16bit.com Figure of the Day Review: Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Mouse-Jaw Action Figure

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Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Mouse-Jaw Action Figure Mattel, 2024

Day #2,677: January 25, 2024

Mouse-Jaw Evil & Armed with M.O.U.S.E.R. Masters of the Universe Origins Deluxe Action Figure 1 of 4 Item No.: Asst. HVJ62 No. HVJ63 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Mouser, 3 Metal-Boto hands, Metal-Boto arm, and wrist adapter Action Feature: Opening jaw, plug Metal-Boto's tools or the M.O.U.S.E.R. in his arm cannon Retail: $24.99 Availability: January 2024 Other: Target Exclusive
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I had no intention of collecting Masters of the Universe Origins. It's a great line, but I skipped it because I have a whole slate of Masters of the Universe Classics - but then Turtles of Grayskull popped up, and I found a cheap Skeletor at Ross, and then I saw a Mouse-Jaw and just sort of threw up my arms, and grabbed the clearance Point Dread playset on the endcap too. Since Origns figures seem made to pop apart, their brilliance in a build-a-figure program will probably result in a lot of people buying stuff that's not their favorite to complete the Metalhead/Roboto hybrid, Metal-Boto.

This is not a serious toy. But when it comes to these brands, I am not a serious collector. Turtles of Grayskull is a weird idea - He-Man's reign in toys ended around 1987, and the Turtles came up in 1988. They're fundamentally similar things, with the green teens lacking action features for most early figures and having the benefit of being existing comics. But I do not think new waves of either line ever crossed over on shelves, He-Man was exiting before Turtles came out and it took a while for them to really catch on in a big way. For those keeping track, Hasbro did a crossover TMNT x Power Rangers line a few years ago, and you may have seem them at Burlington late last year. I assume more crossovers are likely as this generation of kids doesn't have a lot of collecting years left.

This is the second figure in the line I've handled, so I'm late to the game. $25 seems pricey, but you do get a build-a-figure piece and a sidekick M.O.U.S.E.R.

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As there are already multiple Trap Jaw figures, it's notable that each one is built a little different. The left arm has the same bracelet as the mini-comic version, the thighs seem the same as the standard "toy" version, but the feet seem new, the head and armored parts are new, the mouser is new, and it's not hard to want something like this. Sculpting is seemingly consistent with most of the other figures thanks to the shared parts, with a bit more detail on the new shoulder armor and robot arm. You can see a lot of Baxter Stockman's engineering at work, with a jaw-like shoulder and orange highlights.

One of the character's signature features is a ring on his helmet, which early toy commercials showed him sliding down some string. It's a silly thing, but it's a real play feature - this new one replaces it with a decorative orange light. If there weren't plenty of play features here, I'd probably be complaining - many toy lines removed play features and just say "here's some articulation, now buy it." Mattel taketh away the helmet loop, but now we've got a robot sidekick you can take apart and use as a blaster, or hang in parts on his belt. It's very silly, but it's the kind of thing a kid might enjoy doing - customization is fun and it's where a lot of people get started in the toy business. It's encouraging.

He has no real problems standing on his own - you'll need to find his center of gravity once he connects to the robot buddy. He also sits well in the Talon Fighter, which is the only Origins vehicle I had handy thanks to ultra mega-clearance.

The Mouser itself is way better than I would expect for a sidekick toy. Back in the 1980s, Playmates' sidekick figures were unpainted slug figures. This is a fully-realized figure with more articulation than I'm used to seeing on the robot! He has ankle tilts, which was a real stunner. There's a telescoping gray neck, opening jaws, and of course rotating hips. It's better than it has any right to be, and the fact it works as an accessory is icing on the cake. You can cram the energy blast in his mouth or on Trap Jaw's blaster, or where the Sun don't shine if you like.

But wait, there's more! You get 25% of Metal-Boto, a mash-up of Roboto and Metalhead. In this case, you get Robot's three weapons in a blue gray, and you get a robot arm that has three fingers and dongle which serves as an adapter to swap the robot turtle hand for the included accessories.. which you can also use with Trap Jaw. You can rip out his whole arm and swap it, or just plug in the axe, claw, or blaster on the tip. It's rare that a build-a-figure piece serves a play function without buying the other toys, but Mattel did a nice job pulling it off. I love that it adds value without dictating an additional purchase to enjoy it.

Being new to the line, I'd say you get your money's worth here. A deluxe Skeletor has a couple of accessories an an alternate head for $20-$22. For $25 you don't get a second head, but you did get a sidekick and 25% of another figure, if you choose to build it out. I assume this figure will attract new customers to the line, and I have to give Mattel points for continuing to try out licenses in this line. I don't know if I will have a big appetite for too many more $25 (or higher) figures, but I haven't seen anything yet from the exclusives that I wouldn't pay $25 to get. Sla'ker, the Faker/Slash doesn't look too wacky, but Krang - who used Megator for his new body - is bananas, and the clear green Mutated Moss Man looks like mana from designer toy heaven. You got me again, Mattel, I may not have the budget to go back and complete Origins but I'm certainly going to pick up anything cool on the sales rack and a bunch of these guys as I can find them.

--Adam Pawlus

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