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Review of Grizzlor
Masters of the Universe Classics action figure

Mattel
Date Published:
Written By:
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Introduction

Who is Grizzlor? After having his mind wiped by the Horde Empire, he became an unwavering protector of the Evil Horde. Big, bad and hairy, his mere appearance caused the soiling of many a loincloth.

He is also the November Matty Collector Masters of the Universe Classics release. On the 15th at noon EST he went on sale, and a little while later he sold out, per usual. He lasted a bit longer than some, but you still need to be on the money to snag one.

If you missed out this month, don't forget to be on time on December 15th when Buzz Off joins the ranks. And if you missed out on Battle Cat, He-Man or Skeletor, hit Matty on Monday the 29th, when you'll get a second chance at all three.

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Packaging - ***1/2
It's the usual, so no real surprises here. Same great looking retro package, same logos, and plenty of personalization including Grizzlor's bio on the back.

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Sculpting - ***1/2
The head sculpt is very menacing, with a harsh expression that's not overdone or excessive. Once again, the Four Horsemen have done an exceptional job.

The Don King hair is glued tightly in place, but is very thick and can be manipulated into various styles. I'm reminded of Homer with his pig - "You have so many looks!".

The claw hands look great, as does the Evil Horde armor. There's lots of texturing and small detail work (I'm assuming the underlying fur textured limbs are the same as we've gotten with a couple previous beastly characters), and he can both hold the accessories great and stand on his own easily.

He's got some great bulk and size too, largely due to the fur coat and funky hair. It makes him even more intimidating.

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Paint - ***
With fur covering most of his body, there's not a lot of paint. Even the face is largely the color of the plastic, rather than paint.

The eyes look great though, as do the boots and symbols. There's a little slop around the fangs, but it's a fairly minor issue.

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Articulation - ***1/2
I bet you're not surprised to find that all the same articulation is present here that we've seen on past figures. The ball jointed neck is a little restricted, but it still has some tilt action.

The ball jointed shoulders, cut biceps, pin elbows and knees, cut waist, cut boot tops, pin ankles and cut wrists all work well. For a fairly standard action figure, these guys can take exceedingly natural poses. The base body is well engineered, and allows for tons of stable poses.

Accessories - ****
He doesn't come with the extra portrait, which hurts him a bit in this category when compared to others. But he comes with an arsenal that Rambo would be proud of.

There's a battle ax, large sword, small sword, and funky looking crossbow. All of these can be packed on his back in the removable harness. It's a tight squeeze to have them all there at once, but it's doable.

There's also a removable loincloth, which I preferred off when the harness was on. With both on, it seemed like there was a bit too much fur puffing out all over the place, so I went with one or the other. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Both the loincloth and harness can go on and come off pretty easily, and the posts pop into the holes quite a bit easier than I expected.

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Outfit - ***
Normally, there isn't an 'outfit' score with a MOTUC figure, but Grizzlor has a fur costume. 

I mentioned the fur on his head as part of the Sculpt, because it's glued on and is clearly his choice of hair style.

But the body fur is more of a coat...sort of. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt here, and that this isn't his actual fur. If it is, he clearly needs to learn that trimming the shrubbery can do a lot for the curb appeal.

It's a pretty thick coat, but if you pop off the breast plate/harness and put it back on, you can smoosh it down and straighten it up a bit. As I mentioned in the Accessories, I preferred not having both the loincloth and upper harness on at the same time, and in fact I liked him the best when he went 'Donald Duck', skipping the loincloth all together. With the loin cloth on, he looks like he desperately need a bikini wax. Without it, it looks more like he's wearing fur underwear.

I don't think the fur is removable, however. It doesn't seem glued in place as it can be moved around a bit, but it is sewn together, and I couldn't find any Velcro like seams.

Fun Factor - ****
The Masters of the Universe series remains one of the most fun action figure lines currently in production, although very few kids are ever going to get the chance to play with them. I truly wish that we'd see Mattel give their kid lines the same kind of articulation and accessories that we're seeing in MOTUC, DCUC and Ghostbusters.

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Value - **1/2
There's a fairly good number of accessories here, which helps make up a bit for the lack of a second head sculpt. The fur coat is also an extra cost, and they used very high quality material. Factoring in both of those attributes, I don't have too much trouble with the $20 price tag.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

MOTUC Grizzlor actcion figure by Mattel

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Overall - ***1/2
This guy wasn't particularly high on my list, simply because he looked goofy in the fur coat in all the photos I'd seen. He looks goofy in my photos too - it's just the nature of the outfit. But in person, there's something about him, something a bit undefinable. Maybe it's how much he reminds me of an 80's action figure...maybe it's the excellent head sculpt with wild hair...maybe it's just that he's unique compared to most of the rest of the line.

Whatever the case, in hand I found him to be bad ass and cute at the same time.

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

Where to Buy 
As you may recall, I warned you last month to grab this guy at Matty Collector. Now your best bet is to search ebay for a bargain.

Related Links -
I've covered lots of the MOTUC figures:

- last month is 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.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page for dozens of additional MOTUC figures I've already covered and in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

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MOTUC Grizzlor actcion 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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