He-Man Week: Reviewing Mattel’s He-Man “Kid Core” Figure

The Comicon.com team is full of guys in their early to mid-forties. That means that the anticipation for Masters of the Universe is pretty damn high. A big part of that is the ability for us to finally get our kids into the toys we loved ourselves.

Now, Masters of the Universe is Mattel’s biggest multimedia release since Barbie a few years ago. Naturally though, the tones are very different between the two. With Masters though, Mattel is using the movie as an opportunity to launch several new He-Man-centered product lines, as well as testing the waters for some other upcoming lines as well.

The much-beloved MOTU Origins line will be continuing, but at  least partially in the place of the collectors’ Masterverse line comes Chronicles (which we’ll be looking at soon). But hand in hand with the Chronicles launch is the new Kids Core figures.

Now these figures are exactly what they say in the description. This is a cheaper, simpler figure, with minimal accessories and relatively basic packaging (on a card back, rather than in a box). The price point at current big box and fan channel retailers is between $11 and $15 (USD). And legitimately, I was thrilled to find it at a local Target.

If you’ve been reading my toy reviews, you know that I judge by three categories — design, posing and accessories. I’m not going to factor in that last factor this time. This is a simpler, stripped down figure for kids (and frankly, adults with a smaller budget). That means no alternate hands, no alternate head, and only a single accessory — the Power Sword. And frankly, that’s okay in this case, though a shield, blaster or axe would be nice with this figure (whether that’s movie accurate or not).

Now right away, there’s two things that stood out about the design here. Despite being a “budget” figure, this figure captures the likeness of Nicholas Galitzine extremely well. It’s clearly based on the actor without being lavishly photoreal. That’s great. Secondly, you can see in the body mold the basis for both the upcoming DC Comics and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lines that Mattel will be releasing over the next two years (the first wave of the former just hitting stores this week).

It’s a great mold. It’s not overly muscled like the original He-Man toys (or Origins). It’s superheroic, but not ridiculous. It will be perfect as the basis of more He-Man, Justice League or Turtles toys. It is also made from a harder plastic than Mattel’s collector focused line — though I’m not sure if that’s to maintain a budget or to make them sturdier for kid-centered play.

The posing is where this guy really surprised me. Now, I did not expect a figure like the classic line’s 6 points of articulation (with an action punch feature that would inevitably lose its spring) nor did I expect something like the Origins or Chronicles figures. I was happily surprised to find that it was closer to the latter though. Outside of missing an ankle joint, this figure was so much fun in hand.

It hit a variety of great poses, with only the lack of ankle joint and a slightly limited neck joint holding it back. It moved smoothly, it presented well. Legitimately, it was incredibly fun. Because of the lack of ankle joint, a stand would have been nice to have, allowing it to stand on its own in more poses, but for the most part, it was truly great.

This figure isn’t just a fun grab for the He-Man fan getting ready for Masters of the Universe this weekend. This is a glimpse into the future for three beloved toy lines, and Mattel’s competitors need to take notice.

The Masters of the Universe Kids Core line is available now at all major retailers that sell toys.