Man-at-Arms: A well known Masters of the Universe (MOTU) character; lecture-giver to Orco; one third of He-Man's secret keepers; master of weapons; and winner of "best facial hair in Eternia" three years in a row. But is one I would file under "didn't look like the cartoon character so I got Leech instead". As Mattel soon realised, Duncan (to use his off duty name, and because it's quicker to write than Man-At-Arms) without his moustache isn't a proper Man-At-Arms- even though the toy, sans 'tache, was designed before the cartoon was ever in production. But it's my toy collection, so if I insist Duncan looks like a Tom Selleck dressed as a techno knight then I will. And now Super 7 has seen fit to correct that plastic error of old by releasing a proper, moustached Duncan as part of their vintage style line inspired by the old, Filmation cartoon of the 80s.
 |
| A little bit Jason King, but a fine 'tache, sir |
 |
| "Today we learned about double checking your paint colours" |
You don't even need to remove this figure from its packaging to see its strong point. Dare I say it, the sculptor at Super 7 did an even better job than on Skeletor from the same line. That face is absolutely Duncan from the Filmation cartoon. The strong jaw, the double chin, the heavy eyebrows, the slightly tired eyes, and, of course, the moustache. It's not 100% show accurate: the moustache is a little long at the sides and is painted too dark a brown. Also, the helmet is painted a light blue, like on the original toy, instead of gray of the cartoon model. But if I saw this toy back in the 80s, I would of snatched it off the peg in a heartbeat. So far this is the best headsculpt I've seen in this line, if not ever. I can almost hear him giving me a talk about making sure to look both ways before crossing the street. Which begs the question, why paint the helmet and belt in the same deco as the toy and not the animation model? Not that this inaccuracy ruins the overall look, but compare the colour to a clip of the Filmation show and you'll see the helmet and belt were more of a blue-ish grey, so it just stops short of being perfect.
 |
| Exact same fasteners as the vintage, but beware the stiffer plastic |
What has kept true to the Filmation aesthetic is the armour, which has less sculpted detail the toy version (obviously) but has been moulded and painted in a spot on, flat mustard yellow that looks right out of the cartoon. I would of liked some of the armour detail (especially on the arms) to of been sharper, but I can't complain really. It is, absolutely, the Man-At-Arms armour from the cartoon. Plus, as Filmation Skeletor showed, you can swap out the armour for the vintage should you wish to. However, this Super 7 armour is made from a less flexible plastic than the original, so take care when removing it. It also should be noted the lower legs are sculpted differently from the original- no furry trim at the top of his boots- so the vintage leg armour might not fit as well. The overall design is excellent but for one issue. The stubby, little feet! I had to double check some clips from the Filmation cartoon to check the character models weren't drawn with feet like squashed hot dog buns. I really wish they were a touch larger because Duncan's small footprint makes him tricky to stand. He's nowhere near as bad as She-Ra, but you will have to fiddle around with the legs until they're in just the right position for him to stand on his Liefeldian, feet.
 |
| But he does save money only having to buy childrens shoes |
Articulation is keeping with the rest of the Filmation line: like the original toy, except for the legs. The and both arms rotate a complete 360 degrees. The waist only moves from side to side as part of the power punch gimmick. The spring on my Duncan doesn't seem that tight, so the torso doesn't snap back very fast- which means he can hold his mace without the risk of it being flung off. The Super 7 ball and pivot hip joints are of the non-stuck variety, so, thankfully, there shouldn't be much trouble trying to get it to sit in vintage MOTU vehicles as the legs turn in the hip joint about two thirds of a complete rotation, and can spread out with his feet parallel to the shoulders. However, the joints don't have the same amount of give the old rubber bands did, so if Duncan wont sit inside Stridor, don't force him. Better to be safe than sorry. Also, maybe it's just on mine, maybe the legs have been inserted into the figure differently from other figures or it's a quirk if the sculpt but Duncan can only really stand with his feet close together, so he stands a little hunched over and can fall over quite often un til you get the legs in a position where both feet are on the ground and he isn't positioned top heavy. Yup, another one for a figure stand.
 |
| Or just stick his feet in some dirt? |
 |
| "You're not going to Snake Mountain dressed like that, young lady!" |
Duncan comes packed with two weapons: firstly is his trademark mace, which looks more like a Persian club, but without all the nodules and sculpted detail on previous maces. Unlike the other weapons that have come in this line, this mace is made of a softer plastic so there's some flex in the handle. That means while it looks warped alongside other weapons, it does fit nice and snug into Duncan's right hand (the only one made to hold anything), and is painted in the same dull mustard as his armour parts. Which is a fair trade off, and you barely notice the warping once the mace is in hand. Also included is the stasis ray. A laser gun (which appeared in two episodes) that freezes enemies in their tracks. It's well sculpted, and made in a flat gray (the kind I would of preferred Duncan's helmet to be coloured with) and holds fine in Duncan's right hand, even though it's supposed to be held with both hands. But then, MOTU was never known for its posability, so I can't really cite it as a major flaw. And last, but not least, is the always excellent art card. They don't really serve any purpose than being a great representation of the Filmation design of that character, which is no bad thing. Personally, I'm gonna stick them all behind a frame.
 |
| "Off duty, I use it to grind coffee beans" |
 |
| "Just wait until you're slightly to the right of me, Beastman!" |
 |
| Next to Super7 Skeletor |
 |
| With vintage Ram Man |
 |
| Sourceress said it was easy to find. I'll have to call an uber" |
 |
| size comparasson with funko pop Man-at-arms |
Despite a slight quibbles with one paint app, and the undersized feet, this is the Man-At-Arms figure I always wanted as a child. Dare I say it, this fulfils Super 7's concept better than the also excellent Skeletor. This is the how you do a retro line. Enough of the original to trigger that sense of nostalgia, yet is made in the way that pedantic little geek wants it made. With Mattel suddenly remembering they own MOTU, and making a new retail line, the future of the Filmation line seems up in the air, as no official word has been given on whether Super 7 still have a licence to make MOTU toys. I do hope this line gets to continue as the figures just get better and better with excellent sculpts and a price point I find tolerable. Come on, Mattell, let Super 7 make a Cringer!
Company: Super7
Price paid: £21.97
Bought from: Kapow Toys
Age: 14+
No comments:
Post a Comment