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Series: Masters of the Universe Masterverse - Movie
Year: 2023
Prelude: With a new Masters of the Universe movie on the horizon, it’s time to look back to 1987 and the original live-action He-Man, portrayed by Dolph Lundgren. Now whatever your opinion about the movie, there were few people back in the pre-CGI days who could realistically portray the physicality of He-Man and Dolph Lundgren was one of them. Now we have a figure of that version of He-Man. So let’s say “I have the Power!”
Review: I am uncertain whether Mattel actually has the permission of Dolph Lundgren to fashion an action figure in his image, but this one here certainly comes close. He-Man’s classic look was changed a bit for the live-action movie, so instead of the familiar grey chest harness and furry pants and boots we have dark leather and golden shoulder and shin pads. Movie He-Man also wears a red cape, which cartoon or comic He-Man never did to my recollection.
He-Man also comes with a different looking power sword, as well as a laser gun he can holster on his belt. I remember some people complaining that He-Man used guns more than his sword in the movie. Well, he certainly carries one here. He also has two knives as back-up weapons, which come with their own sheaths, too.
Articulation is pretty great, as you’d except from a Masterverse figure, and He-Man comes with two pairs of hands. We have a standard weapon-holding pair, as well as a closed left fist and an open right hand. Finally, apart from the very Lundgren-looking head the figure comes with out of the package, there is a secondary head that resembles He-Man’s familiar cartoon noggin. That secondary head looks really, really creepy on this body, though. Not sure why. Also, it doesn’t quite match the body’s skin tone.
So bottom line: this is He-Man as we saw him in the live-action movie. He has the look, the gear, the weapons, and can pull off all sorts of cool poses. No complaints apart from that terrifying second head.
Remarks: The 1987 Masters of the Universe movie was far from a commercial success and certainly not a cinematic masterpiece, but my nostalgia goggle are working, I loved Frank Langella as Skeletor, and while Dolph Lundgren wasn’t really given much to work with in the movie, he did a more than decent job in my opinion. And really, he and Arnold were probably the only 80s action stars who could have pulled off the He-Man look during that decade.
The Masterverse figure portraying live-action He-Man (or rather, the first live-action He-Man, as we have to call him now) also does a very decent job. It’s clearly the 1987 He-Man, looks a lot like Dolph Lundgren, and while the second head is the stuff of nightmares, everything else fits very nicely. So if you are in any way a fan of the 1987 movie or just need a counterpart to the excellent Langella Skeletor, this He-Man here is for you.
Rating: B
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