Many action figure lines that hit the market are usually in conjunction with, or after the release of, a successful television series or blockbuster movie. Just off the top of my head I've seen toys of Captain Caveman from "The Flintstones," Captain Kirk from "Star Trek: The Original Series," and most recently Captain Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean." But in the 1980s, it was a common occurrence for the reverse to happen. Classic toy lines such as G.I. Joe, Transformers, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe became so popular that it wasn't long before they found a home on the Saturday morning cartoon line-up.
"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" was originally intended to be a line of figures based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's breakout film, "Conan the Barbarian," back in the spring of 1982. Due to the graphic violence and nudity in the picture, Mattel wisely opted to sever the "Conan" ties since youngsters would probably need therapy after seeing bloody beheadings and group palace orgies in a restricted movie. Instead, Mattel decided to make a few tweaks keeping the classic medieval fantasy aspect of "Dungeons & Dragons," and blending in some futuristic "Star Wars" elements to create a brand-new and exciting property.
Set in the fictional world of Eternia, "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" follows the adventures of young Prince Adam and his friends as they heroically defend the land from evil forces including a wicked sorcerer named Skeletor. To aid in his fight, Adam wields a mystical sword that transforms the teen into He-Man: the most powerful man in the universe. The transformation grants him enhanced strength, speed, and the ability to shazam-up his timid green tiger Cringer into the mighty Battle Cat. Adam's secret is only known by a select few, namely the Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, and a bumbling, comic-relief wizard known as Orko.
This DVD release from BCI Entertainment features the third animated series for the franchise that aired on Cartoon Network in 2002, and is a huge improvement over Filmation's original from the early 80s. The anime-style artwork is eye-catching and sometimes has a three-dimensional feel. I thought the mist and snowstorm effects were a nice touch, and the extravagant backgrounds for Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain are simply gorgeous. The writing is another step in the right direction, with interesting plot-driven storylines jam-packed with highly detailed action sequences.
Some parts of the show are still a bit cheesy, but purists prefer having some things stay true to the original. The way Prince Adam chants those famous words, "by the power of Grayskull..." is still present, as is He-Man's "I... have... the POWER!" Some of the sound effects have a familiar 80s ring to them, and we also have the transitional clips that connect one scene to another via a brief "He-Man" jingle.
This collection contains the final thirteen episodes of the series:
Disc One:
27) "The Last Stand." While Castle Grayskull is under assault by the allegiance of The Council of Evil and the Evil Warriors, Prince Adam is swallowed by the abyss. Orko shows up in the nick of time to help bearing a gift... but will it be enough?
28) "To Walk With Dragons." Once Skeletor learns that the Eternian Council has the power to control the fate of Eternia, he unleashes dragon-like serpintaurs to stop them. In order to battle the army, the Masters of the Universe turn to the Dragon Walkers for assistance.
29) "Out of the Past." After Teela becomes stranded in a village of small peaceful beings known as Pelleezeeans, she begins to piece together her destiny while unaware of the evil lurking in the midst.
30) "The Rise of the Snake Men - Part 1." The Masters reluctantly joins forces with Skeletor to a halt the resurgence of the Snake Men, but find themselves walking into a trap. This gives Kobra Khan and Rattlor the opportunity they were looking for to unleash King Hssss and his cohorts from the bowels of Snake Mountain!
31) "The Rise of the Snake Men - Part 2." Evil-Lyn forms an allegiance with King Hssss, who has poisoned the Sorceress. He-Man and Zodak must hurry to try and stop the Snake Men from gaining full control of Eternia before it's too late.
32) "The Price of Deceit." With Evil-Lyn's treacherous ways out in the open, she's forced to flee or suffer the wrath of Skeletor. The Faceless One seeks the help of the Masters to protect his daughter, and the Masters learn that an ancient evil is on the verge of being unleashed from the Forsaken Realm. This episode also concludes Skeletor's origin story.
33) "Of Machines and Men." Eternia suffers a massive power failure causing Queen Marlena's ship to crash at the Corridors of Lithos, while an alien named Sortech seeks out the help of He-Man to thwart an assault led by Skeletor. King Randor and Battle Cat venture off to search for Marlena, and He-Man might end up with a powerful reward for aiding the stranger.
Disc Two:
34) "Second Skin." King Hssss has returned and plans to get his slippery scales on the Serpent's Ring, an artifact with the power to transform the citizens of Eternia into snakes. He-Man, Roboto, and Orko form a fellowship in an effort to secure the ring and save the world.
