Just Trucks: 1999 Chevrolet Silverado Dually (Wave 38)

Just Trucks: 1958 Chevrolet Apache Stepside (Wave 38)

Just Trucks: 1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne (Wave 37)

Just Trucks: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado (Wave 32)

Just Trucks: 1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne (Wave 16)

 

Just Trucks: 1999 Chevrolet Silverado Dually (Wave 16)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: He-Man

 

Have you ever purchased a new toy that you really weren't sure about, just because it was the only thing new on the pegs/shelves at the time? I'm pretty sure that is how this figure ended up in my hands! While I'm not the biggest MOTU fan, I do enjoy the franchise and I was excited to see a new iteration show up on Netflix as well as at retail. I knew this series wasn't aimed at me, but I like toys and this line got the better of my curiosity...so here we go!

The line launched in 2021 and while there were different scaled figures released, the core line was based on a 5.5 inch size figure. While the series takes a lot of cues from the classic Masters of the Universe mythos, most of the characters have been redesigned and feature a more "cartoony" look. He-Man for example has larger arms than legs, but somehow the design still works. 

He-Man is sporting a new look armor and more of his skin is covered up this time around, no more loin cloth. His chest and legs are covered in dark blue, a skin tight armor perhaps? There are silver armor bits on the upper body, a silver belt around the waist and a pair of silver boots. He-Man is also sporting some oversized wrist bracers. On his chest is a red logo which resembles the new power sword. There is a hole on the back of the armor that allows the power sword to be stowed. 

The figure has limited articulation - head, arms and legs basically. This alone will be a deal breaker for some, but it didn't bother me. Sometimes when you add in all the various joints, it breaks up the overall look and feel of the figure and with these being stylized as-is the limited articulation works fine in my book.

The new power sword itself is massive. Both the hilt and the blade are oversized, which to be honest fits with the whole design of the line. The sword hilt is cast in a gold plastic while the blade is silver with a good amount of detailing in the mold itself. Because of the way it attaches to the figure, there is a small 5mm peg on one side of the sword. This detracts from the overall look, even though it's a small detail.

Overall this series just isn't my cup of tea. I can appreciate a fresh take on the classic Masters of the Universe mythos, but this isn't aimed an old timer like myself. The best part of line was that it was affordable, with most figures priced at just $10 USD. Even in early 2024 I've still found toys from this series hanging around retail stores, albeit discount or close out stores. If you like this version of He-Man or the line as a whole, great...for me, I'll put my money towards the Origins line.

Machine Robo Unitroborn Unitrobo: Penguincamera

 

One of the smaller sets in the Unitroborn set features a 35mm camera and a penguin. Confused by the odd pairing? Don't be as this strange combination falls perfectly in line with this crazy, but fun series of Machine Robo toys.

This thing is tiny, measuring about 2 inches long. The camera is molded in black and gray plastic and features more detail than I would have thought, especially since it's so small. On the top there is a place for a flash to be attached along with sculpted buttons. The black plastic that wraps around the camera has a textured finish, similar to what you'd find on a real camera. The combination ports are located on the back of the camera.

The other piece to this set is this small, adorable penguin. Other than viewing them at the zoo, I don't know much about these animals. The figure is mostly gray with accents of black and white used on the head. This non-articulated penguin hides the combination ports on it's back side.

To combine the two, simply stand the camera up on the lens as this will form the lower half / legs of the robot. Place the back of the penguin down on the back of the camera and line up the combination ports and push down, this will trigger the spring loaded transformation.

Much like with Bulldozerburger, the combined form is more of a traditional robot. The penguin splits in half to form the top half of the robot while the camera forms the lower half. While the camera lens makes for some pretty good robot legs, the back of the camera gives him some mighty wide hips! There is a small audio equalizer sticker applied to the chest of the robot and like with many of the other releases, the robot's eyes are music notes. The robot arms are short and thin and are not articulated.

So far I've purchased a few of the smaller sets and they have all been fun to mess around with, present company included. The robot proportions are a little off, but if you can look past that you'll find that you have another solid, fun Unitroborn set.