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Packaging - ***1/2
No surprises here, but if you're a MOCer, that's a good thing.
Consistency in the packaging looks great when you line up a huge number
of figures. And if you're an opener, you're not really worried one way
or the other.
Sculpting - ***1/2
The big changes here are his head sculpt of course, as well as the
large right claw. He also has a very crustacean-like covering for his
torso, making him look like the main course at Red Lobster.
The
head sculpt looks great, with the short snout and large fangs. Add in
some Brooke Shield eyebrows and Marty Feldman eyeballs and you have a
unique character to add the the group of bad guys.
The large
right claw has a spring action to hold accessories or snap around an
opponent's neck. It's textured with the bumpy pattern that's also on
the neck and head.
The rest of the figure is pretty
much a redux of Buzz Off.
And like Buzz Off, he lacks any texture on some of the extremities. I
don't mind the change with the legs, but the biceps look out of place
with the textured shoulders and claw hands. I didn't have too much
issue with it on Buzz Off, because at least the color of the pieces was
similar. But here, the scaly red shoulders contrast with the smooth
skin tone upper arms far too much, making the difference stand out all
the more.
He stands great on his own of
course, and the claw sculpts work fine with the included scepter.
Paint - ***
The paint is fairly clean, with a reasonable level of quality for this
price point and market.
The issues I have are largely
personal and aesthetic, but nonetheless effect my overall impressions.
The
first I've already mentioned - the difference in color between the
shoulder and the biceps. It's not unusual with the re-use in this line,
but here there's just too much contrast, making it obvious that they
don't really go together.
The other issue is around the
style of paint
on the face. The teeth show a little slop, and the eyes and eyebrows
are done in such a way as too be too cartoony for my tastes. Yea, I
know, it's a cartoon, but if you compare the style with something like
He-man or Teela, or even Buzz Off, you'll see that Clawful is a bit
more 'Family Guy'-ish. It's a minor nit to be sure, but managed to bug
me.
Articulation - ****
Clawful has all the usual articulation present in this series - ball
jointed neck, hips and shoulders, swivel biceps, pin elbows, ankles and
knees, and a cut waist. The left wrist is also a cut joint, as you'd
expect, and there are cut joints at the top of the big claw and the top
of the 'boots'.
Clawful
gets an extra joint as well, with the spring action claw on his right
hand. The spring is tight enough to hold accessories.
A big plus
overall for this guy is the ball jointed neck. While it's no surprise
that it's there, his works particularly well, allowing for lots of tilt
action and extra personality in the poses.
Accessories - ***
He comes with two accessories. First, there's his classic
scepter, with a well done
sculpt and decent paint ops. It fits in either claw as well.
There's
also a large shield, shaped like a shell, which clips to his left
forearm. It actually looks like it would be quite protective, and I
love the glossy finish.
Fun Factor - ****
Can you imagine if these figures had been released with this level of
articulation and quality in the mid-80's? The original line was one of
the best of the period, and Mattel and the Four Horsemen have found a
way to improve on almost every aspect.
Value - **1/2
Twenty bucks for an online collector's action figure is starting to
look like a real deal, considering what I just paid for the 6" scale
Young Justice figures at Target. I'm not willing to say the MOTUC
figures are a steal yet, but they have become an average value, even
without an extra head.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - ***1/2
Another hit figure, especially when he's paired with some of his other
colleagues like Buzz Off. The goofy variety of designs really make this
an appealing line, even if you're not a fan of the show.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
Obviously, the chance to get this at Matty Collector
has passed, you can try Big Bad Toy Store
or hit ebay
for a deal.
Related
Links -
I've covered most of the series:
- last up was the Faceless One, and prior
to that was Catra.
- prior was Sy-Klone, who sadly,
wasn't one of my favorites.
- just prior to that 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.
- before that was She-Ra, Princess of
Power, and the large scale Tytus.
- I've also looked at the cool custom swords and shields you
can get from SpyMonkey Creations.
- prior to that, I looked at the other May release, Optikk.
- seems like it was just
yesterday that I covered Evil-Lyn.
- prior to that it was Moss Man.
- check out the cool MOTUC Display stands.
- just before that
I covered Battle
Cat and Trap Jaw,
and prior to that was Adora.
- I really liked Scare glow, although
he's not exactly what you'd call a key character.
- She-Ra isn't the first girl in
the series - Teela
has that honor.
- before that there was Webstor, one of my
favorite, and Tri-klops,
another one of my favs.
- prior to that was Man-at-arms, Hordak, Zodac, Faker, Mer-man and Stratos, starting out
with He-man, Skeletor and
Beastman together in one review.
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