Review of Twitch action figure
Toy Story 3

Introduction

Last week I took a look at the small Disney/Pixar Collection 'adult collector' series from Toy Story 3, and wasn't too pleased. Can you say overpriced Happy Meal toys?

Ah, but one should never give up too easily, and while I wasn't thrilled with the 6" figures that we got last year, I thought I'd check out some of the new characters in this scale, based on the new film. Mattel might have missed the boat with the 'adult collectors', but they did better on the kid's line.

There's also Stretch, the octopus, in this scale, as well as Sparks (I think). They don't show much of the upcoming line on the back of the package, so I'm guessing from memory (which ain't what it used to be) a bit on that one.

Good old Twitch is clearly based on the many insectoid style action figures of the 80's. In fact, there was a line of figures called Insectoids, as well as a Lego series of the same name!  He is also similar to the Sectaurs, which I think were related to the Insectoids in some way, and several other lines of the time.

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

On a related but not really note, I saw one of the new Toy Story 3 Barbie's on the shelf today too, and I think the product managers for that line have way too much fine with some of the titles. This Barbe was called "Barbie loves Woody". Me thinks there was much guffawing and knee slapping around the Mattel offices with that one.

Packaging - ***
Pretty standard stuff, with a large bubble and small card. Not much text on the back, and they really should have a wider range of characters pictured to entice the little ones into a spending spree.

There is some personalization though, including a character specific photo on the front and back. I also like the embossed effect on the bubble over the logo and character photo.

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 (out of ****):
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.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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