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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Tri-Klops action figure
Masters of the Universe Classics

Mattel
Date Published: 2009-08-24
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Introduction

If you've been picking up the Masters of the Universe Classics figures from Matty Collector, I bet you got a pleasant surprise on August 17th. That's when the latest release, Tri-klops, went on sale. And there were almost no red screens of waiting...in fact, it was extremely straight forward and pleasant for just about everyone.

Matty had said that the production numbers would increase with the big T, and apparently they did. The figure went on sale on Monday the 17th at noon (Eastern), and as Friday night the 21st as I write these words, he's still available.

Tri-klops adds another evil doer to the MOTUC mix. A scout and bounty hunter, he was blinded in an accident. He now wears a special visor that includes three types of vision - Gammavision (he can see around objects), Nightvision, and Distavision (long range sight). The visor rotated to allow the eyes to swap. I was never quite sure why there wasn't a fourth eye - the visor certainly could have been designed for four instead of three, and I bet he would have enjoyed x-ray vision...especially when Teela stopped by - but I suppose Quad-Klops isn't quite as catchy.

I always thought Tri-klops was one of the more original and interesting characters in MOTU, and so I've been looking forward to his release.  As I said, you can still snag him on Mattycollector for a Jackson.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Packaging - ***1/2
The packaging remains the same, following the retro appearance we've become accustomed to. While it's not collector friendly, it does swap rubber bands for twistie ties, and looks good on a peg, wall or shelf. It also seems like the figure is a little easier to see inside the bubble as well.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Sculpting - ****
This is one chiseled  dude. From the nose to the lips to the cheeks to the jaw, he looks like he could shred you with his face. 

The sculpted visor looks great, with slightly different sculpts for each eye. It turns smoothly, and lines up pretty well with his face.

It doesn't look like the visor is *supposed* to come off, but I think you could manage it with a little hot water. Underneath, his eyes are sculpted with what looks like riveted black plates over each socket - cool!

The body is pretty much what you've seen before, with the exception of the chest/shoulder armor. This is removable, once you pop the head off. I like the flared shoulders that they've given it, and there's enough detail in the small rivets and edging to give it a very unique look.

The hands are sculpted to work with the accessories, particularly the sword. He stands great on his own at about 7" tall, just like the rest of the series.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Paint - ***
Unfortunately, I had a few paint issues. There's some sloppy cut lines on the few paint details that exist, and the green color of the armor isn't quite consistent. The skin tone is off a bit too, particularly between the ruddy face and lighter neck.

If we got something like this in a figure off the pegs at Target, we'd be pretty happy. But considering the higher cost, and the 'collector' focus, we expect more of this line.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Articulation - ***1/2
If you own one of these figures, then you know what you're getting in this category. There's the ball jointed neck, shoulders and hips (with swivel bicep and thigh), pin elbows, knees and ankles, cut calf, wrist and waist, and even a pin ab crunch.

The chest armor restricts the ab crunch quite a bit, but the rest of the joints are free to move cleanly, and the figure can pose extremely well. A couple of the joints were a little loose, but the pins are all very sturdy and there should be no issues with joint damage over time, even with regular play.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Accessories - ***1/2
There's three accessories with Tri-klops - his sword, a glow in the dark Warriors ring, and a Doomseeker.

The sword is a new sculpt, and looks terrific. It's made from a fairly stiff plastic, so you shouldn't have any trouble with it wilting over time. It fits nicely in a slot on the back of his armor.

The ring is designed for a kid to wear, and has a top that opens to reveal the MOTU logo. This is a bit of a weird extra, since the line is supposedly intended for adult collectors, but the ring is clearly kid's stuff all the way.

Finally, there's the very cool Doomseeker. In the 2002 cartoon, Tri-klops was the genius inventor, and one of his developments was the Doomseeker, and small flying spy machine. The Four Horsemen have given it a slightly more nostalgic sculpt, and there's a clear plastic stand to hold the bird-like machine above the ground.

This is definitely a cool extra, and while it's not truly 'classic', it makes a great addition to the overall display.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Fun Factor - ****
It says something that the Mattel action figures that are actually the best toys are designed for collectors. I'm not sure what it says, but it certainly says something.

Value - **
Nope, he's not a $20 figure. Even with the cool ring, Doomseeker and sword, he's not to that kind of price tag. That doesn't mean that most people that buy him won't be more than willing to pay the money - but he's really a $16 or $17 figure tops.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Things to Watch Out For -
Nope, he's not a $20 figure. Even with the cool ring, Doomseeker and sword, he's not to that kind of price tag. That doesn't mean that most people that buy him won't be more than willing to pay the money - but he's really a $16 or $17 figure tops.

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Overall - ***1/2
I'm still not sure when we'll get a four star figure in this line, but Tri-klops is pretty damn close. Had I not had the handful of paint issues, I would have given him a perfect final mark.

Even with a few paint issues, I have to say that he's very close to my favorite. I'm still leaning toward Hordak, and Mer-man is still mighty sweet. But Tri-klops is a dark horse in the race, and is a very welcome addition to the collection.

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

Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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Where to Buy 
Matty Collector is the place this minute - then it will be off to ebay to find him.

Related Links -
I've kept up with almost all of the line so far:

- last up was Man-at-arms.

- before that was Hordak, ZodacFaker, Mer-man and Stratos, starting out with He-man, Skeletor and Beastman together in one review. I still need to get around to doing He-Ro.

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

Discussion:
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Masters of the Universe Classics Tri-Klops action figure by Mattel

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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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