Toy Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Prince Adam Sky Sled

The thinking behind the Masters of the Universe Origins line, currently exclusive to Walmart but soon to be available everywhere else, appears to be thus. Funko had some success making retro-figures in the vintage Masters of the Universe style, from horror icons to DC superheroes. At some point, Mattel executives had to notice, and realize they owned outright the toys being imitated. Hence Origins, which are essentially the original ’80s figures with more articulation. But while in the ’80s, the muscular sculpts looked to little kids like McFarlane-level detail compared to Star Wars figures, times change.

So Origins aren’t for everyone: adult collectors tend to prefer the more detailed Classics line, or Mondo’s $200+ 12-inchers. But for older fans who kept their vintage toys, these new ones are totally compatible. And for kids who play rough, they’re simple and durable. But can vehicles like the Sky Sled work for Classics too?

Time to find out. The Sky Sled makes for a good basic vehicle to start out for a new line, as it’s small enough not to price too high. It can also work as an “army builder” inspiring fans to buy multiples, especially with the allegiance-changing feature this one includes. Pop off the green side panels and griffin head to remove the good-guy features, and replace with red sides and a snake head to make it an evil Sky Sled.

But who can ride it? The design favors Origins figures with their vintage style and foot holes to attach to the pegs on the Sled’s pedals. However, vintage figures fit perfectly too, like Skeletor in these photos. Classics come just a touch larger, and can ride if they are allowed to sit down and wrap their legs around the vehicle, like Eldor here. The controls are pretty thick, so a figure like Eldor with painted hands shouldn’t be forced to hold them, but other classics with wider hands, perhaps.

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Whichever figure rides, the included, detachable stand can find a position to bear the weight. The vehicle’s other action feature (as such) is that the front cannon swivels side to side, and features removable blast effect.

Most of the earliest Masters of the Universe vehicles, frankly, were just amorphous blobs for figures to sit on, given all their personality by the included stickers. The Sky Sled’s sculpting is much more on a par with classics, giving the vehicle its character and design. The stickers on the side-panels and controls are pre-applied, so less hassle than vintage, though not as cool as the color printing on the classics version.

Prince Adam, however, misses a mark or two. The original vintage figure had an elastic waistband to hold the sword of power on his back. This one does not, thereby missing out on a key element of the character. The sword also has a much thicker handle than vintage, in keeping with the Sled’s wider grips. This feels unnecessary, and makes it more difficult to hold. Plus it’s pink — that’s a nod to the original figure, of course, but to be accurate to virtually any tie-in media it ought to be gray. Either that or make it pink in the tie-in media. The inconsistency used to drive some ’80s kids crazy.

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Walmart’s price hovers around $30, which is less than what the price of a Classics figure plus shipping used to be. For those who like the new Origins line, it’s a good deal. But even for folks who want to stick with Classics, it’s an affordable display piece. So long as one isn’t a purist about the characters sitting down or crouching.

What type of Masters of the Universe collector are you? Check out our full gallery below, and let us know in comments.

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