MOTU Origins Point Dread & The Talon Fighter In Hand Review

The Masters of the Universe Origins Point Dread and Talon Fighter is a nostalgic blast from the past for fans of the iconic 80s franchise. This modern reinvention captures the essence of the original toy line while introducing some exciting updates and enhancements. The Talon Fighter is one of my favorite MOTU vehicles, and I am so excited to finally have this in hand! When we first heard the reports of the Talon Fighter being spotted at the German Toy Fair by our good friend of Jay from Geek Dad Life, I was over the moon with excitement at the thought of having this new vehicle and playset coming to the Origins line! As an avid MOTU enthusiast, I had the pleasure of experiencing this set firsthand, and I’m thrilled to share my MOTU Origins Point Dread & The Talon Fighter In Hand Review!

The MOTU Origins Point Dread and Talon Fighter set is a triumphant return to the beloved Masters of the Universe franchise. With its impeccable design, attention to detail, and excellent playability, it appeals to fans of all ages. Whether you’re reliving nostalgic memories or introducing the MOTU world to a new generation, this set is a must-have addition to any MOTU collection. Prepare for epic battles, soaring adventures, and countless hours of imaginative play with this modern homage to the vintage MOTU classic!

Packaging and Art

The Point Dread and Talon Fighter come packed in plastic free display box where we get treated to more amazing art by the MOTU team! According to Roy,

It’s packaging time! Here’s an in-depth look at the packaging and artwork we did for Point Dread and Talon Fighter, the mystical outpost & flying vehicle.

The usual suspects for Origins:
Art Direction & Graphic Design @manuel_eduardo_caritas
Artwork @axel.gimenez@fetch.franciscoetchart
Toy Design @katanarama333
Copywriter @yesreallyrob

Roy Juarez

The sides of the box feature illustrations that can be found in the main card art.

The packout includes the two wings, two talons, removeable handle, perch, blue satellite dish, silver laser gun turret, and two halves of Point Dread.

Instructions are pictured below which show you have to simply assemble the playset, and also show you the different modes of play! I think it is so cute how this illustrated this and used a sketch of a He-Man figure in the instructions! Zodak even appears on there as well!

Art and Illustrations

The team did an an amazing job as we get a close up of the Talon Fighter with He-Man and Teela in flight on the front of the box flap.

On the back of the box we see He-Man and Stratos trying to evade Roton fire from mini comic Trap Jaw and Faker above an epic battle scene that features many classic characters. The Lords of Power versions of Man At Arms, Beast Man, Mer-Man, and Skeletor can be seen in the battle scene as well. Teela and Evil Lyn are riding ontop their feline steeds ready to pounce!

Point Dread & The Talon Fighter Details

This Talon Fighter and Point Dread look incredible in person! The vibrant colors, amazing details in the cockpit and rear of the jet, and the total nostalgia of this flying falcon are just amazing! The design of the Point Dread and Talon Fighter set is impeccable. The attention to detail pays homage to the original toys while incorporating contemporary elements. The Talon Fighter showcases its signature bird-like aesthetics, complete with intricate feather-like patterns and sculpted wings. The vehicle maintains its unique look, capturing the essence of the original toy while adding a touch of modern flair. Point Dread, the formidable fortress, is exquisitely crafted, featuring detailed computer console, and various interactive elements.

Mattel has maintained a high level of quality with the MOTU Origins line, and this set is no exception. The plastic construction feels sturdy and durable, ensuring longevity for both collectors and young fans alike. The paintwork is vibrant and well-executed, bringing the characters and their world to life.

Point Dread serves as a base for the Talon Fighter and offers plenty of interactive features. The ability to connect with MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull playset provide endless opportunities for creative storytelling. In order to not totally distroy my personal collection Origins display, I needed to source a photo of placing this new vehicle ontop Castle Grayskull. We want to thank Pixel Dan for these images of Point Dread and the Talon Fighter ontop of Castle Grayskull!

The Talon Fighter Details

This set truly shines when it comes to playability. The Talon Fighter can accommodate multiple action figures, allowing for exciting aerial battles. The wingspan can be adjusted for different flight modes, making it a versatile vehicle for imaginative play scenarios. The cockpit fits most any of the Origins figures perfectly, and the rotating laser turret or blue satellite dish adds an extra layer of dynamic action.

Let’s take a closer look at the Talon Fighter’s details below. They added that same beautiful orange sunset airbrushed look to the beak of the plane, and this time the eyes are actually translucent orange plastic. The Canopy has a clear plastic on it, and there are some nice techno details molded on the top of the canopy.

They recreated the bird’s burgandy colored talon feet landing gear. They have very nice, molded details. The rear of the plane has vintage inspired pre-applied stickers that simulate jets and computer gear. The burgundy colored wings of the plane are very sturdy and now finally stay very well once installed on the plane. They have nice feather like details on top to simulate bird wings.

