MOTU Classics Sorceress Video Review by Pixel Dan

[MrRoboto]

Hmm... Interesting. I do agree that the wings may have been executed a little better. Dislike the fact you can't pose her as much as i would like, but once she's on display she's not moving anywhere. On female figures, the paint app is extremely paramount - one only has to look at poor Marlena and BG Teela as examples so i really hope that Sorceress is better than those on hand...

[Dr Kain]

Check out the thighs and face specially - Far better.

Um, what is the difference? I don't see a difference in either.

Maybe in Classics, 200X Sorceress is the guise that she adopts when she goes off to battle. Perhaps 200X Sorceress is the fighting Sorceress.

There are three reasonings:

1. They make that version be Veena (or combine Veena and that version into one)
2. This is the Teela version
3. This is the Battleground version.

Either way, the 2002 version is the true Sorceress to me. She is supposed to represent Ra and that is exactly how the 2002 design looked thanks to the Egyptian designs.

[Barbecue17]

I didn't own the Sorceress as a kid, and in fact it was quite a few years before I ever even knew she existed (I didn't watch the Cartoon until the 200x series) I don't feel that I have the emotional/ nostalgic attachment to the character that many here seem to have but I think the figure looks really nice and, for the most part, will look fine standing on top of my 200x Castle Grayskull. She definitely fills an important role.

It unfortunately feels that the figure was sacrificed to make way for an action feature. I think the way to go, not slighting any of the great designs that have been proposed, would have been to create the wings as a cape like piece or perhaps even two seperate cape like pieces: 1 outstretched and 1 neutral. Just switch out for whichever set of wings you want. With how many awesome winged figures have been released in modern action figure lines, it's unfortunate that the Sorceress didn't benefit from better design.

[Plasol]

Nice work Dan! sucks about the articulation problem caused by the wings disappointing, at least after years we have a new sorceress I like the face only wished the lips were closed on this sculpt I think its always difficult to sculpt a face with the mouth open if done wrong it can look bad but this ones ok.

[Pixel Dan]

Great review, Dan! Although I don't think smiling is out of character for the Sorceress. I certainly remember her smiling in Filmation.

You know, I think I default to 200X Sorceress when I think of the personality, for some reason. You're right though...Filmation Sorceress was definitely warmer than 200X Sorceress.

Also, Zoar's body is red here but with the orange and blue wings. Shouldn't the body be orange too? It looks like an error actually.

That may just be the video...the body is orange just like the wings in person. The armor piece is red. It probably just came off strange in the video under my lighting.

Great job, thanks Dan!!!

BTW... my 4 year old son always watches these reviews with me, and after seeing the Pixel Dan custom review he has now taken to pretending that he is Pixel Dan!

That is so awesome! Thanks for sharing!!

[Phil.Pastel]

Drums look terrible and are even visible from the front. Face doesn't look right, body and legs are out of proportion (60% legs, 30% upper torso, 10% pelvis)
Dragonfly wings are a disaster. Waste of time, they could have put out an articulated stridor and got it right.

[Pixel Dan]

Looks like we all have 2.0 to look forward to now.

Dan, can you tell us if the face is painted. Your vid shows that the head is cast in flesh-coloured plastic, but the face also looks to be painted. Previous females don't necessarily have painted faces if the head is cast in flesh-coloured plastic (BG Teela).

I'll check for you tonight and let you know! I'm not sure off the top of my head, and I'ms tuck at work right now.

*thumbs up* for the review, Dan. Can you tell me if the chest is a new hard plastic piece under the white bodice, or is it just the outfit over top of the BP She-Ra chest?

I totally meant to mention this in the video, and it slipped my mind. Sorry! The "blue shirt" part is sculpted to the torso. There is a sculpted color there. It is hard plastic. The white part is a separate piece glued over the torso.

It's probably already been suggested, but having watched this I can't help but look to Shadow
Weaver for a possible solution on the wings.
Why did they have to be solid hard plastic pieces? Couldn't they have been a thinner more rubbery "drape" type thing?
That could've attached at the shoulders and triceps pieces of the arms and really acted like a cape?

Wait until the Shadow Weaver review...I address just this!

[Southzen]

I don't know where I stand with the rest of the community. I thought it was cool when TG showed us the wings are articulated, but I misunderstood him by thinking the wings were attached to the torso. After seeing the video (another nice review btw), I find myself wishing she had ball jointed wings much like buzz off (they don't need to fold together for me). I continue to grow disappointed.

[Baena]

Wait until the Shadow Weaver review...I address just this!

(mimicking Eamon's irish accent and energy...) Aaaaaawwessssooooooommmmme!

[Pixel Dan]

Dan,

Can the wings be folded out as a whole piece so that they do not look like trays. For example, if her arms are down at her sides, can the wings be folded so that the whole piece is at a 90 degree angle to the arm? I hope my question makes sense.

Thanks again for a great review!

Let me make sure I understand...you want arms down at her side, and wings open in a 90 degree angle? I'll play around with the figure some more tonight and snap some photos!

[Alexx]

If we can all come up with better ways for the wings to have been done, then I think they were done wrong. I've never been a fan of action features; if I want a pose, I can do it myself. Kinda like with Ninja Force (G.I. Joe) in the 90's. Snake Eyes could previously do whatever you wanted! In Ninja Force: he could kick. No sideways kicks, of course. He did the kicking for you. Why? Why would I want something that does ONE thing when I could have something that does ALL things?

