Tag Archives: superhero

Superhero Movie Figures

If you’re a fan of superhero movies, life is pretty good right now. Between reboots of existing hero stories (Batman, Spiderman, and X-Men, for example), sequels (Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Fantastic Four 2, Thor, etc.), first-time-on-screen heroes (Deadpool, Antman, Jessica Jones), and heroes who had cameos in current films but will be getting their own movies soon (Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Aquaman), you’re going to be spending a lot of time in dark theaters. This week, we take a look at some fun toys to keep you connected to your favorite heroes—and villains—during those long spells between movie releases.

Big Figs (Jakks Pacific)

jakks wonder womanThese 19-inch figures, ripped straight from the new Warner Bros film, “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” are stunning. If you’re a collector, you’ll probably put these big figs on a high shelf somewhere and never touch them, which would be too bad, because they’re really fun to play with. We had a chance to review Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, and the opportunities for imaginative play are endless. Act out scenes from the movie by pitting that buff alien from Krypton against the equally buff vigilante from Gotham City. Or have that buff warrior princess from the Amazons take on both of the boys. Each of these figures is highly detailed and has seven points of articulation and a cloth cape (in the case of Superman and Batman). They’re for ages 3+ and retail for about $35 each. http://www.jakks.com/

 

Justice League figures (Schleich)

schleich batman v harley quinnThe Justice League is DC’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers, and while they’ve been a little slower getting to the big and small screens, they’re catching up quickly. Schleich, which makes gorgeously detailed animal figurines (including dragons and other mythical beasts) has created a line of just-as-gorgeously detailed Justice League characters. They’re available individually or in pretty much any combination. One set of small figures features Batman and Harley Quinn (who, if you don’t already know, is Joker’s girlfriend and one of Batman’s adversaries. She’s been in the comic books and animated series, but will be making her first live-action appearance in the forthcoming “Suicide Squad” film). Another set comes with seven of the founding members of the League: Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, The Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman. All of the figures are beautifully rendered, solidly crafted, and great to play with. For ages 4+. Prices vary widely.  http://www.schleich-s.com/en/US/

 

Marvel Avengers RC Rollover Rumbler (Jakks Pacific)

jakks avengers rollover rumblerIf you’ve seen “Captain America: Civil War,” you may be feeling the need to side with the Cap or Iron Man. But with this two-sided remote-controlled vehicle, there’s no need to choose. Each side is decorated with images and colors from either Team Red or Team Blue. Start off as Iron Man, and when you get tired of his sarcasm and inflated ego, flip it over and continue as Captain America. And when you’re sick of Steve Rogers’ brooding and pouting, flip back to the billionaire. The multi-function 2.4 GHz remote lets you barrel straight ahead, flip, roll, jump, or do 360-degree spins indoors or out and on almost any non-smooth surface. It’s a real blast for parents or kids and will keep you busy and entertained for hours. The only downside is that it you’ll need 10 AA batteries, which aren’t included. The Rumbler is for ages 4+ and retails for under $48. http://www.jakks.com/

Building a Childhood

Kids and building go hand in hand: Make it bigger, higher, better, greener—whatever strikes their fancy that particular day. Not only are building toys a good time, but they‘re also great for parent-child bonding, and have been shown to improve motor skills, hand-eye coordination, social skills, cooperation, creativity, spatial skills, and more. No wonder we love ‘em so much!

play doh minionsPlay-Doh Disguise Lab Featuring Despicable Me Minions (Hasbro)
Sometimes we all feel like minions. But what do minions do when they want to feel like someone else? Enter Play-Doh Disguise Lab. Just put your minion into the hair styling chair (one purple minion, one yellow minion, and chair are included) and give him as many silly and crazy hairstyles as you’d like. Your child will have so much fun with this, and you will too. You can trim their hair, choose different colors, and even make things that Minions love like ba-na-nas. The kit also comes with scissors (not sharp), a comb for styling, and four cans of Play-Doh. With the Minion movie coming out this summer, this Play Doh kit will be even more popular. About $18 at Toys R Us and other retailers.

 

lego batman penguin3 LEGO DC Comics Batman: The Penguin Face off
LEGO, of course, are great building toys. With a dizzying number of sets and sizes to choose from, there’s something for every kid (and every parent) to play with. “LEGO DC Comics Batman: The Penguin Face” off lets kids recreate and act out their favorite superhero moments. In this kit, the goal is to help Scuba Batman bring justice to that diamond-stealing, umbrella-wielding waddler, Penguin and his minions (no, not the yellow ones—this villain’s minions are robot penguins). The kit comes with Batman and Penguin (and two minions) mini-figs, the “diamond,” a ton of weapons—including Penguin’s umbrella, and all the ingredients to build Batman’s scuba vehicle and Penguin’s duck boat. Penguin and the duck boat appeared in the recent movie “LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League.” The title is quite a mouthful, but it was pretty funny, and a good flick for the whole family (especially all those LEGO and/or Superheroes fans). If your child isn’t into superheroes and prefers something a little more “real,” take a look at the Swamp Police Starter Set, which comes with four mini-figs, an alligator, boat, raft, “hideout” spot, and quite a few accessories, including a spider, snake, handcuffs, walkie talkies, a shovel, and more. Ages 5-12. Batman is about $13, Swamp is about $10. http://shop.lego.com.

