Masters of the Universe Origins - Castle Grayskull: Unboxing & Review

When I began collecting the Origins line I never thought I would collect more than Origins figures of the Original 8 of the vintage line. Ok... yeah right.

I never thought I would ever get the new Origins Castle Grayskull... Heck I have a vintage Grayskull that has been repainted and customized! But when we were at a local Wal-Mart to get a box of coffee and I saw this thing sitting on the shelf in the wild, well... Just like always, into the cart it went!

First, lets look at the gorgeous box art:

Castle Grayskull: It’s the mighty Eternia fortress of mystery and power for He-Man and his foes! This diorama-style Castle Grayskull playset offers countless hours of creative action and adventurous fun for MOTU fans. Large-scale playset opens to reveal a four-room interior – great for storytelling play and display. Includes lots of MOTU themed accessories for maximum customization! Includes real working elevator and trap door that fans of the original are sure to love. Set also comes with a special edition Sorceress figure and can display all other Origins 5.5-inch figures (sold separately). Masters of the Universe fans will have a blast playing out MOTU scenes and inventing their own action stories in the famous structure known as the center of the battle between good and evil. By the power of Grayskull! Colors and decorations may vary.

Masters of the Universe Castle Grayskull Playset for MOTU Fans Ages 6 Years Old and Up:

• Age Range: 6 Years and Up
• Large Castle Grayskull is a thrilling MOTU playset for fans who love to play out Masters of the Universe adventures!
• Exciting diorama style set folds out to reveal four rooms – so much space for creativity and adventure And fans will love the working elevator and trap door!
• Fits all 5.5-inch Origins figures and comes with a special edition Sorceress figure unique to this playset
• Includes multiple accessories, so Masters of the Universe will have all the supplies they need to craft countless tales of the battle between good and evil!
• Authentically designed playset stays true to the traditions of this thrilling action and adventure franchise. A great gift for MOTU fans ages 6 years old and up who love action and adventure

Lets slide everything out of the box and get this thing put together....

Now that it is put together, lets talk about what we have here...

The plastic of this set is made of a lighter more flexible (softer) plastic than the vintage set. The speckles we saw in the pre-poduction photos are present but not as prevelent... I love the fact that instead of cardboard inserts, they made the view screen and control panel actual plastic parts!

The space suit/robot/armor is missing but there is a foot peg in the spot for it. And it was just recently revealed that it will be part of the MOTU Origins: “Secrets of Grayskull” Accessory Pack, which will be a Power-Con 2021 exclusive set and also includes a 3D dungeon grate that includes a tentacle, and the Spirit of Castle Grayskull!

Also a positive is the strategic placement of footpegs about the set in addition for pegs to hold the laser cannon and the flag pole. The turret platform of the defence tower has been extended so a figure can stand on it easily while firing in the cannon. The banners are made of real ribbon fabric and the combat trainer is fully 3D instead of flat. The ladder is also big enough for the figures to actually climb. Finally, all the original play features are faithfully replicated here as well. The famous trapdoor works perfectly!

I do have a few minor gripes, however... First of all why does the flag have to be so dinky? It really should have been much larger! The same could also be said of the banners inside the castle as well. The main weapons rack is half the size of the vintage one and there are only four of the weapons to put on it! There is a place for a sheild but no sheild. Yes, we get a second weapon rack, but there aren't any extra weapons included to put on it!

Also be very careful when peeling off the stickers, like Pixel Dan, I ended up making a tiny tear in the dungeon grate sticker.

And now its comparison time!

As you can see the two castles are about the same size! Origins version feels a bit more planned and designed, rather than asymmetrical and organic like the original. There is more detailed paint applications on the Origins set with the Jawbridge and rooves painted. The flooring is wood brown with molded wood grain detail. The dungeon grate is still a sticker but also we know a fully 3D upgrade will be available in the that Power-Con set.

And let us not forget this set includes an exclusive figure of the Temple of Darkness Sorceress! This a whole new figure with a new female buck which also includes her magic staff. The figure also includes flexible translucient wings that can be folded up or displayed open. I am pretty sure this figure will see a standard release with filmation acurate paint decos.

Also of note is that when the set is opened at a 45° angle, the trap door won't open properly on the new castle! It hangs on the control room floor Hrmm... :/

I really don't know if this set will replace my orginal set, but as you can see it is absolutley an awesome playset! The price point is about $75 and with the addition of a figure (a $15 value alone!) which make this set a really good value. The very fact that I found one of these in the wild means this set can be found, just be patient. Please, please, please, do not fall for the stupid scalper prices on evilBay!

With the addition of the Power-Com exclusive “Secrets of Grayskull” Accessory Pack, this set will be be pretty hard to beat!

Lets hear from you! Have you been able to score the new Origins Castle Grayskull? Will you be getting the Power-Con exclusive set to round it out? Post your comments in the comment section below!

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