{"id":8834,"date":"2010-08-18T17:13:29","date_gmt":"2010-08-18T22:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=8834"},"modified":"2010-08-24T03:29:30","modified_gmt":"2010-08-24T08:29:30","slug":"motuclassics-com-whiplash-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=8834","title":{"rendered":"MOTUClassics.Com:
Whiplash Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>I would’ve never pegged Whiplash as the figure to trigger an uproar, but given his name, perhaps it’s appropriate. The controversy, at least this week, is a bigger story than the figure itself, but will he really be the last classics figure with a MO2Kesque head? After having him in-hand, I hope not.<\/p>\n

If you’ve been busy this week, you might not have heard that Whiplash’s alternate MO2K* head was determined to be “200x for 200x’s sake”<\/a> by Mattel management and, for now, Whiplash will be the last figure to get an alternate<\/em> MO2K-inspired head – though MO2K-inspired heads can still come on MO2K-inspired figures. Makes sense doesn’t it?<\/p>\n

* – While I do like Poe Ghostal’s<\/a> use of the word Millenium<\/strong> because he doesn’t like the term 200x<\/strong> (I don’t either), I’ve never really been able to get behind it. I think it’s a great descriptor, but it’s longer to type 200x so it doesn’t work for me. Yesterday, I was reminded of another term from back in the day, that was used by Poe as well, that does works for me: MO2K (MOTU + 2K). It may not work for everyone, but I’m tired of typing 200x, so going forward at IAT, it’s MO2K<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Anyway, before I get into the meat of the review, I want to say that I love all eras of MOTU. All of ’em. My NA DVDs sit proudly next to my POP DVDs. My vintage Sy-Klone figure hangs out next to my MO2K Sy-Klone. I’m happy to let others play favorites and dis others, but I want Classics as inclusive as possible. I bought two Whiplash figures so that I could display him both ways and celebrate two great eras of MOTU. I\u2019d like to be able to do with more figures in the future.<\/p>\n

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Above, we have the standard version of Whiplash and he’s surprisingly, minus the loincloth\/crotch, an all-new sculpt. I knew most of him would have to be new, but having him in-hand really hits that point home. His armor is not removable in the traditional sense, but if you do remove it, Whiplash has an entirely scaly torso underneath. I can see getting plenty of reuse on some of the other baddies and I love the scales on the shoulders, in particular. I never liked the smooth arms of the vintage figure when compared to his chest and I think it\u2019s these little details that help bring the overall look together.<\/p>\n

Whiplash’s forearms and legs are also new to him, though most of this figure will see re-use as Buzz-Off. I really love his boots too. They are boots right? There’s this weird ambiguity about MOTU feet. This is particularly an issue with Whiplash as the overall design could be construe them as his feet, but their color matches only his loincloth. And if we construe them as boots with painted ‘toenails’, what do his feet look like under there? His hands are normal, so does Whiplash secretly have normal feet? Ah, the mysteries of Masters of the Universe…<\/p>\n

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Of course, his main feature is his trademark tail. It’s a separate piece that clips on to the armor (to better accommodate parts reuse, Buzz-Off’s wings will attach similarly). It’s a bit weird this way, along with the front armor, because it makes Whiplash feel like he’s in a dude in a crocodile shell, but it works. The tail itself is a hefty chunk of plastic. It’s a snug fit for his back It can disconnect from the bottom peg for deep poses, but stays in place pretty well. The detail is on it is pretty cool too. I imagine I’m going to pose one of my Whiplash figures looking over his shoulder while facing the back of the shelf. It looks that good. It features one articulation point, a swivel about mid-thigh. I do wish it had a bit more articulation, but the one joint allows for plenty of poses – some of which are simply about moving the tail to one side so that it’s out of the way. <\/p>\n

I have to admit that the ‘eyebrows’ always threw me a bit on the vintage figure, but the 4H have translated them well on this design. The head has a rock star vibe to it because of the eye details, but that’s why I like it. In the early shots, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy this head, but in-hand, it’s got a lot of emotion to it. He looks a bit mischievous really. Like he knows something you don’t, which, considering Whiplash, is hilarious. Plus, this guy is definitely a bruiser and I can’t wait to get a Fisto to stage some epic fights.<\/p>\n

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Ah, the MO2K head. The source of all the controversy surrounding Whiplash. I’d heard from a few heads that this head was too big or an odd fit, it’s not. In person, the head is the right scale and fits in seamlessly. I also don’t think it’s “too MO2K”. If you’re not a fan of MO2K, you probably think I’m crazy for saying that, but the truth is that the actual MO2K Whiplash sculpt had a lot more detailing around the eyes, including more realistic pupils, finer teeth, and a lot of little dimples and bumps that have been removed for this “classicized” version. Since being a MO2K fan is part of my MOTU fandom, I appreciate those details on that MO2K figure and I see their absence, but certainly don\u2019t mind it, in Classics. This head toed the ambiguous line that Mattel has set forth and I’m disappointed that they don’t see it that way. The level of detail is high, but it’s consistent with the other head and the rest of the body.<\/p>\n

