Since Masters of the Universe Classics is pushing eight years - which is remarkable - it's no surprise that they're making the classics even classic-er. Trap Jaw is back with a 2.0 edition, but what's really remarkable is how new he is. He-Man has his share of new parts, but Trap Jaw has even more - he shares the new bend-and-swivel wrist/forearm with Prince Adam's alter ego, but what really surprised me was just how few parts he shares with the previous Trap Jaw.
The first Trap Jaw was impressive. Not just by today's standards given inflation and piece count - when he debuted, the figure had two heads. And extra swappable hands. And removable armor. And an alternate right arm. A whole arm. The paint was amazing, with blue metallic rivets and a torn-off jaw under the metallic maw. I daresay it may be the highlight and value peak of the entire line. At first glance I just assumed the new Trap Jaw must be the same, but he's not - other than the lower waist and maybe part of the upper thighs, this figure doesn't seem to share a lot with his forebear.
The Filmation makeover really works on the head. It's a little thinner, with bigger eyebrows and surprisingly a less monstrous face. The area under the pink jaw is now black - there's no bloody guts or anything, it's just a shadow. While seemingly very similar to the original, the sculpting is entirely different with a new loop on the head, a different depth on the stripe, and I was surprised they didn't recycle the chest either. Trap Jaw has a new upper torso, with the black armor molded right to it. His big cybernetic arm has no joint in it other than the place to plug in a different tool, and it's also a totally new and unpainted sculpt. If that weren't enough, the thighs are new. The shins are new. The rocker boots are new, too. There isn't as much deco on this guy as the last one, but a little black shading on the arm and torso give it some life. It looks good - it's worth finding one just to lay eyes on it.
Accessories in this line are always interesting to watch, mostly because they've been cutting back. Filmation He-Man has a sword - and that's it, no shield and no axe. Trap Jaw loses his spare arm and original head, but you get some sizable weapons to plug in to the cyber stump. The default gun looks a lot like the original toy's accessory, and it's similar in its ornamentation. Little bits hang off in similar places, and it's generally pretty neat. A laser bow (sans arrows) is pretty spiffy, and a great little sci-fi extra. The real winner, though? A fly swatter arm. I doubt many toys in this line will ever be able to get away with a wacky accessory that fans love and appears on the show, but here it is - a pink fly swatter of your very own.
The original Trap Jaw was so good, anything else would be a step back. For the price in its day, it was incredible - this has less features but a pretty decent overall sculpt with mostly good deco. Trap Jaw's cheeks are a little red thanks to what appears to be not enough green paint coverage, but it still looks OK in the context of the figure. If you only get one Trap Jaw and just want something that looks great in a display, get this one. The other one has lots of parts and features, but as someone who loves it and has had it for years - most of the spare parts stay in a box, unused, and unloved. This one has a new boring flat belt, but the bright colors and cool fly swatter make it a keeper. Get it if you can!
--Adam Pawlus
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