Review of Leech action figure
Masters of the Universe Classics

Introduction

Who is the master of suck? If you answered with the name of any woman who has done online porn that she either already regrets or soon will, you'd be thinking like a man but you'd be wrong. If you said James Dyson, you'd be thinking like a woman (how sexist is that?), but you'd also be wrong. If you said "reality television", you'd be close, but still wrong.

No, the ultimate master of suck is Leech, member of the Evil Horde and part of the Masters of the Universe lore. On the old cartoon, he had suction pads on his feet and hands, as well as a mouth designed to remove the chrome off a Buick.

He has made it into toy form a couple times before (including the cool Staction version a few years ago), and now Mattel has added him to their Masters of the Universe Classics series as the September release. He was the usual $20 at the site, and most folks should be receiving him any day.

Packaging - ***
Same stuff, different figure. Only it's the different figure that hurts this package a bit. The extra large head and open mouth end up partially hidden by the top logo. It's a weird look if you plan on displaying him MOC.

Sculpting - **1/2
I don't know if this one is really anyone's fault - this is just a stupid character. In the past, Mattel and the Four Horsemen have managed to take guys that look like bumblebees and guys that look like crabs and make them cool. But for me, this one is just a character design that no one could save.

I'll give them this - it's an improvement on the old toy. Thankfully, they didn't try to reproduce the sucking mouth look, but even without it, the head looks like something from a bad 1950's Japanese monster movie. It's made from a hollow rubbery material as well, which means the jaw is pliable, but it also means that the head only turns side to side, no tilt action here at all.

There's plenty more for me to dislike - the teeth are goofy huge, there's a weird mold line across the top lip, and the head just looks and feels cheap. We're into dog chew territory with this one.

The body sports a new torso, which is wider than the norm. This was supposed to add bulk to the figure, but they made it shallower as well, negating the effects of the other change. It also feels hollow and cheap, and in fact, all the body parts seem to be made from a harder, more brittle feeling plastic.

I hate the look of the hard cup hands and feet too. He looks like he has plates in his hands and feet, which makes no sense. Yea, I know this is a failing of the original character design, but it all ends up relegating this guy to the very back of the shelf.

Of course, the suction cup hands and feet aren't actually suction cups, but I will say that they allow him to remain standing in just about any situation.

Paint - **1/2
A big part of the problem here is the soft rubber head - it doesn't hold paint as well, and the cut lines end up sloppy and clumpy. This is particularly true for the teeth and lips.

The work on the body is average, with some slop around the Evil Horde symbols. There's not a perfect match between the greens of the torso, limbs and head either, although it's not quite as bad as it could have been since the transitions are pretty well hidden.

Articulation - ***
The usual joints are here - ball shoulders and hips, pin elbows, knees and ankles, cut waist, cut calves, ab-crunch, and even the wrists can do some tilting this time around.

But the neck can only turn side to side, because of the cheesy hollow rubbery material. Without that ball neck, the articulation score takes a hit.

Add in the lack of a joint for the jaw - a huge mistake in my opinion - and the score drops some more. If I could close that mouth a bit and tilt the head forward...that would be a huge improvement.

Accessories - ***
He comes with two - a Horde issued crossbow, and a rubbery netting that has actual suction cups at all four corners.

The crossbow appears to be the same one we got way back with Hordak. It's repainted, with even less detail, and it's difficult to attach to his arm due to the huge hands. But you can get it to work with a little effort, and it's a reasonable add.

His better accessory is the netting. The cups actually work, and you can see in the final photo that I was able to hold He-man in place on a smooth surface with them. He held for quite awhile too, making the net a useful play accessory.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While I might find him about as ridiculous as they get, I have to admit that he's still a fun toy. Kids won't be frustrated trying to get him to stay standing, and the net accessory works well.

Value - *1/2
When it comes to value though, he's going to take a hit. The cheaper feeling material, along with the low number of new accessories, makes this one a tough sell at $20 plus shipping. This guy feels like something that's a $10 figure at the local store...and then I'd still feel I'd overpaid.

Things to Watch Out For -
No real issues once he's free of the package.

Overall - **1/2
For me at least, it turns out Leech is the Lord of Suck in more ways than one. Everything about this figure feels cheap - except the price. It's hard to tell in photos, but in hand the quality of the plastic seems to have dropped, and he just doesn't strike me as at the same level as the rest of the line.

For those with a real nostalgia for this guy, the result is likely to be a bit better. For me, the changes to the the head material and new torso weren't improvements, and the cups on the hands and feet just end up ruining any aesthetic appeal.

Hey, there's always October!

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

Where to Buy 
Obviously, you want to pick these figures up when they first hit Matty Collector on the 15th of each month. After that, your best bet is to search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
There's a ton of MOTUC reviews on the site - just about every figure. Hit the search page and use the search box, or hit the All Reviews page and search for MOTUC.

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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