Earlier this year, Toy Guru said that he’d been waiting to get the September 2010 figure in the Classics line since day one. We guessed and guessed here at ItsAllTrue, but when the figure was revealed at WizardWorld Philly, none of us had chosen wisely. For September brought the lion man.
Chief Carnivus first appeared in the MO2K cartoon when Randor sent Teela & Adam to Felis Fola in order to ask for the his help in the fight against Skeletor. Ultimately, he would join forces with the Masters, but he never got to do very much. His Classics bio is the most we’ve ever learned about him:
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Chief Carnivus – Heroic Feline Warrior, Real Name: Carnivus Fervelius III Leader of a race of Eternian cat warriors called Qadians, Carnivus keeps his people safe high in the village of Felis Qadi. For many years the Qadians kept a neutral stance, preferring not to get involved in the affairs of other tribes. But with the rise of Skeletor and the subsequent release of the Snake Men and the Horde from their interdimensional prisons, Carnivus agreed to re-evaluate his core principles and joined the struggle for freedom allying himself and his people with King Randor’s new Eternian Council. Carnivus uses his feline agility and great courage to fight against evil. |
Now you know as much about Carnivus as the rest of us. Doesn’t that feel good? Alright, moving on to the review. Sorry about the pictures this round, I think my camera is nearing the end of its lifespan…
Carnivus is good mix of new and old. He’s primarily the furry Beast Man body in a more muted tone, but gets some mileage out of He-Ro’s boots. If you’re looking for new pieces, there’s still plenty to find. Carnivus has new paws, a new furry upper calves, new hands, loincloth, his cape, his armor, and his head.
All the new furry pieces blend together with the Beast Man buck really well – I didn’t even really think about the upper calves having to be new until writing this. The new feet seem like they should be a little longer, but it may just be an odd translation of a cat’s foot into a human foot. His right hand holds the sword perfectly, but his left hand has been given a wider grip – not as wide as Skeletor or Scareglow, but sufficient in that it doesn’t hold an accessory well.
Other than He-Ro’s boots and Beast Man’s bracelets, Carnivus has all-new armor. The chest armor is done in a way that we haven’t seen in the line before with the shoulder pads being connected to the main chest armor. This works great for a variety of poses, but it really needs the cape to work. The little connectors and gaps don’t look good to me unless the cape is laying atop them covering everything.
Carnivus’ loincloth is an interesting piece. I like the mix of the classic furry loincloth (we’ll assume it’s made out of some other animal) and the long sideless loincloth he wore in the MO2K cartoon. The blend looks really sharp. Also, the cathead “buckle” appears to be a factory swappable piece so this loin cloth can be used on other characters with a different emblem in the middle.
Usually, the look of the figure relies heavily on the head sculpt. With Carnivus sporting a lot of unique pieces, that’s not as true, but it is still certainly important. When I first saw the head in the pictures beamed back from WizardWorld, I wasn’t sure if I liked the head or not. Having it in person, I’m singing a different tune. He looks great up close. The texturing on the face implies the shorter fur you’d expect and contrasts great with the longer hair around the mouth. I haven’t decided if he looks regal or angry, it tends to depend on the lighting. I really have to laugh at my initial dislike now that I have him.
I had to throw that pic in there, I couldn’t help it. After Toy Guru revealed that Management had stepped in and deemed Marzo “too 200x”, a portion of the fanbase started to echo that sentiment and some of that has carried over to Carnivus. I find it all rather silly. Mattel’s use of the term “hyper detail” as something to be avoided. Limp hair being considered classic. The misuse of the word ‘anime’ as some specific design element. I have to shake my head trying to navigate some of this stuff. “Too 200x” will always be in the eye of the beholder, but Carnivus fits in with the rest of the line just fine at my house. Continue to Page 2 for Articulation, Paint, & Accessories…
Noisy, I think the pics turned out just fine myself. Another great review and I’m definitely in agreement with you about this line; it’s a blast to collect! I, too, am very excited at the prospect of seeing an army builder for Carnivus, as well as his contemporaries in the Eternian Council someday! Keep up the great work!
A couple feline warriors would kick ass!
Easily the best looking good guy figure in the line for me and really probably the only one I would consider picking up. Good review.
He’s pretty awesome looking!
The cavalcade of great reviews continues (RHYME ALERT!). Some thoughts:
– I almost typed that the “royal decree” pic was my favorite until I saw the last one. Let’s hope your Man-Bat figure isn’t handy if a Lord Dactus MOTUC is made.
– Carnivus seems to be a Grune the Destroyer custom begging to happen. And I know that guy used a hammer, but the Sword of Saz has some slight Sword of Omens eyeholes going on.
– Ah yes, I’ve been waiting for a pic of Grune with a Mynothecean. Let’s just hope he doesn’t ask where Carnivus’ loincloth came from.
How does Carnivus look with other 7k figures like the catgirls and elephants?
I’m still not hype over this figure but I brought him anyway. I wish he had more involvement on 200x cartoon but we know it’s not his fault. I really dig the shield!!
The shield is my favorite part. I think he would’ve had more to do in season three, right? I wish they’d gotten to keep going with the show. Just 12 more episodes would’ve been awesome.
i love the look of carnivus next to the royal guardsmen, but to me, that very much impresses that the aesthetics are not compatible. the look and stylization are quite different side by side, even when viewing similarly themed characters.
any improvement on the floppy ankle issue?
Mines ankles are okay, I figure it was because the Hero boots get less use and the molds arent as worn.
Yeah, it’s a totally different look.
I find the 7th Kingdom stuff is designed to look “realistic” (for cows and elephants) and it just shows up how much MOTUC is based on a more cartoony feel used for the classic toys.
Nothing wrong with that, they look great, it’s just a different direction.
Oh, and I managed to snag a Guardsman last night on ebay. Cost more than I wanted to pay, but I weighed it against the chance of seeing another one any time soon.
Jo
Hoping not to see anything else he wants until at least next payday.
Another great review. I instantly liked this figure once I had him in hand. Before that I was a little “meh” on him. That certainly is not the case now. I do not agree with fans who think that he doesn’t fit in with the overall look of the line. I understand why others feel that way–and it’s cool if they do–but I don’t. I think both him and Marzo fit in fine with everyone.
The 200x head picture was hilarious and right on the money too. Bravo sir.
Yeah, I feel he fits in prefectly
I’ve read three different Carnivus reviews today. One from a vintage fan, one from a 200x (sorry, MO2K) fan, and one from a non-MOTU fan and you know what they all had in common? They all thought the figure was kickass. It’s funny that CC was so divisive on the MBs, but in the review world not so much.
I’ve got a Carnivus up for trade or sale now. I don’t dislike him, but I’m really only looking for my MOTUC collection to be of my favorite guys from my youth. I’m also sitting on a Marzo for trade or sale.
Awesome review, Noisy. And I think your pictures look great as usual.
Carnivus looks great. I’m an all-eras fan, so he’s a welcome addition to me.
I missed Carnivus due to a CC error… 5 days for the error to be fixed… looks like I’ll have to go against my anti-scalper vows.
Loved the review, especially the pic where you made fun of Mattel’s anti-200X head rule.
I’m not sure if I’m too keen on the head sculpt… maybe he just doesn’t seem :realistic enough next to the others…? Does thta make any sense at all? :\
Great review, please post pics of that purple sash you intend on making for Carnivus if you get around to it.