Review: Toy Story: Space Wings Buzz Lightyear
Toy Story is actually low on my list of favorite Pixar films. It's still an incredible movie - better than any CG movie made by a rival studio - but in my opinion Pixar improved over time.
Still, you've got to admit the characters are incredibly iconic.
I've actually got some miniature figures made by Thinkway that I found used, but when Mattel released a line in the six inch scale, I became interested. I almost bought Buzz a few weeks ago, but I held off. My patience was rewarded: I wound up getting a few of the figures sale.
I considered reviewing these at once but decided there was more different than the same. So today I'll be looking at "Space Wings Buzz Lightyear". Look for a follow-up review on "Collapsin' Cowboy Woody" in the not too distant future.
Of course, this isn't the first figure I've reviewed based on a Pixar character: some of the earliest reviews here were of Wall-E and Eve. Stylistically, the new Toy Story figures are fairly similar, and they do look good together on the shelf.
Still, you've got to admit the characters are incredibly iconic.
I've actually got some miniature figures made by Thinkway that I found used, but when Mattel released a line in the six inch scale, I became interested. I almost bought Buzz a few weeks ago, but I held off. My patience was rewarded: I wound up getting a few of the figures sale.
I considered reviewing these at once but decided there was more different than the same. So today I'll be looking at "Space Wings Buzz Lightyear". Look for a follow-up review on "Collapsin' Cowboy Woody" in the not too distant future.
Of course, this isn't the first figure I've reviewed based on a Pixar character: some of the earliest reviews here were of Wall-E and Eve. Stylistically, the new Toy Story figures are fairly similar, and they do look good together on the shelf.
Appearance and Construction: 8/10
This category almost pulled a nine. The strongest point of this action figure, hands down, is the appearance, which bears a strong resemblance to the action figure in the movie.
Granted, it's not a difficult stretch. A lot of the standard problems toy designers run into - hiding articulation, creating a sense of realism, etc. - don't need to apply here. The ball-jointed shoulders are SUPPOSED to be visible. There are SUPPOSED to be some molding lines.
Unfortunately, Mattel didn't do a perfect job duplicating the original design. It's close, but the shoulders are a little off, and there are some assorted areas that, while good, are short of being great.
The paint is fairly clean, but there are minor problems here and there. In addition, the decals are a little off in some spots.
Also, there were some sacrifices made for the action feature. When the wings are down, they don't sit right: one hangs a little lower than the other. Technically, they're not supposed to hang behind him at all - in the movie they folded into his back - but I can overlook that. Honestly, I can overlook the way they hang, too, since they look good when they're raised (we'll discuss that in more depth in Play and Display).
The construction is pretty good in most spots, but lacking on the wings. He's a good looking figure, overall.
Granted, it's not a difficult stretch. A lot of the standard problems toy designers run into - hiding articulation, creating a sense of realism, etc. - don't need to apply here. The ball-jointed shoulders are SUPPOSED to be visible. There are SUPPOSED to be some molding lines.
Unfortunately, Mattel didn't do a perfect job duplicating the original design. It's close, but the shoulders are a little off, and there are some assorted areas that, while good, are short of being great.
The paint is fairly clean, but there are minor problems here and there. In addition, the decals are a little off in some spots.
Also, there were some sacrifices made for the action feature. When the wings are down, they don't sit right: one hangs a little lower than the other. Technically, they're not supposed to hang behind him at all - in the movie they folded into his back - but I can overlook that. Honestly, I can overlook the way they hang, too, since they look good when they're raised (we'll discuss that in more depth in Play and Display).
The construction is pretty good in most spots, but lacking on the wings. He's a good looking figure, overall.
Packaging and Extras: -1
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Of course, there's an easy answer as to why they omitted that: those aliens are sold separately for ten bucks a pop. Sure, they some with some sort of "popping" base... thing... but that doesn't make them worth that kind of money.
There are several miniature characters which could have been included here. If the aliens were out, why not drop in a few army men?
