One year ago I committed to buy the largest, most expensive toy in my collection because Mattel needed a set # of preorders to move forward with the Castle Grayskull created for their Masters of the Universe Classics collection, and if I waited to get it on ebay I would have to pay a LOT more for it. I kept going back and forth, but as the deadline approached, I decided I could sell off parts of my overall toy collection and not be out any real, so I went for it. I won't go into how excited I've been to get this castle in the mail because I want to keep a shred of dignity. I'll just say that it didn't disappoint. Let's move along now.
Mattel did to Grayskull what it did to every figure in this phenomenal toy line. They took the original design and made it better...way better. They kept the ability to fold up the castle into a convenient carrying case, they kept the trap door, they kept the elevator, and they kept all the cool accessories from the original all while making everything more detailed, better sculpted, and better painted. On top of that, we got extra ledges built in for more action figure display space, 2 working hidden doors into the castle, a jawbridge that actually opens when He-Man sticks his sword in the hidden keyhole, a removable floor for the bottom floor, a built-in jail cell...they went all out. The pictures will say it better than I will, so here they are.
The artwork on the box is awesome! Preorder buyers got the opportunity to vote on which characters would be featured on the box artwork out of a list of over 100 characters. I chose some obscure ones, but of course, the most popular ones won out...and that's probably for the best.
Here's the history of Grayskull from the box, in case you were interested.
This Graykull features an extra base at the bottom. I like what it adds to the foundation and stability of the castle, but it also keeps the castle from opening up all the way, which is making me rethink my display. More on that later.
I love the detailed wooden accents on the outside and inside of the castle. You can see one of the hidden doors above.
Like I said, this castle has everything the old one had plus a whole lot more. The hole in the floor is so you can park the Wind Raider there if you want. I don't think I'll be doing that, but it's a cool option.
In the old castle (1984 version), this robot space guy and all the computers were just cardboard standups you could put in the background. Here they are fully sculpted, 3D pieces of the castle! The robot is even removable!
Like the original, this throne turns to release the trapdoor hidden under the rug beside it. It also includes a slit in the seat, so the Sorceress can sit down even though she has permanent tail feathers.
The floor really ads a nice feeling of space to the whole inside. And check out the extra 3rd floor! In the old castle there were just two small areas where figures could stand at the tops of the 2 towers. This is a very nice improvement.
That little wooden door opens up to reveal a holder for the mystic gem that comes with one of the figures...King Grayskull, I think. I don't have him. Might have to stick a marble in there or something.
Check out the woodgrain on those planks! Great job, Mattel!
More amazing detail on the ladder.
Above is the view from the 2nd hidden door. This one leads out to the ledge on the left side of the front of the castle. That ledge is a great idea, but unfortunately, it's not deep enough or level enough to stand a figure on it. Maybe with some sticky tack or something...
Look at their faces and body language. It's like Sorceress just fired He-Man. He's pissed off and she won't even look at him anymore! That's what you get for stealing post-it notes from the office, Adam!
Looks like Orko is watching Wall-E on their HD TV. Again, all that stuff was made of cardboard in the old castle.
The castle features a built-in jail cell with a working cell door. Looks like Beastman got busted for being intoxicated in public again. Time to grow up, Beastman.
This laser cannon is also a vast improvent over the old one. Unlike the the old one, these figures can actually grab the handles. Unfortunately only the male figures have hands large enough to do so though, and I chose Teela for this picture. Oh, well, you get the point. The gun swivels left, right, up and down.
Here you can see a size comparison with the 1984 castle. It was an amazing playset back in it's day, but the new castle is a vast improvement.
Above you can see my MotU Classics collection with the old castle in the display. To use my desk space best, I opened the castle up flat.
Unfortunately, the new castle's bases doesn't allow it to open up all the way, and the base doesn't appear to be removable. I could open it up and display the inside, but I just like the outside better, so it's staying folded up until I can figure out a better display area for this collection.
And, of course, Space Ghost like to show up in all of these posts...wait...what's that in his hand?!?
