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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buzz Lightyear - YES!, November 25, 2009
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Toy Story 12" Talking Buzz Lightyear (Toy)
Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger! Is he real or just a toy - you decide! I'm pretty sure you know who Buzz Lightyear is but if not he's a space ranger who's a toy, or a toy who's a space ranger... Just watch a Toy Story Movie already! This is the Toy Story Collection Buzz Lightyear and just... Wow.
For kids and adults:
You may look at the price tag and think, "Wow, that's expensive for a Buzz Lightyear," and certainly there are less expensive versions but this is THE Buzz to own whether you are a player (with toys) or a collector. First of all the box... I'm not a keep in the box kind of guy and usually just chunk `em but this box is an exacting (aside from some real world concessions) replica of the boxes Buzz comes in in the movies. Smartly the wings are not attached in the store (imagine the carnage) but are included so you can attach at home for display or when giving to that Pixar loving kid on Christmas day. A very nice box for a mass market toy.
This guy is a huge and bulky 12" figure and is impeccably sculpted to match the movie. From the bottom of his feet, pointed knees, rubbery waist up to his cocky face with arched eyebrow this guy is Buzz from head to toe. His backpack and wings are also picture perfect.
Paint is fairly simple but all clean. The work on his face, eyes, eyebrows, mouth... all look great and clean. The only slop at all is the around the edges of the purple tips on his fingers and the green patches on his hands. And speaking of the green - IT'S GLOW IN THE DARK! He has a clean green color used to highlight many parts of his body, the biggest area being his chest, but you wouldn't even know it glows until you get him in the dark it's such a normal looking paint. One downside is that some details, like warnings on his jetpack and his communicator and space ranger symbol, are stickers. It looks fine and is movie accurate but as stickers do they will peel over time and play.
Articulation is all high quality. The head is part of the features but can be moved when he's not on but I would not recommend excessive tampering with it. Ball shoulders and elbows offer smooth and stable positioning, the wrists turn and the four fingers on each hand move at the hand knuckle. The only down side to the arms is they cannot hang straight down from the shoulder - but they look so good with hand on hips or in a more action pose it's hardly missed. His waist is clicky with a couple of clicks to lean him front and back and side to side that add a lot of pose-ability. His hip joints have a full and smooth range of movement (forward, back and out), the knees are clicky and also rotate (clicky too) and the ankles have a small range. It may not sound like a lot but it really is perfect for this toy and more than you might expect and the quality of the joints is top notch. There's a little wobble but nothing a steady hand can't manage.
Special features? This guy is ALL special features. In toy mode he has a few phrases to say and standard wing pop and fold and helmet open and close and laser sounds. Also his voice and sounds are of a more tinny and old fashioned quality. But in Space Ranger mode he's much more interactive - or that is to say he has a lot more to say. His head turns side to side and as the box says, over 65 phrases, and add that to the lights (arm laser and wing tips) and sounds. His wings pop out at the push of a button and make appropriate noises both popping out and folding in and they do both well. The helmet opens and closes and makes noises and dialog (depending on mode) as appropriate. His laser lights up and makes movie accurate sound and his communicator opens and closes with appropriate sounds and dialog as well. Add on to that with wings out you can fly him in a horizontal fashion for swooping and swooshing sounds and when you make him vertical again he makes landing sounds and appropriate dialog you've got a feast of special features. Oh, did I mention he has a microphone and listens out for you as well and responds to noises you make? If you stay quiet he'll ask where you are and eventually enter "hypersleep" mode. The only possible downside is that, yes, some of the sounds and dialog are sequential, but there are so many and they are subject to several factors that it's hardly a bother.
A couple of things in leaving. One, for the price this guy does a lot. Compare to a leader class Transformer that may have 3 sounds and the only other advantage is transformation (but Buzz does have pop out wings and open and closeable helmet and communicator and glow in the dark paint) and the tiny bit more money translates to a lot of extra features. Two, this is such a collector toy that it comes with that great box and an actual certificate of authenticity while at the same time being economical and fun enough to be a great toy for kids too. And last, the box does not lie... I've easily cataloged 64 different sayings that Buzz says and I'm sure I either missed some or they counted some in different circumstances but he really does say a lot and makes many sounds and has lights and all. Because I know many would prefer the sayings to be a surprise I won't list here, but the first (maybe only) comment here will be me publishing all the sayings I've found (because some will want to know) so consider that a spoiler warning on the comments section. Oh and um, 5 out of 5, OK?
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Buzz Lightyear I always wanted, June 20, 2010
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Toy Story 12" Talking Buzz Lightyear (Toy)
I remember when I was 11 years old and saw Toy Story in theaters. Not only did I instantly choose my future profession, I also instantly wanted my own Woody and Buzz. Even back in 1995/96, I always had a beef with how inaccurate those two toys were in looks and design (in the Woody doll it was always his face and the fact the stitching on the shoulders and where the legs connect with his waist were inaccurate with a voice that didn't sound like Tom Hanks' voice and in Buzz it was always lack of features and crappy wingspan).
