Buzz Lightyear.....Every Home Needs a Hero!!! (Hasbro Buzz Lightyear)

Member Name: cheekycheeks

Product:	Hasbro Buzz Lightyear
Date:	12/12/08 (205 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well made, interesting and great fun

Disadvantages: None at all

Well, as expected, I fell into the trap....the Toy Story trap and like all Disney productions the merchandise soon overtakes the movie itself. First of all it was an expedition to find Woody and now only a few weeks later I have again been on a quest to find the next best thing.......none other than Buzz Lightyear himself.

For three weeks now I've watched my oldest son bond with Woody. I've watched and listened as he's acted out the various scenes from the original Toy Story movie word for word. They now go everywhere together and I mean everywhere. In fact persuading a four year old that taking an electronic toy into the bath is never going to have a good outcome is very difficult. But there Woody is, night after night sitting on the edge of the bath, staring forward into infinity probably secretly wondering when the time is going to come when he falls into that watery abyss. However, contrary to Woody's paranoia, he was about to be acquainted with an old friend from way back!

It was a Thursday afternoon and there we were trying to park the car at Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow City centre. As most of the population of Glasgow is either at work or Christmas shopping the car park was pretty full but on the 5th floor we managed to find a parent and child space. We headed through the door of John Lewis and down to the shopping level. Within no time at all we entered the Disney Store. The walls were lined with Wall-E toys and High School Musical seems to be the order of the day....but not for my son, he had one purpose in mind!

After a frantic search for the Toy Story merchandise, which incidentally had been given minimum exposure for such a brilliant brand, we came across the pull string Woody and the Buzz Lightyear costume.......but no Buzz. I was having flashbacks to only a few weeks previously and visualising a royal hunt for Woody's best friend. However I kept calm, which is more than can be said for my little boy. The bottom lip was starting to tremble...his not mine! I stopped the lovely assistant as she passed and asked if she had any Buzz Lightyear's in stock and to my delight she told me that a delivery had just arrived and was sure that she had seen some. She'd be right back.

Meanwhile we checked out the Buzz Lightyear gun which looked super and was definitely a candidate for "Next Toy On The List" status.

Suddenly the door swung open and there was the lovely assistant walking toward us with not one but four Buzz Lightyear's all packed neatly in their boxes like an army about to be unleashed. My little boy momentarily thought they were all for him but after a very quick expectation management session he dutifully selected one of the four Buzz Lighyear's who incidentally became reacquainted with his long lost pal....Woody. Now here is the really good part, this Buzz was reduced from £15.oo to just £10.oo. I couldn't believe my luck.

Buzz was out of the box very quickly and it was just as well I had a pair of scissors in the car because Buzz was well packed with a number of plastic ties holding him prisoner within the very attractive box. The journey home quickly descended into Toy Story 3, or my little boy's version thereof. All that was missing was the film crew.

That night after the kids were in bed Buzz and I got to know each other and it was clear from the outset that his makers have spared no expense with this guy. He's got High Pressure Space Wings which spring open at the touch of a large red button on his chest then fold away when not in use. He has a laser button on his right arm which when pressed makes a laser gun type noise and a small LED on his arm lights up. Buzz also comes equipped with three other coloured buttons on his chest, however these don't work independently of each other, its just one button made to look like three. This button activates Buzz's voice and when pressed, he will say any of the following: "I'm Buzz Lighyear, I come in peace" or "To infinity and beyond" or "This is an intergalactic emergency" and "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue". The voice does sound awfully like Tim Allen but I'm really not sure if it is actually him.

The figure is made of a very hard grey and green coloured plastic and appears to be extremely well made. He's about 30cm tall and weighs about 600g. Buzz also has a clear plastic space helmet that flips up to uncover his face which has a lovely smile and big blue eyes, not forgetting his little curly hair on his chin! His hands and feet joints are very poseable and the top half of Buzz turns around 360 degrees. His knees and arms bend but his head does not move at all. The high pressure space wings do not detach from the figure in normal everyday use and are a permanent feature which is fine to be honest. But the wing section does need to be removed for battery replacement.

Buzz os for 3 years+ and requires 2 x AA Batteries which were supplied and already fitted. This Buzz Lightyear like most electronic toys these days has a small plastic tab that needs to be removed to allow the sound affect to activate. One other good feature is that Buzz glows in the dark. The green sections on his space suit are aluminous and look very impressive in a darkened room once your eyes adjust.

Buzz has already made himself at home and he's now firmly outranked every other toy in the box. He's taken his rightful place alongside Woody on the shelf and who knows what adventures await them while I'm at Tesco!!

This is a fabulous toy that should keep any child entertained for hours. He's a genuine companion just as the film depicts and with very little effort you and your child can create your very own.... Toy Story.

Summary: Brilliant entertainment and a hero for any home