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Review of Mosquitor - Masters of the Universe Classics action figure

Mattel
Date Published:
Written By:
Overall Average Rating: 3 out of 4

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MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Introduction

The Sy-Fy channel (and yes, I hate that name) has struggled with made for television movies and original shows. Some have been very good, like Warehouse 13, but others are truly awful, like Mansquito. What does that have to do with tonight's review? When Mattel announced they were producing the classic Mosquitor action figure in the new MOTUC series, it was the first thing I thought of.
 
That's probably because I have little attachment to the original figure. He was a tail ender, and like most tail enders he's damn rare. He also didn't make it into any cartoon incarnation that I know of, which is a pity since he's got such a graphic way of attacking his opponents.

He's a robot insect, or insectoid, and he pierces the flesh of his enemy with his metal beak, drinking their blood to give him energy. The translucent chest shows the blood coursing through his body - how disgusting and cool is that!

This new version was the December MOTUC release at Matty Collector, where he went for the usual $22. He's sold out, so you'll need to hit the secondary market to pick him up.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Packaging - ***
Same stuff this month, which is very good for the MOCers. The only change - other than the basic personalization - is the Evil Horde sticker on the front.

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Sculpting - **1/2
This is one of those odd figures that I just can't quite connect with.

The freaky mechanical mosquito head looks like some sort of Buck Rogers spaceship. Even with the eyes, it lacks any sort of life, and seems part of a different design.

The armor looks good, with lots of detail and sharp lines, and I like that they figured out how to re-use the spider-like claws on the back for this character.

He stands the usual 7" tall, and the hands are sculpted to hold the blaster. Those hands are another big reason for the lower score, however.

The hands are a very rubbery material, and that includes the wrist posts. They were paint stuck one mine, and it felt like the posts were about ready to tear. I'm not loving these rubbery hands.

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Paint - ***
The paint is largely clean, with an interesting red, black and silver theme. Silver is a particularly tough color to keep consistent and even. They've done a solid job here, with smooth coverage.

My favorite aspect of the paint is the translucent chest with blood red color behind. It's easily the highlight of the overall design.

There's a few sloppy spots however, and some of the cut lines are less than stellar. It's B work overall.

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Articulation - ***
He has all the usual articulation - ball jointed neck, shoulders and hips, cut biceps and thighs, pin elbows, knees and ankles, cut waist, and cut wrists.

The neck works great, and regular readers know how much I like a great ball jointed neck with a terrific range of movement. There's no ab crunch, but the 'legs' on the back have a ball joint where they attach, which balances things out a bit. If all the joints worked the way they usually do, this score would have been higher.

Sadly, those rubbery hands are a problem here as well. The wrists are stuck tight, and it's very easy to tear the wrists. I still haven't managed to free them up, and I'm being very careful.

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Accessories - **1/2
There's only one - his large colorful blaster. It's a cool sculpt, and it fits well in either hand. But this line tends to have a nice assortment of extras with most figures, so getting just one seems a tad light.

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Fun Factor - ****
This particular design might not be my favorite, but I still think the overall line is one of the best on the market. Great articulation and fun designs make them the greatest toys kids will never play with.

Value - **1/2
The figures are still $22, and I've grown accustomed to the price tag. I do wish he had another accessory or two, but I can live with it.

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Things to Watch Out For -
The very soft hands are likely to be paint stuck at the wrists, and you can easily tear the posts if you're not careful.

Overall - ***
There's aspects of this figure that are really cool, including the background of the character. I love the blood red chest, and the sci-fi look of the suit and armor is very appealing.

I'm not loving the head though, and the single accessory and rubbery hands are disappointing. For me, this one is a paradox, but I'm betting fans of the old toys are going to be thrilled to have this rare figure re-produced in the new series.

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

MOTUC Mosquitor action figure by Mattel

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Where to Buy 
Your best bet was to pick this guy up at Matty Collector for $22, but he's currently sold out. Online options include these site sponsors:

- has him for a bit of a premium at $35.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -

Other MOTUC reviews include:

- most recent was the cool Castle Grayskullman.

- also check out Rattlor, Mekaneck, Sir Laser-Lot, and before that we had the cool Griffin, Slushhead, 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.

Discussion:
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MOTUC Mosquitor 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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