Review: Tron Legacy Die-Cast Vehicles - Hero/Villain 3-packs

While I like Tron, I don't like it anywhere near as much as I like the visual style it introduced.  I've seen the movie a few times over the years, but, honestly, the story and characters never stay with me.  Sure, I remember the outline: a programmer gets downloaded into a supercomputer, and he needs to team up with the resistance to destroy the cybernetic empire or something.
I think the owner of the company was somehow significant, and wasn't Tron the avatar of his friend?

I don't know.  I'll make sure I re-watch it before the sequel opens this Christmas.  Ultimately, none of that really matters, anyway.  Tron is about lightcycles, and I love lightcycles.  Who doesn't?

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It shouldn't be a huge surprise, then, that I felt compelled to buy die-cast vehicles from the upcoming Tron Legacy.  All six of these are available individually, or you can find them in three packs exclusive to Toys R Us.

These are produced by a company called "Spin Master."  Never heard of them.

Anyway, because they're packed individually and together, I'm going to be itemizing the scores.  Good thing I'm good with math.

Appearance and Construction:

Sam's Lightcycle: 7/10
Flynn's Lightcycle: 8/10
Light Runner: 9/10
Hero Pack: 8/10

Clu's Lightcycle: 7/10
Clu's Command Ship: 6/10
Recognizer: 8/10
Villain Pack: 7/10

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As you can see, there's a good bit of variation here.  Both packs have a standout vehicle, but the others are mixed.

The best in the Hero Pack - best in either pack, actually - is the Light Runner.  I don't remember seeing one of these in the original movie, but it wouldn't surprise me if I'm just forgetting.  This toy looks very cool either way.  On its own, I'd have to hand this one nine points.
 

Hands down, the top toy in the Villain Pack is the Recognizer.  Actually, I might like it as much or more than the Light Runner, though I think its toyish appearance drags it down objectively.  Still, this thing is pretty neat.

Kevin Flynn's lightcycle also deserves an eight, though it's more of a grudging admission.  Technically, this looks great, though that's more a reflection of the design's simplicity than anything else.  Still, no huge issues or mistakes, save the flat bottom on the wheel cover (though this isn't anywhere near as big an issue as it is with the others).

I'm waffling on the two "normal" lightcycles, to be honest.  On one hand, these are kind of awesome - let's face it, I wouldn't have bought these packs without their inclusion.  And they do deliver.  Kind of.

The good news is that the lightcycles look like they're supposed to.  They're recognizable and iconic.  Unfortunately, the riders look cheap and plastic (possibly because they're made of cheap plastic - I can't really be sure.

In addition, the bikes look a bit plain.  Part of the issue is, of course, that these are lit up on the screen, a feature I can't fault them for omitting from a toy this small.  But I'm a little disappointed they didn't find a way to convey the notion of the light trails, possibly with plastic extensions.  At the very least, I'd expect the wheels to be painted.

Also, as with Kevin Flynn's cycle, these have flattened bottoms on the wheel covers.  I appreciate they kind of have to in order for the wheels to turn, but it does drag the appearance down a hair.

I settled on a seven for these, though I considered going as low as six.

But I decided that should be reserved for Clu's Command Ship.  This isn't an awful toy, but it's a long way from great.  The issue here is just one of complexity: there's just not enough going on here.

Averaged up, the Hero Pack gets an eight, while the Villains get a seven.  Yay: good guys win.

Packaging and Extras:

Lightcycles, Command Ship: -1
Light Runner, Recognizer: ----
Hero Pack, Villain Pack: -1

The packaging is perfectly adequate.  Actually, it's pretty good.  Not spectacular, but good.

There are no accessories or stands.  Sorry: not good enough.

Two of the vehicles - the Recognizer and Light Runner - don't need a thing.  Oh sure, they could use stands, but it's not remotely essential.  These are good sized, hefty toys, and they good as is.  The lightcycles should REALLY have stands and light trails.  You know what?  I'd have taken either and omitted the penalty.

And that brings us back to Clu's Command Ship.  Without a stand, this is more or less useless.  Sitting on the ground, it's not even obvious what this is supposed to be.

Play and Display:

Kevin Flynn's Light Cycle, Clu's Command Ship: -1
Others: ----

Hero Pack, Villain Pack: ----

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I'm being a little generous here, but then again I was a bit harsh above.  I suppose it all evens out somehow.

Anyway, the good news is that everything stands just fine on its own.  Well, everything except Clu's Command Ship, which just... lays there.  That's another minus one.

The lightcycles all have another issue: they don't really roll.  You can get the wheels to turn, but if you pull them across a flat surface, they just kind of drag.  It's not a huge issue - in fact, I'm not penalizing it at all - but it does call into question the decision to give them actual wheels at all.  I might have preferred a miniature statue with a light trail, for instance.

The Light Runner is also a bit imperfect, though that does roll along.  It's nothing more than a nitpick, but the shocks really look like they should be jointed or attached to springs.  Surprise: they're not.

Again, no penalty.

The recognizer has no moving points, which is fine: it's not supposed to.

Kevin Flynn's lightcycle, on the other hand, really needs to open and reveal a miniature figure inside.  I was actually expecting it to, and I was a little disappointed to find the roof was a permanent fixture.

That, I'm hitting with a one point penalty, meaning one figure in each pack has a penalty.

That's not enough, however, to drag down the overall score on either pack.

Price Tag and Final Analysis:

Sam's Lightcycle: 6/10
Flynn's Lightcycle: 6/10
Light Runner: 9/10
Hero Pack: 7/10

Clu's Lightcycle: 6/10
Clu's Command Ship: 4/10
Recognizer: 8/10
Villain Pack: 6/10

I found these at Toys R Us.  Individually, they were asking $4.49 a piece; the sets (which are exclusive) were going for $11.49.  I spent a good five or ten minutes trying to make up mind on whether I'd get the sets or just a few packs.  In the end, I broke down and bought the packs, since I decided I needed at least two vehicles from each.

I've since seen the individual packs going for a little less at K-Mart.  There, they were asking $3.99.  Honestly, neither is a great deal.  Let's face it: ultimately, these are glorified Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars, nothing more.  Unless, that is, you consider the property something more.  Which obviously I do.

I suppose they're easier to justify than the eight dollar Star Wars die cast ships, which are in turn a better deal than the Hot Wheels mini-Batmobiles, retailing for between ten and eleven bucks.

Jeez, that's almost as much as the three-packs.

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