Sculpting - ***1/2
When you're working with a movie like Toy Story, where the characters ARE toys, you better be able to make them look pretty damn close.

Twitch does, at least from what we can tell so far. The movie doesn't open until June 18th, but from the promo shot of the character, the sculpt looks fairly accurate.

The only major difference is in the skin texture on the legs and torso. In the promos, it's clearly scaly, just like the arms. However, while this sculpted version has the textured arms, the rest of the figure is smooth. Not sure why the change, but it's pretty noticeable.

He is about 5 1/2" tall, and stands well on his own. The hands are sculpted in gripping poses, although he lacks anything to grip.

Paint - ***
There's not a lot of actual paint here, since most of the parts are cast in colored plastic.

There's some minor slop around the tops of the gloves, and there's zero small details overall. But the bright colors are certainly eye catching and bug-like in their hue.

The best aspect in this category is the clear, see through wings. They're fairly thick and slightly soft, with just a hint of color.

Articulation - *1/2
This is one of those figures that looks quite a bit more articulated through the bubble than he really is.

There's a cut neck joint, cut shoulders, and cut hips. What looks like potential joints at the elbows, knees and wrists are just there for show - remember, he's supposed to look like an action figure, not necessarily be one...I guess. Mattel, masters of irony.

At least the hips and shoulders allow for some basic posing, and you can get him to stand quite sturdily on his own.

The wings are also jointed, but while they might look like ball joints, they are really just a simple pin style cut joint. The wing can turn up and down, but can't pivot out away from the body.

Accessories - Bupkis
Nothing? C'mon, you gotta give us something here!  Even in the character shot from the film used on the front of the package (and in the promo photos) he's holding some sort of Bug's Life/Antz-like weapon or staff. His left hand is sculpted to hold something like that as well, so I suspect it may have been planned but lost during the costing phase.

Fun Factor - ***
He might not be super articulated, and he might come with jack for accessories, but he's still got a certain cool factor that is likely to make him a kid favorite.

Value - **1/2
I was beginning to think the eight dollar action figure was dead. Considering the ridiculous price some of the other figures are going for, I have no trouble giving this guy an average score, even with the weak articulation and no accessories.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing! He's ready for the sand box.

Overall - ***
While this figure isn't an amazing achievement in anything in particular, it is a decent enough toy and certainly better than the much smaller and much more expensive 'collector' toys. If you already have a Buzz and Woody in this scale, then you can add Twitch, Stretch, a Martian and Jessie to the group, filling out the display nicely. Let's hope we get a good Lots o Love Bear, Sparks, and maybe Mr. Pricklypants in this scale as well.

Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - *1/2
Accessories - Bupkis
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy -
These run around $8 at most retailers, and you should be able to find them at your local Target, Meijers, Toys R Us or other big chain store, as well as most Mom 'n Pops.

Related Links -
Other Toy Story reviews include - 

- I already mentioned the recent look at the more collector oriented series.

- one of my favorites is the Toy Story Collection version of Buzz Lightyear.

- Medicom also produced a nifty Buzz.

- And if you're looking for more Buzz and Woody, check out the Mattel action figures in the larger and smaller sizes.

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