Same goes here. Fantastic "wings out" pose. Anything else she can do? Couple of things? Great. And we can ALL think of other toys that have done better, or ways that this could have been done to keep the articulation. Why was this chosen? Simply for the action? I can't imagine that they still think we just set these figures down with ALL of that articulation. I'm making use of the articulation! I take the figures down and repose them! I'm not buyin' a statue here, folks.

I don't feel that strongly about too many of the choices. Heck, my last major letdown was Keldor and his lack of an interesting weapon; it was obvious and he should have come with some dumbed-down versions of his 200X blades rather than yet another power sword. Same goes here: it was obvious. I don't know why they thought this would be a good idea. You think around this problem a bit and you get a BUNCH of ideas on how to do it. Why was this the BEST option? I don't get it.

[SCB]

I am floored that Terry, Scott, and whoever else knew about this thought this would go over well. It's a complete butchering of the figure, unless you collect MOC or never play with your figures.

[mekaneckpain]

Yeah so, when Scott said there would be no action features in this line I guess it was another lie. Those drums look ridiculous. No one asked for the wings to unfold "magically" like that.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

It's an okay figure. But since I really don't care about the heroes, I guess my point of view is a bit skewed...

[SCB]

Yeah so, when Scott said there would be no action features in this line I guess it was another lie. Those drums look ridiculous. No one asked for the wings to unfold "magically" like that.

It's not an action feature though. It's just tight articulation.

[scott metzger]

Holy Halibut!!! Those drums are HUGE!! I think they are bigger than the shoulders; I had no idea they'd screwed up the figure that badly.

I have to agree with the folks wondering how anyone thought those were a good idea. I'd much rather have had a pin on the back and posed the wings manually. Good thing I planned to have her in the classic pose facing front, but you'll still be able to see those honking drums easily enough.

Wow. Just....wow.

[DO4M]

At this rate I'm just going to pop the Sorceress head on BG Teela's body and say that someone stole her chicken dress... Until 200X Sorceress shows up...
BTW Dan, does the Sorceress Skintone Match BGTeela's or is it closer to Adora's?

[snakeeyes0217]

I totally meant to mention this in the video, and it slipped my mind. Sorry! The "blue shirt" part is sculpted to the torso. There is a sculpted color there. It is hard plastic. The white part is a separate piece glued over the torso.

My first thought with their wing solution was that they were trying to save on tooling costs; 2 biceps are cheaper to make than a new torso, but now that you say the torso is a new piece, this seems like it was just a huge mistake. I can understand wanting to have the wings move with the arms, but surely there are better solutions from the ones shown in other threads to flexible plastic attached at the wrists that would move with her like her wings did in the cartoon.

Between this, the other QC issues, and shipping delays, I'm beginning to think the problems that are arising may be due to Scott's time being stretched too thin which is not uncommon in the toy biz or in this economy in general.

[Stratos*Major]

Nooooo...I like the "Dan-imation" intro!!!!! That was SO good!
It was one of my favorite parts...the xelephone sound with the ding meant it was He-Man time....loved that as a kid!

I like her...

The drums are kinda lame...but I think in had it will be something that will easily be over looked.

I like the blue & orange wings MUCH better. All that orange would been too much...it looks broken up now...IMO!

Her face...isn't AS bad as I first thought...like why is she so happy!? She does look happier than any other figure...but I guess she should?

[SCB]

Really hoping customizers on here figure out a way to remedy this situation.

[Pixel Dan]

Nooooo...I like the "Dan-imation" intro!!!!! That was SO good!
It was one of my favorite parts...the xelephone sound with the ding meant it was He-Man time....loved that as a kid!

Don't worry...I accidentally used the wrong bumper at the front of this one. That's the bumper I use for most of my standard reviews. The Filmation inspired bumper will return on the next video.

[DisneyBoy]

It was interesting watching this review Dan, because I think you've consistently been so easy-going in your critiques of the figures. This was the first time I can remember you ever seeing something and going "No...no, this wasn't good", and it made me a little sad because your love for this line is so palpable.

But you're right, of course. The wings don't work. Initially, I thought they just looked silly with bit bolts on the shoulders and the plastic pieces, but then you started trying to pose her and I just shook my head a bit. Not to be a smarty pants, but Mattel really should have looked into a vinyl cape here or something along those lines...

At least her head looks good. That's the one thing the vintage figure never got right. The headdress was completely wrong back then.

Wait until the Shadow Weaver review...I address just this!

Gaaaaah - the waiting hurts, Dan! It hurts!

[gbagok]

You know, I think I default to 200X Sorceress when I think of the personality, for some reason. You're right though...Filmation Sorceress was definitely warmer than 200X Sorceress.

Yeah, ain't it the truth! 200x Sorceress was all business. I obviously prefer the Filmation characterization that seems to go right along with this design--though I'm still bummed this new figure can't strike many fighting poses so she could take on King Hiss in battle.

That may just be the video...the body is orange just like the wings in person. The armor piece is red. It probably just came off strange in the video under my lighting.

Oh good then, I was afraid she didn't look like the wings and body belonged together.

[Stratos*Major]

Don't worry...I accidentally used the wrong bumper at the front of this one. That's the bumper I use for most of my standard reviews. The Filmation inspired bumper will return on the next video.

SWEET!!! Look forward to it!!

[SCB]

I'm surprised they haven't horrible decisions like this before if their judgement is like this now. Have we gotten lucky?