Let’s take a look at the interior as well. Here you can see all the vintage inspired stickers that represent computer consoles, tools, and first aid gear. You can see 2 passengers in the cockpit, one in front and one in the rear. There are also hand grips for them to hold onto which is a new feature and something the vintage didnt have.

There is a removeable handle that you easily place onto the bottom of the Talon Fighter in a port on the bottom.

Also there is another smaller port so you can connect the Talon Fighter to a flight stand, like for example the stand that came with the Wind Raider.

Point Dread Details

You can use Point Dread as a playset for your favorite characters. Unlike the vintage version that included a paper computer, this new version includes a plastic computer console that your figures could interact with. One odd thing that Mattel missed however is that Point Dread is not tall enough for your figure to stand up in. The vintage version was taller and did allow a figure to fit inside comfortably. We will take a closer look at a vintage comparison below.

You can also place either the turret laser cannon or the satellite dish on either the top half of Point Dread or take the top half off and attach it to the open half and have your figure stand there to command the cannon!

Vintage Talon Fighter and Point Dread

The Talon Fighter and Point Dread has always been a fan favorite, and one of my personal favorites I must say! I always loved how you can seat He-man and one of his friends in the Eagle shaped plane and always loved the bright orange and blue color scheme that made it look so cool! I thought that the radar dish on top was a cool feature so that He-Man can communicate with his friends, because back then, they didn’t have cell phones! But besides looking cool, the Talon Fighter and Point Dread always had a mysterious feeling behind them, because of the mystical lore that is tied to their story.

According to the Masters of the Universe Character Compendium Volume 1:

Mysterious Point Dread was a stone structure of magical might. A mystical location appearing on the face of Eternia every twenty years. The powerful 2 man Talon Fighter, rests atop it’s outpost. Skeletor once endangered all of Eternia by tapping into Point Dread’s power, but the Goddess spirited the entire structure away to Castle Grayskull, merging it with the mystic strongholdMasters of the Universe Character Compendium Volume 1 pg 589

According to the Wiki Grayskull

The Toy was packaged as Frontier Outpost Point Dread and Flying Talon Fighter! Point Dread was a one-room base with the same gray-green, rocky exterior as Castle Grayskull and a “perch” on top for the Talon Fighter. Point Dread’s upper half could be removed and placed atop one of the towers of the Grayskull playset, allowing the Talon Fighter to rest atop Grayskull as shown in the minicomics. The Talon Fighter toy itself had a yellow-orange hull, a blue canopy and red-orange wings and “claw” landing gear. There was also a version of the toy on which a book-and record set was included, with one story on each side of a 7-inch vinyl record and a read-along storybook in comic format.Point Dread & Talon Fighter | Wiki Grayskull | Fandom

Below we can see the vintage Talon Fighter and Point Dread. The Falcon shaped fighter had a gorgeous color scheme and allowed 2 characters to sit inside. It was adorned with stickers on the interior to look like controls and had landing gear shaped like a bird’s talons, how cool is that? Complete with a perch to sit your Talon Fighter, it sat atop Point Dread, a green colored craggily rock formation that matched Castle Grayskull and attached perfectly to its tower.

The Talon Fighter and Point Dread were featured in several mini comics, as well as the 1980s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Filmation cartoon. The most famous of the mini comics being “The Power of Point Dread”, which came with an accompanying record, so you can listen along to the story! That is a photo of my personal copy below and yes, I still have the vinyl record with it!

Vintage Comparison

This new version of Point Dread and the Talon Fighter is a fantastic homage to the classic original, and has some incredible upgrades and one big miss. You can see the vintage on the left of the images and the new Origins version on the right. Mattel did an amazing job recreating this vintage classic playset and vehicle. The colors are spot on, but with sturdier plastic, brighter colors and much better wing attachment, the new Origins version outshines the original. Also you can see that the vintage one had a cut out canopy and that made it not very ridgid and less stable. The Origins version included a clear window for the canopy with looks cool and added stability to the canopy. Another improvement are the eyes on the Talon Fighter, which are now translucent orange plastic, rather than painted on.

Plus the Origins version also includes grip handles for your figures to hold onto in the cockpit, which the vintage did not have. You can see how Mattel also recreated the interior stickers!

You can see how Mattel recreated the rear stickers of the jet thrusters which look great. Also an improvement over the original is that the Origins version has a removeable handle, where the vinatge one had the handle permanently molded on.

The one big miss on the new Origins version of Point Dread with that as you can see the vintage version shown below on the left is much taller than the new Origins version shown on the right. The Origins version is too short to allow your figure to stand in, but the vintage one was tall enough for even an Origins figure to stand in! The vintage original came with a cardboard cut out computer console. The one I have is actually a vintage reproduction computer cardboard cut out in my vintage Point Dread thanks to the Baroness of Toys who makes these am amazing reproduction and sells them on eBay! If you need a replacement for your vintage Point Dread, you can buy it here.. Also another improvement is the molded plastic computer console inside Point Dread.

Where to Buy

You can preorder the Talon Fighter and Point Dread at the following retailers, links below: