MOTU FILMATION SET 1

It's quite apparent that the Super7 team has great enthusiasm for Filmation cartoon figures. Hordak, Man-at-Arms, Teela and Tri‑Klops are the first to appear in Super7's Filmation roster. It seems the company is keen to explore this aspect of the MOTU – hopefully not to the detriment of the Classics. These figures were sold under the Club Grayskull banner which Mattel introduced in their last year of managing the line. They are therefore compatible with Mattel's seven Filmation figures.

That's not to say that Filmation has only had eleven figures so far – that's not the case at all. But prior to the introduction of Club Grayskull all the characters which came from the cartoon episodes were given – to varying degrees of success – more intricate sculpting to conform with the Classics aesthetic. Few non-enthusiasts would challenge the introduction of the simpler Club Grayskull designs for the many cartoon fans; the concern is that the lines are being blurred between the two styles.

So how well has Super7 done with its first wave of Filmation figures? Well, I'd say the good outweighs the bad. The company has encountered some production issues which, after the Power-Con figures, probably should have been fixed through a more robust quality checking process. But, it has to be said, most of these figures are pretty good. Some fans wanted them to be exact replicas of their cartoon illustrations. I'm not sure that's even possible. I'm not looking at these figures from that perspective.

HORDAK is quite a good likeness of his illustrated form. In order to accommodate the breastplate a non-articulated torso was moulded, and it's slightly uneven. (It positions one shoulder higher than the other.) I'm still no wiser about how the Four Horsemen regularly create unsymmetrical torsos for this line. The arm cannon can, theoretically, replace either normal arm, but I'm wary about trying it. The accessories are two forms of the Imp companion. The head sculpt is the strongest aspect of this figure.

MAN-AT-ARMS is instantly recognisable from his Filmation incarnation. Yes, that vile Freddie Mercury moustache has come back to haunt us in 2018. But, putting that bugbear aside, I have to say that the simplicity of the figure's design works very well. The club, though, is a bit too plain. The gun – if that's what it's meant to be – is equally uninspiring. The yellow thing is supposed to be a laser blast. It just about fits into his armour by the wrist. He's quite a likeable figure, on balance, and an honest representation of his Filmation self.

TEELA is the most disappointing figure of the set. Not only does she not look the way she did in the cartoon, she's also badly designed and poorly assembled. Articulation has been added at the bust for no good reason. The pins which attach her legs are too long, making her hips stick out. But even if that had been fixed, the buttock design is rather tasteless and too prominent. The skin colour is far too pale and looks like porcelain. The sword grip is too big for her hands, and the shield doesn't attach firmly. I'm not impressed.

TRI‑KLOPS has courted some controversy. The prototype design was given a much darker green armour piece, not unlike the Classics release in the early days of the line. The colour was altered to a much lighter green for the production figure. Some Filmation fans have expressed their disappointment at the change. I think the lighter colour actually works quite well. What doesn't work is the visor. I'm not going to bother trying to loosen it so it can rotate. The blaster accessory is a waste of plastic, but I rather like the sword. I think Tri‑Klops is the best of the set.