Review of Sir Laser-Lot
Masters of the Universe Classics action figure

Introduction

I'm certainly not a Masters of the Universe purist - I'm not even a fan of any version of the cartoon. For me, the figures are interesting on their own, without any real desire to connect these characters to any part of my childhood or through any sort of nostalgia.

So when Mattel came up with this concept of the 30th Anniversary figures, new characters that were not part of the true 'classics', it didn't effect my opinion one way or the other. That's not the case with many of the fans of the original show, and I can certainly understand.

This month's release is one of those 30th figures. He's Sir Laser-Lot, created by Geoff Johns. Johns is best known for his work with DC Comics, but I'm a fan because he's a fellow Michigan State University alumni. Hey, I'm easy that way.

His creation, Sir Laser-Lot, is the August Matty Collector release, running $22 at the site. He's still available right now, but not for long.

Packaging - ***1/2
Same stuff, different figure. It does mention Johns right on the front of the package, which is a cool touch. And that consistency in design is actually much appreciated by most MOCers. A series of carded figures look all the better when the packaging is consistent across them.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Okay, this might not be the design that's your favorite. But I love knights, and I'm actually pretty surprised that some form of knight wasn't in the original series. It seems like such an obvious concept.

Laser-Lot has most of the standard knight features - visor and helmet, big feather off the top, long cape, armored gauntlets and cleaves - all off the standard MOTUC body. The cape is rubber, not cloth, and does tend to pull him over backwards in some stances, but overall the design looks great.

There's a bit of a simplistic nature to the look, which makes sense considering the style of the original show.

The hands are sculpted to hold the included weapons, and he stands pretty well on his own, even with the heavy cape.

Paint - ***1/2
Paint work is  well done all around, with almost no slop and very clean lines. There's not a ton of small detail here, so it's not a paint job that's likely to stand out, but it's certainly above average.

There is a few minor slips on the silver edges, hard to see with the nekkid eye, but clear in the photos. Silver, along with yellow, is always a tough color, so I'm cutting them a little slack.

There's a very subtle wash on the arms and legs, which brings out the musculature pretty well without being overdone.

I really like the use of the translucent plastic on the feather and the sword. It adds some visual interest to the red that it really needs. A few more details would have bumped this guy up another half star (the armor just screams for a few more paint ops), but this is still a great overall job.

Articulation - ***
This is the standard body, but the cape does make some poses a bit more difficult. I like the ball jointed neck, but I found that posing the arms and legs wasn't quite smooth as usual.

Accessories - ***1/2
No extra head sculpt this time, but he does get a whopping three items, somewhat unusual for the series. There's his very cool sword - I love the translucent blade and the design of the hilt - as well as a dangerous looking mace. The red on the mace makes it a bit too gummy bear in appearance, taking away some of the danger, but it's definitely eye catching. 

Along with these two weapons, there's also an almost clear shield, which attaches to his forearm with a clip. There's also some cool sculpt details on the front, highlighted with paint.

Fun Factor - ****
The whole line is a lot of fun, and these are just plain great action figures. Throw a knight into the mix and you simply can't go wrong.

Value - **1/2
I'm still not thrilled with the $22 price point - and I'll be even less happy come January when the prices go up again - but I'm finally starting to get used to the idea.

Things to Watch Out For -
Zippo!

Overall - ***1/2
Some fans of the original cartoon will not like this figure simply because it wasn't part of that universe. For them, the line ended then, and anything produced now is only valid if it's a nod to that period. For me, any design that's cool and well executed is just as fine as frog's hair. Sir Laser-Lot might not be a real classic, and he might have a really silly name (and some truly goofy colors), but I still like the basic appearance. Add in a few more extras, like a moving visor and a few more paint details, and he'd be a stand out.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
This is one of those rare occasions where Matty Collector still has this guy in stock - but it's almost sold out. You can pick it up there for $22, or try these options:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Up last was Spikor, and prior to that:

- was the cool Griffin.

- other figures include Slushhead, the excellent Draego, Kobra Khan, Sorceress, Demo-man, Fearless Photog, Snout Spou, Wind Raider, the large Megator, the giant Tytus. Leech, Icarius, Clawful, the Faceless One, Catra, Sy-Klone, King Hssss, Vikor, Buzz Off, Grizzlor, Roboto, Gygor, Chief Carnivus, Whiplash, Orko, Count Marzo, She-Ra, Optikk, Evil-Lyn, Moss Man, Trap Jaw, Adora, Scare glow, Teela, Man-at-arms, Hordak, Zodac, Faker, Mer-man, Stratos, Webstor, Tri-klops, and starting out with He-man, Skeletor and Beastman together in one review.

- I also covered Battle Cat and Panthor, the big kitties.

- check out the cool MOTUC Display stands.

- I've also looked at more weapons recently.the cool custom swords and shields you can get from SpyMonkey Creations.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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