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Despite the new tooling, the articulation is standard for the line plus the swivel point on the tail. The torso armor restricts the biceps a bit, but that’s nothing new. And the ankles are wonderfully tight on this new sculpt, even though his tail would provide plenty of balance if they weren\u2019t. Continue to Page 2 for Accessories & Paint…<\/a><\/p>\n

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As I’ve said many times, we get one big batch of MOTU figures because we all subscribed together. We save a ton on shipping, but paint issues can cause a bit of consternation because someone has to end up with bad ones should there be any (and there usually is at least one). On Whiplash, most of the paintwork is solid. The belt is a little sloppy, but not so bad that I really care. The fading from dark to light is handled particularly well and makes the stark transition from his torso to his head more believable. The top of the arms could have used similarly detailing, but with the ball articulation, it probably wouldn’t have turned out all that well.<\/p>\n

The heads were a different story. Luckily, I ended up with two usable heads, but the two heads I’m not using came with messed up eyes and extra slop. This isn’t a big deal for me, I bought two and I came out a head, but again, the paint work on these figures needs to better overall. Adult collectibles indeed.<\/p>\n

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Whiplash included two accessories. The classic spear, already repainted gold for Randor in an upcoming weapon’s pak, is a simple piece, but it works. It fits only in the right hand, but the left hand is sculpted with a wide grip to accommodate the MO2K weapon, but it works great with the spear as Whiplash can be posed to be gripping the wider middle section of the spear. It’s not a perfect fit, but it works.<\/p>\n

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On my two Whiplash figures, though, that grip doesn’t come in as handy with the MO2K weapon. It’s a close fit, but I had to push in the hand and cool it a bit to get a good grip on it for these pictures. Now, I have to admit that way back in the far-flung time of MO2K, I didn’t really get this weapon. It’s an inspired design, but it just didn’t speak to me. This version does, but ironically, it’s still mostly the same weapon. Sure, details like the strange symbols, the cracks, and the circuitry were removed, but the weapon is true to its origin. Vault would probably tell you that I like it because the main body is orange instead of copper. I do love orange….<\/p>\n

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Overall, Whiplash wasn’t one of my faves as a kid. I had him and he was okay, but the stark difference between the greens was always odd to me. I find myself liking him much more as a Classic than I ever did in any previous incarnation. I love the new legs and arms and after seeing pics at the Org<\/a> of a bare-chested Whiplash, I’m impressed by the overall level of detail. The paint work could be better, I was only spared disappointment because I bought two.<\/p>\n

Finally, I’m glad that he got his MO2K bits included. Hopefully, there’s been enough noise to let folks at Mattel know that we want more like this. A great update to the vintage figure with the right mix of MO2K elements.<\/p>\n

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For more MOTU reviews, check out our MOTU Classics Collector’s Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would’ve never pegged Whiplash as the figure to traigger an uproar, but given his name, perhaps it’s appropriate. The controversy, at least this week, is a bigger story than the figure itself, but will he really be the last classics figure with a MO2Kesque head? After having him in hand, I hope not<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":8838,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[7,34,10],"tags":[20,29,579],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/whipTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-2iu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8661,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=8661","url_meta":{"origin":8834,"position":0},"title":"Truetorial: Mattel’s Meddling Middle Management","date":"August 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"You may have heard over the weekend that the 200x Whiplash head caused a bit of commotion in the Mattel offices and the 200x heads can no longer be included in the line. By itself, this might not be big news, but I think it's part of a larger issue.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30625,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=30625","url_meta":{"origin":8834,"position":1},"title":"Toy Fair Armchair Coverage: Masters of the Universe Classics!","date":"February 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Event Coverage"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19415,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=19415","url_meta":{"origin":8834,"position":2},"title":"Vault Review: MOTU Classics Stinkor","date":"July 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"We\u2019re playing the MOTU catch-up game this week in order to get through the box full of figures that Matty shipped us for June.\u00a0 So before we dig into those goodies, I need to get the last May figure out of the way: Stinkor! I never had Stinkor as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/stin9.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9455,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=9455","url_meta":{"origin":8834,"position":3},"title":"MOTUClassics.Com: Chief Carnivus Review","date":"September 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this year, Toy Guru said that he'd been waiting to get the September 2010 figure in the Classics line since day one. We guessed and guessed here at ItsAllTrue, but when the figure was revealed at WizardWorld Philly, none of us had chosen wisely. For September brought the lion\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30869,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=30869","url_meta":{"origin":8834,"position":4},"title":"Mattycollector Club 200X Updates & Additional Reveals","date":"March 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10635,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=10635","url_meta":{"origin":8834,"position":5},"title":"MOTUClassics.Com: Buzz-Off Review","date":"December 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I wasn't excited when Buzz-Off was revealed at SDCC. It was odd, because he was one of my favorite toys growing up. I loved his colors. I loved his wings (though I did lose one along the way). He was great. Classics Buzz-Off really brings back those memories, but, truthfully\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8834"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8834"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9005,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8834\/revisions\/9005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}