http://nerditis.com/...verse-classics/
Way, way, waaaaaay back, when the only "media" for He-Man were the mini-comics included with the toys, the first comic described He-Man as hailing from a jungle tribe, rescuing the green Goddess, and gaining his special weapons and armor as gifts. As part of the effort to include all forms of He-Man in the timeline, the "Jungle He-Man" was named Oo-Larr and given a backstory! He has appeared in a lot of bio cards leading up to this moment, so the figure's existence was hardly a surprise. Still, it is a really important part of Hestory (see what I did there?), just like Vikor or Vykron, the concept art He-Men.
Oo-Larr is this year's sub exclusive, meaning that he was sent out only to subscribers, will not be for sale elsewhere, and came with a comic book. Oo-Larr is essentially the same as last year's Unnamed One, for reference sake. He's a highly-demanded character, but also not "vital" for a collection. And just for fun, they packed him with a new, alternate head for He-Man, as well!
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OO-LARR: LORD OF THE JUNGLE TRIBE
REAL NAME: OO-LARR
The last person to be known as “The He-Man” before Prince Adam was born was Oo-Larr of the Jungle Tribe. He left his kinsmen seeking adventure and excitement outside of the Vine Jungle. Coming across the Goddess, he rescued her and was recruited to help protect the two halves of the Power Sword of He. The corodite Power Vest which the Goddess gave to Oo-Larr was so well engineered that it was also eventually passed down to Prince Adam too. Oo-Larr’s final quest was to unite both halves of the Sword so that the Sorceress could clone it for the second twin of destiny. Oo-Larr then separated the original sword again, hiding both halves on opposite sides of the planet while the Sorceress and Light Hope watched over the clone sword in Grayskull. Oo-Larr bravely fights to protect the secret of the sword of He.
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Why is he named Oo-Larr? Well, when Mattel produced Mo-Larr the dentist, Oo-Larr's name popped up int he trademark, and some folks have guessed that Oo-Larr as a typo they chose to use, anyway. That kind of makes sense... but we may never know for sure!
PACKAGING: ****
Oo-Larr is packaged in exactly the same as every other MOTUC figure. Instead of reading about his packaging, why not read this short story I wrote. It's got a Jewish vampire.
SCULPT: ****
Yes, Oo-Larr is one of the most naked figures ever. The honor really goes to Demo-Man when stripped of his tunic, but Oo-Larr is not going to survive in a cold climate.
So, although essentially he is a super-basic He-Man body, Oo-Larr does have some pretty significant new parts. He's got the angriest, scowliest He-Man head ever - complete with mini-comic long hair! He also has some naked arms, legs, and bare feet, something sorely lacking (unless you count Demo-Man's claws). These pieces will see a lot of reuse in the future. The only flaw in Oo-Larr's sculpt is that the articulation makes his ankles and feet look weird, but it apparently couldn't be helped.
PAINT: ****
Oo-Larr really only needed a basic paint job, so they applied impressive detail to things that counted - his weapons and his face. Oo-Larr's face is up there with some of the other "realistic" figures, such as Blade or Gwildor. It helps him look better than just a "naked He-Man."
ARTICULATION: ****
Oo-Larr is articulated just the same as any MOTUC figure – ball-and-socket shoulders and hips, ball-jointed head, swivel biceps, waist, wrists, and shins, hinged elbows, knees, and ankles.
Since Oo-Larr is essentially naked, nothing constricts his movement in any way at all. of course, the joints look weird on his limbs (particularly his ankles), but it's a small price to pay.
ACCESSORIES: ****
Oo-Larr's most controversial - and most-desired - accessory is his spare head. It's basically a resculpt of the regular He-Man head, since the old one is kind of janky. And while this face is awesome on a technical level, it has come to my attention that, when divorced entirely of context, He-Man looks kind of like a soccer mom. Or a truck driver mom. Either way, he's a mom.
In keeping with his appearance in the min-comic, Oo-Larr comes with his trusty spear. And dang, it's just as good as the one that came with Jungle Disguise Dutch! This isn't one of those no-paint simple toy-weapons, it's a faithful recretion of an actual spear, complete with a hand-sharpened head! It's got more paint and sculptural detail than most MOTUC items, and this line has actually been lacking somewhat in spears.
Next up is Oo-Larr's sword, which he clearly stole from some place besides his jungle tribe. Not to be prejudiced or anything, but all of his other weapons are stone-on-wood, while this is a sleek, brutal-looking weapon. I can't quite pinpoint the type of sword off the top of my head, though if the hilt were smaller it could be a passable gladius. It looks pretty slick, and like a weapon meant for killing people, not flashing around. This is not the Power Sword, it's a death-dealer.
And then we have Oo-Larr's axe, which is a special case. This weapon actually comes with Huntara, though it belongs to him - budget issues, so they tossed it in with the other figure coming in his month. Much like the spear, it's got some impressive work. The head is metal, and looks viking-inspired, including that nice little hook on the had. Oo-Larr looks at home with this weapon, and when paired with his spear, really drives home the whole "jungle" theme.
VALUE: **1/2
This guy was $25 with no shipping for subscribers. For you non-subscribers... BAHAHAHAHAHA, I am sorry. Expect $60 or more.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Oo-Larr is as sturdy as he can be, since he has absolutely nothing that could get broken beyond any other figure.
WHERE TO BUY:
Yeah, he is never going up on Matty, so your best bet is Big Bad Toy Store.
OVERALL: ****
This figure isn't perfect, and it is essentially just a naked He-Man, but Oo-Larr is a vital part of the He-Man mythos, just like Vikor or Vykron (both concept art characters). If he were mass-available, he would make an excellent customization base, but there just aren't enough floating around for that. His accessories certainly make up for his inherent plainness, including... well, I'll just have to review the mini-comic next time!
