[Leo656]

I took my Castle Grayskull out of the box today to assemble and do a review video.

I love it. It's awesome. It's everything the vintage one was but with some minor improvements.

There are a few things the original did slightly better, as I address in the video (hopefully posted within a couple of days). For example, the green could be darker with more black shadow/detail, but it's a MUCH "Earthier" green than what early pictures suggested, nowhere near as bright or "blue-green" looking as some photos showed. It's a lot closer to the original than one might think, so for those who said the color was a huge turn-off, you may be pleasantly surprised. The weapons rack could definitely be bigger, and there could be a couple of more weapons, but it works fine. And the bird on the elevator could be larger, like the original.

That's really it for nitpicks, though. Objectively, I feel like everything about this Grayskull takes everything the original one did and moves it a step forward. Wood- and stone-grain floors, over the smooth plastic of the original. A bigger, sturdier ladder that slots neatly into grooves in the floor which hold it in place. Nice, thick pegs on the tower platforms to hold the flag and the turret gun securely in place, but can still smoothly pop on and off without fear of breakage. The gun is larger and moves up and down better; it's more of a snug fit so it can be positioned better, rather than just loosely flopping up and down like a see-saw. The locking mechanism on the Jaw-Bridge works great and feels like it will hold up well to lots of use. The peg that holds the throne in place is much thicker and more durable than the original, and the trapdoor mechanism also feels like it's a lot better-executed. Little pegs on the tower platforms to better hold the figures in place while they're manning the gun or stationed by the flag, or whatever. The elevator glides nice and smooth, and the pulley works great. And even though the weapons rack is smaller, with fewer weapons and fewer places to put them, like everything else the clips to hold the weapons feel more sturdy and very unlikely to break. It's very lightweight but doesn't feel at all brittle or prone to breakage; all of the plastic feels solid but just pliable enough. It doesn't snap shut like the original, but instead there are sturdy pegs that slide into receiving holes and two hooks that securely hold it shut. Ultimately, I think it works better because of the new mechanism and the newer plastic; the tabs on the vintage castle were pretty easy to snap off, but this feels "safer" as there's less stress on the hooks than there would be on the original tabs. And obviously, the computer panels actually being molded plastic that snaps into the wall are way cooler than some flimsy cardstock cut-outs. And the little fabric/ribbon flags are a super nice touch. Plus, the Sorceress figure is a terrific bonus.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love and adore the original Grayskull; some jerk stole mine at some point, but I played with that thing to the death, and it had a bunch of broken pieces to show for all the playtime it got. But this one really does feel like someone said, "How can we do the same exact thing we did Then, without changing it too much, but still taking Every Single Thing about the original and improving it by a step?" Obviously the Classics Grayskull is like taking the original and improving everything about it by about ten steps, but I feel like it's an apples-to-origins comparison. But keeping it strictly to how this new one compares to the original... yeah, I think it's objectively better in every way except the color, and even that to me isn't a big deal at all.

If a person already has a Classics Grayskull, you probably don't need this one, unless you have kids and are nervous about letting them play with it, in which case this should do the trick nicely. But if you still have an original vintage Grayskull... y'know, I still think this is worth getting. Not only are there a ton of small but noticeable improvements, but the fact is that it's getting harder and harder to find the originals in near-pristine condition for a reasonable price. So for example if you have a vintage Grayskull that's incomplete, this is still a pretty good buy at the price. And if you don't have ANY Grayskull at all, well, this is a Must-Buy for sure. And I think if a person is new to collecting and isn't in love with the idea of paying eBay prices for the original Grayskull, they could sleep easy buying this and not feeling like they were missing out on anything.

I still hope/plan to get a replacement vintage Grayskull in "complete" condition one day, but if for any reason that couldn't happen... I'd still be very happy with this one being all I had.

I think it's great value for the price, and I'm seriously in love with it. Not sure where I'm gonna display it yet, but it's awesome. Way better than I expected it to be, even. If you've been on the fence at all about getting one, I say go for it.

I'll try and get some pictures later or tomorrow; been kinda busy the last couple of days.