Action Figure Reviews

Toys of Steel Review - Mattel: "Man of Steel" Movie Masters Jor-El Action Figure

Jor-El By Jasper Lloyd Tan

So I finally bought Jor-El. I just couldn't pass up on this figure when I knew that he's going to be harder to find. When I saw him on the pegs, I knew I had to get him quick. And so far I'm happy that I made the right decision.

Jor-El, the biological father of Kal-El/Superman is played in the "Man of Steel" movie by Russell Crowe of "Gladiator" fame. He did quite a great job serving as Kal's guide while Kal was still lost as to what his destiny on Earth is. Crowe did a great job taking the role of Jor-El. You could really feel his presence in the film. I actually didn't expected him to play a big part in the film other than having a brief role in the opening minutes. But his expanded presence was a huge anchor for the film. And he was also given an action sequence that I didn't expect for him to have. The writers and director though tweaked his story a bit, as he died ahead of Lara Lor Van (his wife) during his battle with General Zod. I like it that Snyder and company expanded his role and gave him a proactive role in the opening and middle parts of the movie. His dialog and fight scenes evokes some of his "Gladiator" days. So definitely he deserves an action figure. And Mattel's choice is a great one as there was never a single Jor-El action figure released in 6 inch form. He'll be a great addition to anyone's collection. Now if only Mattel could find a way to sneak in a Lara Lor Van figure. And Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent action figures would also be a good addition.

The packaging of the figure is pretty much the same as that of Superman's. The only difference is that on the back of the packaging. Here we are given a brief description of Jor-El.

Jor-El The Jor-El figure comes with a base bearing their family crest, the House of El. This is exactly the same as Superman's except for the color scheme used.

"Man of Steel" Movie Masters continues to impress me even without the ab crunch articulation. And Jor-El is a great figure because you can actually see how beautifully sculpted the armor is. Mattel surely gave it a great amount of detail and I should say that this is one of the best figures that Mattel has ever made. The "Man of Steel" Movie Masters toy line certainly is changing the game at Mattel.

There's a minor complain here. I would have preferred Jor-El to have his majestic cape, or robe. Having that accessory would somehow make Jor-El more respectable. This is a minor qualm though as I think Mattel opted to release a battle ready Jor-El. Which is fine for me anyway.

The head sculpt of the figure screams Russell Crowe the moment I saw it. It's really nice that Mattel did not fail to deliver on this part.

Jor-El shares the same articulation with Superman, it features a ball jointed neck, ball hinged shoulders, swivel biceps, wrists, waist, and thighs, pivot torso, hinged elbows and knees, double pivot hips and ankles. A bit of the downside in the articulation department is that because of Jor-El's armor's highly detailed sculpt, some joints are limited by the armor. You can't raise his arms too high because of that thing that attaches from his arms to the back of the armor. Same goes for his hip joints as there are some armor pieces protruding and blocking the joints.

Jor-El I took a comparison shot with the only other Jor-El released in action figure form. This Jor-El is from the Mattel "Superman Returns" two pack box set featuring Marlon Brando as Jor-El. The Jor-El of the Christopher Reeve "Superman" movies and Brandon Routh's "Superman Returns". The Movie Masters Russell Crowe Jor-El stands at 6 inches while the Marlon Brando Jor-El stands at 5 inches. You could actually see the difference in how much "Man of Steel" made improvements with regards to Jor-El's design. Brando's looks scientific while Crowe's looks grittier.

In closing, Jor-El is a must buy. If you see him in the pegs, get him. I'm sure when toy collectors have finally seen the movie, they'd be motivated to get Jor-El. And from what I heard, he's going to be harder to find. I'm really glad that I got lucky after I passed on him the first time. I just couldn't let him go again the moment I laid my eyes on him. My only wish right now is for Mattel to release a Lara figure. Though I'm afraid that it would be unlikely for Mattel to do that as Lara didn't really have a big role in the movie except for giving birth to Superman and sending off his rocket. But I just feel that Jor-El is incomplete if he's not with Lara. Mattel should reconsider this and release Lara anyway. Maybe as a two-pack with a caped/robed Jor-El? Doesn't matter, she'll be good to have.

So far "Man of Steel" has two waves, and wave two is even better than the first wave. I skipped on the armorless Zod figure from wave one as I feel that figure is bland. Watch out for my following reviews as I will feature two more essential characters to the movie; General Zod and Faora. See you next time.

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Visit Jasper's personal blog for more action figure reviews.


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