He-Man

This episode of "Toys that Made Us" looks at the "He-Man" and it's toy line from "Mattel" as the "Master of Universe" line would take off and grow in sales and popularity. As the inspiration for this line was from warriors and strong men and to add some fright the iconic "Skeletor" was developed and the size and bright production made this line a winner! As in 1982 it became a new flavor and an answer and some competition for "Kenner's" "Star Wars" line. Plus an animated cartoon helped draw kids and create huge sales. However overproduction and to many figures like some odd one's like "Buzzoff", "Necktar", "Mossman", "Leechman" and an action figure that smelled like a skunk became so far out yet enjoyable for collectors. And I myself had a collection as many times at Christmas I opened gifts to find these men! And also the lackluster and lame 1987 big screen movie failed and also hurt the merchandise as even a young and to be beauty Courtney Cox couldn't save it! Overall excellent look at the powerful rise and fall of a toy universe!

'He-Man' was the episode I was really looking forward to when I started watching this series, and it turned out the weakest, so far (I know it's only a four-episode season, but still). For me, it's the editing. They keep cutting to reaction shots from the interviewees for punchlines, and that gets old fast. I know that the disagreements between Roger Sweet and Mark Taylor are woven into the tapestry of Master of the Universe, but this is a tacky way to go about it.

I wasn't expecting to learn anything new with this (a series like this is just comfort food), but someone mentioned that the Skeletor we all remember from this toy line is Oppenheimer's portrayal on the cartoon. And that's absolutely true. What is he without his signature "Myaah!"?

But I'm used to better packaging from "The Toys That Made Us".

The He-man installment of The Toys that Made Us is, unfortunately and ironically, the weakest of eight part documentary series. While the story told is not terrible per se, the collection of story tellers contains too many foul-mouths to be able to enjoy the tale of this children's toy set. F-bombs are wildly inappropriate language for a story about toys for 5-year-old boys and do nothing to advance the story (and that is not the only bit of grown-up cursing while reminiscing about creating ways to controls the hearts and minds of children). The result makes even the interesting tidbits fade into discomfort. Just a disappointment.