Review of Hop PVC Figures

Introduction

I go to see movies with my youngest kids whenever possible - it's one of our things. I imagine that when they're adults, they'll look back on our trips to the local cinemaplex with fondness, or at least I hope they do, and I'm all for building a love of film at an early age. They're 10 now, and for the last decade we've watched countless movies together.

But after the critics soundly trashed Hop, I did my best to dissuade them. After all, wasn't Rio coming out just next week? Couldn't Hop wait for the blu-ray release? But they were insistent, and I had some time this last weekend...so we made the trip.

I'm glad we did, too. While the movie is no Kung Fu Panda or Despicable Me, or even in the same general neighborhood as something like that (and don't even try comparing it to a Pixar movie), it was still an enjoyable watch, with enough good laughs to make it worth the effort. And they deserve some credit for not putting it out in 3D just for the sake of 3D. I'm not going to be buying the blu-ray when it comes out, but it was worth one watch with the kids.

There's not much merchandise at most retailers related to the movie, but there's a reason for that - Walmart cornered the market. It's pretty obvious that when they saw the Easter theme, the Easter timing, and the Easter related products possible, the Walmart reps were practically salivating. And so at your local store you'll find a couple aisles devoted to all types of candy, baskets, and cheap toys for the holiday with the Hop logo. These are all up front, with the Easter items, not back in the actual toy aisles.

I noticed that they were carrying a set of 9 PVC figures, and the quality looked surprisingly good. They are also fairly large, coming in at about 3 inches or so, depending on the character. There are three 3-packs - one with E.B., his Dad, and Carlos, one with the three Pink Barrettes, and one with E.B. in a backpack, another version of Carlos, and Phil. At a price point of just $5 for a three pack, they were irresistible to me. But hey, that's me - I figured I'd crack them open before the holiday to see if they'll put a little color on your Easter Eggs as well.

Packaging - ***
The egg shaped backer card has the basic colors and logo, and the tight fitting bubble leaves little waste. It could use a bit more info on the back, including a list of the full nine figures, but it does it's basic job just fine.

Sculpting - ***
There's good and bad here, and it's important to keep perspective around the price point.

The fur and feathers are detailed and finely sculpted. There's more detail here than we usual see in PVC's like this, and the scale and proportions are decent as well.

Also on the plus side, all the figures stand great on their own, something that's important to me. The poses work pretty well too, and they are made from very solid, very heavy plastic.

On the negative side, while the sculpting is detailed it isn't particularly screen accurate. It's tough to tell if that's entirely the fault of the sculpt though, because the paint is so far off that it throws the likeness off overall.

I also wish that E.B.'s dad had the scepter in his hands, but that's a minor nit. The figures range in size from 2 1/2" to 4", depending on the figure. And yes, I'm counting the ears.

Paint - **
The big problem with the figures is the paint work, where they clearly saved their cash. However, it's still not as bad as we've seen on some PVC figures, especially when it comes to the basic quality.

There's not really a lot of slop, and the cut lines are generally clean. They even used a gloss finish on the father's clothes to make them pop.

But none of the colors are accurate, and the lack of detail paint work on the faces of E.B. or his dad really hurt their overall look. In fact, the gray color of the dad couldn't be much further from his multi-tone brown fur on screen. E.B.'s plaid shirt is just blue, and the backpack he rode in sure wasn't this color either.

Articulation - Bupkis
I won't be deducting anything for this category from my overall, because it was pretty obvious that these were intended as standard PVC figures. But I thought it was worth pointing out in the review that there are no joints, since some PVC figures occasionally do have a cut neck or arm hidden in there.

Fun Factor - **1/2
While these might not be articulated, kid's don't need joints to have fun. Isn't that what Just Say No was all about? These are heavy, dense, and easy to stand up. There wasn't really the kind of conflict that kid's love to re-enact, but big fans of the holiday should enjoy them.

Value - ***
Considering the current price structure for most action figures, getting anything for $5 is a great deal. These are decent sized, heavy PVC figures, and at about $1.25, they're a solid bargain, paint issues and all.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***
These aren't great art, nor are they outstanding figures, but they are good quality for the price, something that's a bit too rare these days. The paint issues are a tad annoying, but the figures are recognizable and cute. They'll make nice additions to any Easter basket, especially for kids that have seen the film.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - **
Articulation - Bupkis
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Obviously, you'll want to head to the local Walmart for these, where you can pick them up in their Easter display for $5 a three pack.

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