bun bunBun Bun! (The Bridge Direct)
If you think that all building toys have to be blocks or bricks and have hard edges, you need to meet Bun Bun. These cute, cuddly (and collectible, of course) animals were created to be stacked and piled up. Stacking plush toys have already created a splash in Japan and other countries, and they’re just now hitting the US markets. Bun Bun combines two things kids love: building and animals which is great. Better yet, both boys and girls we tested Bun Bun with loved them and couldn’t get enough. The first wave of characters includes Kit Kit (Cat), Moo Moo (Cow), Pup Pup (Dog), Shu Shu (Monkey), Bit Bit (Mouse), Pip Pip (Pig), Bai Bai (Polar Bear), and Bon Bon (Rabbit), and they come in four sizes: mini (4”) small (7”) medium (10”) jumbo (16”). But regardless of the color, size, or animal, Bun Bun encourages kids to be creative and get their engineering on. For all ages. Prices range from $5 to $20. http://www.bunbuntoys.com/

Build Me a Hero

With great toys comes great fun—especially when you combine two childhood favorites: building and super heroes.

guardians knowhereguardians starblasterMarvel Superheroes Knowhere Escape Mission (Lego)
Marvel Superheroes Galaxy Starblaster Showdown (Lego)
Both of these great kits from Lego star characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. The Knowhere Escape Mission is a pretty large set, great for bigger kids or collectors. It has 433 pieces, and comes with 3 mini-figures (Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, and Sakaaran) plus a comparatively giant Groot who’s poseable. There are all sorts of cool features that will keep kids (and parents) entertained for hours—even if they aren’t terribly familiar with the movie or the comic books. There’s a tower with a trap door, spring-loaded bazookas, a catapult, Rocket’s custom spaceblaster, a sword for those less-technically inclined, and the all-important orb. The Galaxy Starblaster Showdown is less than half the size, with 196 pieces, but it’s just as much fun. This one has three figures, including Star-Lord himself. The Starblaster and Necrocraft spaceships can battle each other head to head. Each has adjustable wings and a cockpit that opens. And to help the good guys catch the bad guys (or vice versa) there are plenty of weapons (including blasters and missiles), a pair of boot thrusters, and even a set of handcuffs, something you don’t often find in Lego kits. Both sets are for ages 6 and up and retail for about $40 and $20 respectively. http://shop.lego.com/

sprukits batmansprukits achillesSpruKits Batman Arkham City (Bandai)
SpruKits LBX Achilles (Bandai)
Just introduced at Toy Fair in February of this year, SpruKits have a great future ahead of them. They’re a wonderful combination of poseable action figure, and assemble-it-yourself model. SpruKits claim that their figures snap together without glue, scissors, or paint, and they’re absolutely right. And when you’re done snapping, you’ve got a sharp, very detailed, well-articulated, five-inch figure. The kits come in three building-skill levels, clearly marked on the front of the package. The two we had a chance to review were both Level 2. Batman, with 95 pieces, took a little less than an hour to put together and stood up to quite a bit of knocking around. The LBX (Little Battlers Experience) Achilles has 102 pieces and took a bit more than an hour to complete. He was just as detailed and great looking. But our testers had trouble keeping the pieces together, so he was more of a show piece, which was a bit frustrating. That’s a problem that we’re sure the manufacturer is rectifying right now. For ages 8+. The price point is terrific: about $10.00 for Level 1, under $20 for Level 2, and $60 for Level 3 at your favorite retailer.

yomen star wars yodayomen star wars trooperClone Trooper YoMen Yoyo (Yomega)
Yoda YoMen Yoyo (Yomega)
If you’re a yoyo fan, the new YoMen will make your head spin. Well, not yours, but Yoda’s and a Clone Trooper’s, which is more fun and less dangerous. If you’re not a yoyo fan, you really should be. While they don’t exactly fit this column’s theme of building and superheroes, the YoMen yoyos do require a bit of assembly (the head is the yoyo and it fits nicely on to the body/stand). And who’s to say that there won’t be an epic superhero battle between Yoda and Batman or Star-Lord and a Clone Trooper one of these days? But until then, you’ve got yourself an elite-level yoyo, which should keep you busy and entertained. For ages 8 and up. Retails for about $17 on line, in stores, or at http://yomega.com/