy (which is saying a lot, considering the overall show) and basic. The bright colors make the figure look cheap, and the lack of much detail in either the paint or the sculpt makes him far less visually appealing.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - **1/2
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
As always, Matty Collector was the place to pick this guy up originally, where he ran $20 plus shipping. Now you're choices are a little more limited, but you still have them:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've reviewed a whole lotta MOTUC:

- just last week I looked at Panthor, the big kitty.

- King Hssss was last month's release.

- prior was Vikor, and before that the very yellow Buzz Off.

- Grizzlor was November's release.

- the previous month was the swapped shoulders Roboto.

- Gygor makes other big monkeys look silly.

- another character with animal instincts is Chief Carnivus.

- just before that was Whiplash.

- Orko was the SDCC exclusive this year.

- just before the Con, Matty sold out of Count Marzo.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page to find my reviews of just about every other MOTUC before that and in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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