Super7 vintage style filmation Shadow Weaver review

If you’ve been following this toy blog for the past few months, then you’ll be aware of my love/hate attitude towards the female characters in Super7's retro styled 5.5 inch Filmation figures. They (mostly) all look the part but god help me if I can get them to stand. Well fate has somehow intervened and my prayers to the plastic gods (or rather whiny emails to Super7) have been answered. We have here, what may very well be the zenith of the 5.5” Filmation females, if not the entire line. Hyperbole from a desperate man with not enough figure stands, or a genuine fix to a decades-long problem? That’s for you to decide, I’m too busy reviewing an action figure of Hordak's personal sorceress, Shadow Weaver but based upon her appearance in the classic, 80s She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon show. But this is slightly different from previous Filmation toys I’ve reviewed- instead of upgrading a vintage design, Super7 has designed her from scratch as she never had a toy back in the 80s. So let’s see if they’ve captured the spirit of the cartoon or not.

Super 7 vintage style Filmation Man-At-Arms review

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.

Super 7 vintage style Filmation She-Ra review

Seeing as I just got Hordak, it would be remiss not to get his daughter. So this is for young me- who was too afraid to ask for the original She-Ra toy, because he knew it would never get past mum and dad. Well forget them because when you grow up you can buy whatever toys you want.  Vintage style Filmation Hordak was a bit of a mixed bag for me.  A great idea that didn't quite live up to expectations. Will the leader of the great rebellion be an improvement?

Super 7 Vintage style Fimation Hordak review

Back in 1986(ish) I had to make a stand one Saturday morning in Woolworths. I wanted one of the new Masters of the Universe (MOTU) line, the evil Horde- Mantenna. But my dad had an issue with him, "That's one of the baddies from She-Ra. That's for girls". Do I give in and settle for a less interesting toy? Or do I stand my ground and double down on the rationale that the Horde figures come in the same "boxes" as the other He-man toys? With a combination of supreme logic and expert whining  I'd won him round, and Mantenna was mine. The first of several Horde members I would get as a child. I loved the Horde, they all had unique designs above your average henchman and cool play gimmicks (Grizzlor notwithstanding). I had nearly all of them, except one. Being a pedantic little geek, even at the age of six, I didn't want a Hordak figure because he didn't look like how he did in the cartoon show. Cartoon Hordak had a angular, robot-like face, blue skin and a laser gun arm. Toy Hordak had bad acne on his forehead, gray skin, and red bat thing that rested on his arm.  But 33 years later, Super 7 have corrected that mistake by remaking vintage Hordak in the cartoon design. Will he live up to six-year-old me's expectations?