Many action figure lines that hit the market are usually in conjunction with, or after the release of, a successful television series or blockbuster movie. Just off the top of my head I've seen toys of Captain Caveman from "The Flintstones," Captain Kirk from "Star Trek: The Original Series," and most recently Captain Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean." But in the 1980s, it was a common occurrence for the reverse to happen. Classic toy lines such as G.I. Joe, Transformers, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe became so popular that it wasn't long before they found a home on the Saturday morning cartoon line-up.
"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" was originally intended to be a line of figures based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's breakout film, "Conan the Barbarian," back in the spring of 1982. Due to the graphic violence and nudity in the picture, Mattel wisely opted to sever the "Conan" ties since youngsters would probably need therapy after seeing bloody beheadings and group palace orgies in a restricted movie. Instead, Mattel decided to make a few tweaks keeping the classic medieval fantasy aspect of "Dungeons & Dragons," and blending in some futuristic "Star Wars" elements to create a brand-new and exciting property.
Set in the fictional world of Eternia, "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" follows the adventures of young Prince Adam and his friends as they heroically defend the land from evil forces including a wicked sorcerer named Skeletor. To aid in his fight, Adam wields a mystical sword that transforms the teen into He-Man: the most powerful man in the universe. The transformation grants him enhanced strength, speed, and the ability to shazam-up his timid green tiger Cringer into the mighty Battle Cat. Adam's secret is only known by a select few, namely the Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, and a bumbling, comic-relief wizard known as Orko.
This DVD release from BCI Entertainment features the third animated series for the franchise that aired on Cartoon Network in 2002, and is a huge improvement over Filmation's original from the early 80s. The anime-style artwork is eye-catching and sometimes has a three-dimensional feel. I thought the mist and snowstorm effects were a nice touch, and the extravagant backgrounds for Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain are simply gorgeous. The writing is another step in the right direction, with interesting plot-driven storylines jam-packed with highly detailed action sequences.
Some parts of the show are still a bit cheesy, but purists prefer having some things stay true to the original. The way Prince Adam chants those famous words, "by the power of Grayskull..." is still present, as is He-Man's "I... have... the POWER!" Some of the sound effects have a familiar 80s ring to them, and we also have the transitional clips that connect one scene to another via a brief "He-Man" jingle.
This collection contains the final thirteen episodes of the series:
Disc One:
27) "The Last Stand." While Castle Grayskull is under assault by the allegiance of The Council of Evil and the Evil Warriors, Prince Adam is swallowed by the abyss. Orko shows up in the nick of time to help bearing a gift... but will it be enough?
28) "To Walk With Dragons." Once Skeletor learns that the Eternian Council has the power to control the fate of Eternia, he unleashes dragon-like serpintaurs to stop them. In order to battle the army, the Masters of the Universe turn to the Dragon Walkers for assistance.
29) "Out of the Past." After Teela becomes stranded in a village of small peaceful beings known as Pelleezeeans, she begins to piece together her destiny while unaware of the evil lurking in the midst.
30) "The Rise of the Snake Men - Part 1." The Masters reluctantly joins forces with Skeletor to a halt the resurgence of the Snake Men, but find themselves walking into a trap. This gives Kobra Khan and Rattlor the opportunity they were looking for to unleash King Hssss and his cohorts from the bowels of Snake Mountain!
31) "The Rise of the Snake Men - Part 2." Evil-Lyn forms an allegiance with King Hssss, who has poisoned the Sorceress. He-Man and Zodak must hurry to try and stop the Snake Men from gaining full control of Eternia before it's too late.
32) "The Price of Deceit." With Evil-Lyn's treacherous ways out in the open, she's forced to flee or suffer the wrath of Skeletor. The Faceless One seeks the help of the Masters to protect his daughter, and the Masters learn that an ancient evil is on the verge of being unleashed from the Forsaken Realm. This episode also concludes Skeletor's origin story.
33) "Of Machines and Men." Eternia suffers a massive power failure causing Queen Marlena's ship to crash at the Corridors of Lithos, while an alien named Sortech seeks out the help of He-Man to thwart an assault led by Skeletor. King Randor and Battle Cat venture off to search for Marlena, and He-Man might end up with a powerful reward for aiding the stranger.
Disc Two:
34) "Second Skin." King Hssss has returned and plans to get his slippery scales on the Serpent's Ring, an artifact with the power to transform the citizens of Eternia into snakes. He-Man, Roboto, and Orko form a fellowship in an effort to secure the ring and save the world.
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