When I caught wind of the movie-accurate versions, my inner-child annoyed me to the point where I HAD to have these toys. Once I got a hold of this new and improved Buzz Lightyear action figure, I was in love with it and was rejoicing. It was the Buzz I always wanted to have (he even came in a replica of his spaceship box!).
This toy is surprisingly more pose-able than past incarnations of this beloved character. And the ugly screws that usually littered the backside of almost every Buzz toy I have ever seen are no longer there. What really tickled me was the fact that his waist is rubber...RUBBER. Not only is it accurate, but it allows for him to be THAT much more flexible in positioning him. This does make him a bit wobbly, but still quite stable. I should also note that while his individual fingers (excluding the thumbs), arms, waist, and upper legs turn smoothly, his knees (bending and rotating), feet, and waist (when bending forward, backward, or to the side) are stiff and click into place. This may seem annoying to some, but highly welcome and understandable. This toy is quite hefty and top-heavy, so the stiff, clicking limbs allow for better balance if you like him to stand on his own. And while his pop-out wings are still not completely movie length or helmet fully retracts, this are more real world limitations than flaws. And the decal designs are stickers, but if you're a collector this shouldn't be an issue, but excessive play can make these fall off over time.
As for features, this guy is full of them! This guy spouts about 65 sayings overall. He has two basic modes: Toy and Space Ranger. In Toy Mode Buzz recites lines similar or verbatim as if he were the real toy from Andy's room (about 6 or 7 in all). While in this mode he has the light's on his wings flashing AND his wings unfold correctly (another thing I love about this thing) and the helmet makes the sound it does from the films when you open or close it (by hand, but the blue buttons on either side of the helmet). The deployment and retracting sounds of the wings are also present. He has his open-up wrist communicator (which also has sounds)...and of course...he has his laser and his green trim glows in the dark (once you expose him to a light source, of course). His Space Ranger Mode has the majority of the 65 sayings and boost a huge amount of interactivity. Anything you can do with him gets a response from Buzz. He responds to your voice with random sayings, he can tell if you aren't speaking or are too loud, he responds to you opening and closing his helmet, pressing his laser, opening his communicator, and when you get his wings out he plays flying sounds when you put him in a horizontal "flying" position and will make landing sounds when you turn him upright again. The best part for both parents and collectors is that you can disable his talkback feature while he's still on and leave him in Toy Mode to use his movie features so he isn't constantly responding to random noises (and possibly less irritation to parents, however turning the feature back on is easy so your kids will most likely figure it out on their own anyway). His head also turns whenever he speaks. This can also be positioned by hand, but it's best not to do it too often or you can risk damage (but don't be afraid to move it).
Overall, I recommend this toy for both kids and adults, though I also recommend that due to the price tag on this thing that the child should be roughly 8-10 so they won't damage this toy too much (if the child is younger, I suggest one of the many cheaper Buzz Lightyear toys available that may not have all the features...but is just as accurate in appearance, slightly more durable, and cheaper to boot. And due to his hard plastic body this toy can sustain noticeable damage if dropped (or be completely destroyed). But definitely the best 50 bucks I ever spent on a toy (not to mention it's almost a steal to me since these toys specifically have a strong meaning to me).
SPECIAL NOTE TO PARENTS: It is rather easy for an older child to manipulate Buzz's fingers into the unmistakable "middle finger salute". Just letting you guys know.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2ND try AWESOME, November 13, 2009
Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Toy Story 12" Talking Buzz Lightyear (Toy)
The first Buzz I received was very strange. The hole in the packaging used to demo it was on the wrong side, so if you wanted to demo it, you were pressing the deploy wings button. Every Buzz I have seen in the stores had the hole on Buzz's right side so you could press the buttons that make him talk. Upon opening him, I noticed VERY poor quality control. There were lots of chips in the paint, his helmet was scuffed up, and the wings had bad wear and tear. I emailed "Thinkway Toys" and they dismissed it as the first complaint they have received.
My only option was to use Amazon.com's exchange program. Wow. The replacement arrived the NEXT DAY and was in PERFECT condition. This toy is the best 50$ to be spent on any Toy Story replica. It sounds great, looks great, and not to quote the move, has an 'impressive wing span'! The packaging is amazing. The inside was given a lot of attention to look just like the inside of a spaceship. I highly recommend this toy.
Not to mix reviews, but I feel it is necessary to reiterate that Amazon.com QUICKLY getting me a replacement greatly effected my opinion of this toy. THANKS AMAZON!
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