MOTU FILMATION SET 4

Super7 seem to have put a lot more effort into developing their Filmation line than their Classics one. That's evident from the fact that they managed an extra wave and put out six figures this time rather than the usual four. Add in a couple of novelty figures, and it's clear where their focus has been. They have produced some nice Filmation toys while holding the licence; how does this set compare?

This isn't their best Filmation collection, but there are some figures of interest. I suppose it was inevitable that Prince Adam would appear, despite the earlier 'laughing' version. Stratos, Roboto and Modulok are MOTU standards and make sense here. Shadow Weaver is a popular character. The odd one out is Kittrina. I'd never heard of this one - rumour has it she appeared in a single episode. Let's take a look.

KITTRINA is just weird. Presumably she's meant to be some sort of feline-human hybrid, but that's not immediately obvious. Everything from the position of her ears (sprouting from almost the back of her head) to the sinister stare is peculiar. Is the hairstyle meant to be 60s schoolgirl? And surely the tail colour ought to match her hair? There's nothing about her that says Masters of the Universe. Decidedly odd.

STRATOS is recognisable and not a bad effort. It's hard not to draw comparisons with the versions we've seen in Classics. They weren't perfect but had enough detail to make him interesting. Filmation Stratos is okay but I can't build up much enthusiasm. Perhaps if they'd designed a detachable harness he would have looked better. He's probably pretty accurate to the cartoon.

ROBOTO is a fairly nice design but not as interesting as his Classics counterpart, or even the original MOTU figure. But the clear torso piece is cleverly designed and assembled with some mock cogs inside to represent Roboto's mechanical nature. I quite like him.

MODULOK has been done reasonably well. The neck piece is obviously rather chunky, but I'm not sure it would ever be possible to find a subtle way of shaping it. Of course, this figure isn't meant to be taken to bits and reassembled like his Classics version, but a second pair of hands was included (which are only marginally different). There are some other accessories (not photographed) which make no sense to me whatsoever. I couldn't tell you what they're meant to be, but they presumably make sense to cartoon fans. I like the figure though.

PRINCE ADAM is cartoon accurate. The head sculpt is actually a very good match to the illustrated version. Also included was a longer sword with a glow-in-the-dark lightning crackle for the iconic transformation pose. He also has a huge single-colour (grey) shield which is dull. Pretty good overall, but naturally I prefer Super7's minicomic Prince Adam.

SHADOW WEAVER is a fan favourite. I don't know anything about this character, but I did like Mattel's Classics toy when it came out. This Filmation interpretation is surprisingly good; she's my top pick for this wave. The arm pieces have partially restricted articulation but still seem to work quite well. The long dress is cartoon-plain but a masterstroke of sculpting - it looks like it's moving. There is an accessory (not photographed) which doesn't fit her hands in any way. Other than that, I'd say Shadow Weaver brings something to this set which none of the other figures achieve.