Frankly, I expect toys in this scale and price range to come with something, provided there's something that makes sense. There's plenty that would have worked here, so I'm deducting a point.
There are several miniature characters which could have been included here. If the aliens were out, why not drop in a few army men?
Frankly, I expect toys in this scale and price range to come with something, provided there's something that makes sense. There's plenty that would have worked here, so I'm deducting a point.
Play and Display: -1
Lets start with that action feature. I actually love the idea here: if you're going to impose an action feature on us, this is the right direction. Mirroring what was in the movie, you hit the red button on Buzz's suit and the wings pop up. That part of it works pretty well, too.
The problem is getting them back down. The mechanism used to snap them back into place is lacking, so more often than not, I wind up struggling with them to get them lock in place. In addition, this whole unit feels flimsy: I doubt it would hold up to constant use.
To be honest, I wish they'd just attached the wings with conventional joints so I could raise and lower them. As it is, I'll probably just display him with the wings out. I like the look better, anyway.
I'm not adjusting the score at all for this, one way or the other.
The articulation on the figure is highly uneven. You've got ball jointed shoulders and hips that work fine, pin jointed elbows and knees, and... ah... that's it.
The problem is getting them back down. The mechanism used to snap them back into place is lacking, so more often than not, I wind up struggling with them to get them lock in place. In addition, this whole unit feels flimsy: I doubt it would hold up to constant use.
To be honest, I wish they'd just attached the wings with conventional joints so I could raise and lower them. As it is, I'll probably just display him with the wings out. I like the look better, anyway.
I'm not adjusting the score at all for this, one way or the other.
The articulation on the figure is highly uneven. You've got ball jointed shoulders and hips that work fine, pin jointed elbows and knees, and... ah... that's it.
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If there's one joint I want to commend, it's the elbows. These bend more than ninety degrees, allowing Buzz to reach the button controlling his wings: that's a great touch. The hips are also well put together. Between these two areas, I'd be leaning towards a bonus point. The ankles and wrists are less impressive: while they've sculpted on some fake joints on the ankles, there's nothing in either of these joints. Disappointing, but not the end of the world. Now. Let's move onto the head. As far as I can tell, it's sculpted in place, so you've got nothing. At all. At the very least, this should be a cut; really, I wanted a ball joint. Strike one. On top of that, you've got a clear dome. I was 100% sure looking at this in the package that the visor opened and closed. It's even in two pieces! But I can't get it to budge at all. I suspect there was some kind of miscommunication between design and production, because there's no reason for it to be designed this way if the front can't close. |
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I'm also disappointed that there's no articulation in the waist, when there's clearly an opportunity there.
Combined, the visor, head, and waist call for a two point deduction, and the above average hip/arm joints can only counter half of that.
Combined, the visor, head, and waist call for a two point deduction, and the above average hip/arm joints can only counter half of that.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 6/10
When I first saw Buzz in the package, I thought he was a bargain at ten bucks. I held out and got him at two-for-fifteen, which translates to seven-fifty with a catch.
While I don't feel like I got ripped off here, I don't feel like I got a great deal, either. The subpar action feature and the poor articulation underline the fact that this is more toy and less collectible. On top of that, given how flimsy the wings feel, I wouldn't expect it to function as much of a toy for long.
Honestly, this is okay for my purposes: I'm happy with a cheap display piece I can wire up somewhere with wings open. But don't get fooled into thinking this is worth more than seven or eight bucks.
While I don't feel like I got ripped off here, I don't feel like I got a great deal, either. The subpar action feature and the poor articulation underline the fact that this is more toy and less collectible. On top of that, given how flimsy the wings feel, I wouldn't expect it to function as much of a toy for long.
Honestly, this is okay for my purposes: I'm happy with a cheap display piece I can wire up somewhere with wings open. But don't get fooled into thinking this is worth more than seven or eight bucks.
Anyone else catch the 3D re-release when it was out? I can't say much for the audience, but the movies certainly hold up. Here are a few more photos:
