Any parent shopping for Toy Story toys for their newly-obsessed young one will find themselves confronted with a confusing array of options. It seems that they have different licensing fees depending on how accurate the facial features, and whether or not the toy you are purchasing has the actual actor's voice or not.
This Buzz Lightyear, for example, looks exactly like the Buzz from the movies, and features Tim Allen's voice for the myriad sayings it spouts. Furthermore, it has wings that pop out when the red button on Buzz's chest is pushed, and a "laser" that fires. This Buzz looks and sounds just like the Buzz from the movie, and our son loves it.
This Buzz falls in the mid-to-high-end price range of available Buzz Lightyear dolls available. I think the only other one out there that is more expensive is the
Toy Story Collection Buzz Lightyear, and the differences between the two cannot be determined just by looking through the box. This Buzz is stiff, the knees and feet are extremely difficult to bend.
At first I thought it was just the Buzz we'd gotten, which also came without its backpack on. So when I returned Buzz for a new one, I was surprised to find that the new one's knees didn't bend very easily either. I figured this was just the way it is, until my son and I stopped by the Disney Store and wound up playing with the more expensive Buzz.
The more expensive Buzz is more articulated, and is built to flex much more easily. I still worry that my son is going to snap Buzz's legs off any time he tries to bend him at the knee - it takes a ton of force, honestly.
All told, this Buzz is awesome. I wouldn't have known that a better Buzz was out there, until we stumbled across the one in the Disney Store. He says all of the key phrases in Tim Allen's voice, and has the flashing laser to go along with 'em. But when it comes to the ability to pose this Buzz, his leg-joints are all locked up.