After first discovering that this figure was going to be a basic repaint of the previously released Teela, I was pretty hesitant to buy her, and yet I took the plunge anyway. In some odd way she's become quite the charming companion and I can't seem to keep from sneaking her into various comics, something I never expected. I'm clearly enjoying the toy, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's a great one. Read on to see what I mean.

Name: The Goddess
Line: Masters of the Universe Classics
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: December 2009
Price: Online: $20.00+
Scale: 6.00 in.+
Accessories: Staff, shield, He-Man shield, He-Man harness, and He-Man axe
Sponsor Listings: Ka-Razy Kings of Toys-$27.89(sale price), Past Generation Toys-$44.95

     The Goddess is a total repaint of Teela, so don't expect much new tooling here. The only thing in the package we haven't seen before is the Goddess' staff, which is definitely a nice addition that looks more dangerous (i.e., pointy) than most staves we've seen in the line so far. This body, though it may not be unique, does actually suit the Goddess rather well, and she's an attractive, proportionate, and intricately detailed figure. The sculpting is smooth where it needs to be and sharp in the details as one has come to expect from the Four Horsemen sculpting team. The snake headdress and shield look particularly fantastic, while the lopsided torso (it's attached at an odd angle like Teela's) looks weird from the back. He-Man's equipment is nothing new and it all looks as okay as it always has. 

Sculpt Score: 8 / 10

 

     The Goddess' gimmick is that she's cast in a translucent green plastic to make her appear more mystical and such. It's a decent effect that does help her stand out from her peers a little. The color scheme of her skin carries over into her costume as well, made up of a darker green, blues, and trimmed in gold. The colors are separated nicely in most spots, but the gold is pretty weak when it comes to coverage on the torso. Spots of green are showing through all over the place, a rather amateur looking effort even if it is hidden beneath her snake collar. Other applications are much better off, such as the nice green wash worked into her boots or the black wash added to her headdress. This all serves to bring out the sculpting quality and does the job well. The Goddess' face is a little bit smudged from something, but her eyes still turned out crisp and clear. The accessories are all painted splendidly with crisp lines and great color pallettes.

Paint Score: 7 / 10

 

    The first thing I noticed about this figure was the improved tightness in her shoulders compared to Teela. This makes her much easier to pose with weapons and in action stances, a pretty important element and welcome adjustment for me. Another thing this articulation model gets right is the hidden hip points that still manage to fit in three joints with decent range. Her skirt is a little limiting to the hips, but not so restrictive as to be frustrating. Her waist joint on the other hand is totally lost under the skirt, and although she can technically swivel at the waist, it's practically impossible to do so. The neck is also loose (this is a run-wide issue, so yours will be too most likely), and although it's a pain to fiddle with sometimes, with any ounce of patience you can get her to take the pose you want because the range on the joint is good. None of her joints are frozen, broken, or loose, and even though she's missing an ab crunch, the addition of formal rocker ankles make this a highly entertaining and workable set of articulation.

Articulation Score: 9 / 10

     This isn't a character that's going to carry a lot of nostalgia around with her, and that in conjunction with her status as a straight repaint resulted in many collectors passing on her. Without new tooling or a real attachment to the character to support her, there isn't much spicing things up to make her more enjoyable. The fun all comes down to the figure itself, and although she has a solid articulation model and includes a few action-worthy accessories, she's still not a ton of fun. The idea of handing down He-Man's armor (see photo below) is certainly a cool scene to pose, but in all reality, the extra He-Man gear seems kind of pointless. I could have done the very same thing with the gear he already came with. Plus, the Goddess doesn't even include the Power Sword, which seems like an important piece of equipment to leave out. I will say one thing about Goddess and the line in general, which is that these feel like toys. A lot of collector-orientented figures feel like statues that should never be touched, but Goddess comes across as a plaything that could be tossed around on the floor and enjoyed. That may not mean much to some people, but to me it's an important aspect of how much fun a toy is.

Fun Score: 7 / 10

     Masters of the Universe Classics figures always feel too expensive to me, and when a release includes only one single solitary piece of new tooling (as with the Goddess), then they feel way too expensive. Mattel is selling considerably more of these figures now than at first, and the molds being utilized here are seeing at least 3 releases, so costs should be much lower than before. And yet the price stays the same. Still yet, the cost is obviously not too absurd, because myself (along with many others) are still buying them up each and every month. Some improvements that would make me feel a lot better about laying down nearly $30 for a 6 inch figure? Better paint applications, more accessories/alternate heads, figure stands, and a new mini-comic with each figure. Goddess has a lot of accessories, but that's all that is keeping her afloat here. 

Value Score: 5 / 10

 

 73 / 100 - This is a Good Toy

Despite being nearly identical, the Goddess is a better toy than Teela, primarily thanks to improvements in quality control (my Teela had a few problems). That doesn't mean she's a fantastic figure, and I'd say she should remain solely in the minds and hands of only the biggest Masters of the Universe Fans. If you're just picking and choosing which releases you buy, I think the Goddess is an easy pass unless you're just mad for green women (we all want to be Kirk, don't worry). 

-The Articulated One

This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment on this review for a chance to win!

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