Review of Griffin - Masters of the Universe Classics action figure

Introduction

I love one off collectibles just as much as the next guy or girl. But the coolest displays are those that cover a huge series, with characters, vehicles, dioramas -the whole environment. Most lines don't last long enough to allow for that sort of set up, making it all the sweeter when they do.

Masters of the Universe Classics certainly has, and with the addition of the larger creatures like Panthor and today's review subject, the Griffin, Mattel has increased the display AND play value of the entire series.

These larger figures cost ten bucks more than the regular releases. That means they tend to stay in stock a little longer at Matty Collector, and if you hurry (it says he's almost gone) you can still pick him up there for the retail price of $33.

Packaging - ***1/2
The box is very attractive, and matches the earlier releases. It's almost collector friendly too - you'll have to cut some tape and ditch the rubber bands, but you can take him out and put him back with minimal damage to the package itself.

Mine came with the left front leg popped off in the box though, a real downer for the MIBer who might want to display him still in his plastic coffin. Hopefully this is just a fluke, and not a regular occurrence caused by a rubber band that's too short and tight.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The Griffin is the flying conveyance of Beast Man, but my Beastly is packed away right now. I swapped in another appropriate evil doer as the rider, so you get the concept of scale.

There's some re-use here - this is the MOTUC series after all - but there's enough new parts (head sculpt, back feet, wings, tail) that he has his own very unique look.

He's about 13" from nose to tail, and the large wings make for an impressive beast. The funky double eyes are quite intimidating, as is the nasty looking beak and hinged mouth.

While the whole fur/feather combo is a bit unusual, they make it work with a nice transition area on the wings. There's lots of texture overall, giving the figure some consistency even with the two different skin coverings.

A figure can sit pretty well on his back, although you'll have to play with the wing pose a bit. And of course, he stands great on his own.

Paint - ***
The paint work is solid but not quite outstanding, with some basic colors and transistions. The cut lines are definitely B work, but there's a nice broad range of colros that give the figure some pop on the shelf.

Articulation - ***1/2
Considering the design of the creature, there's a ton of good articulation here.

The legs are similar to the previous beasts (with good reason, since most of the main body and legs are re-used), with ball joints at the front knees, back ankles, front ankles, tail, wings and neck. Most of these are the pin/disc style of ball, which doesn't have quite the same range of movement as a true ball, but works well enough with this design.

There's also pin joints for all four hips, back knees (two), and the jaw, while the neck moves forward and back on a post as well.

While all the joints are sturdy and solid, I do wish that the neck had a better range of movement. Even with the two separate joints, you can't get the head very high in the air, a bit of a disappointment.

Accessories - ***
He only has one piece of armor - no helmet for him.

His saddle armor is removable if you feel the need, making it his one and only accessory. I don't plan on displaying him without it, since the ride would be pretty uncomfortable for Beast Man.

Fun Factor - ****
While every MOTUC figure has their flaws, it's still one of the best true action figure lines on the market, calling back to the heyday of these toys.

Value - **1/2
As part of the 10% price hike, these large figures/vehicles went up $3 to $33. It's probably only going to get worse next year, but I'm calling it an average value right now.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
June was a big month for Matty Collector, with a several MOTUC and DC figures all hitting at the same time. Out of the bunch, I think I like the Griffin the best, if for no other reason than he adds something cool to the side of evil doers.

And while he's technically not a 'vehicle', I'm pretty sure we'll see him on the ballot for the 2012 Poppies under the Best Vehicles or Play Sets category!

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

Where to Buy 
As of today, these guys are still available for $33 on Matty Collector, but they are almost gone. Or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered quite a few of the MOTUC series:

- last up was the cool Slushhead.

- other figures include the excellent Draego, Kobra Khan, Sorceress, Demo-man, Fearless Photog, Snout Spou, Wind Raider, the large Megator, the giant Tytus. Leech, Icarius, Clawful, the Faceless One, Catra, Sy-Klone, King Hssss, Vikor, Buzz Off, Grizzlor, Roboto, Gygor, Chief Carnivus, Whiplash, Orko, Count Marzo, She-Ra, Optikk, Evil-Lyn, Moss Man, Trap Jaw, Adora, Scare glow, Teela, Man-at-arms, Hordak, Zodac, Faker, Mer-man, Stratos, Webstor, Tri-klops, and starting out with He-man, Skeletor and Beastman together in one review.

- I also covered Battle Cat and Panthor, the big kitties.

- check out the cool MOTUC Display stands.

- I've also looked at more weapons recently.the cool custom swords and shields you can get from SpyMonkey Creations.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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