The Toy Story movies have really helped to re-introduce plastic army men as a fun and imaginative toy.
My son really enjoyed this Toy Story bucket of soldiers from the official merchandise range.
It is top quality with plenty of soldiers, a variety of poses and the added bonus of 2 parachutists.
In the movies, the 200 animated little green army men toys are often seen being sent on missions by Woody and the gang. Led by Sarge they spy on new toys, rescue Buzz, find Woody’s hat and try to stop Andy’s dog getting through the bedroom door. And their ‘Leave no man behind’ motto is a good message for kids to learn.
The toy version is a replica of the bucket seen in the movie. Unfortunately it only contains 72 of the 200 troops but this is still plenty for some army fun. They are stuck to bases just like those in the movie so your child can stand them up or copy the animated walking sequence (just imagine trying to walk with wooden planks strapped to your feet for how to do this).
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Toy Story Bucket O Soldiers Features
There are 72 Toy Story green army men that are accurate versions of those in the movie.
They are 2″ tall so larger than a lot of plastic army men.
They are fixed to base plates so stand up easily.
There are 12 different poses (see pictures below). There are 7 soldiers in each of the 10 main sculpts and 2 individual parachutist sculpts.
There are 2 figures with working parachutes. The strings are already fixed through a ring on the top of their helmet. They are made of more flexible plastic (presumably to withstand the impact of being thrown about).
The soldiers are not painted and have no articulation.
All the soldiers have weapons which are molded as part of them.
Pros
Quantity: 72 is a nice number of soldiers to have – there are not too many and not too few. There are plenty to use to re-enact army missions.
Quality: The build is far superior to the cheap sets that you find in dollar stores. They are sturdy, stand up well on their base plates and feel good. The plastic is softer than cheaper products so less brittle and less likely to break or snap.
Number of positions: having army men positioned in 12 different stances allows for a good variety of battle scenarios.
Size: The 2″ height is perfect for little fingers to hold, play with and position. (I love comparing things to apples so you can get a feel for how big they really are!)
Detailing: The level of detail on the soldiers is much higher than I was expecting. Uniforms and even facial features are clear.
Molds: The soldiers are well made and do not have any of those scratchy join seams and bad edges that are typical of toy army men. They are smooth with no sharp edges to cut your foot, if you tread on them, or your child as he plays.
Durable: They are sturdy and have stood up to all kinds of play. They have been dropped, trodden on, squashed etc and are still in great condition. They are suitable for both indoor and outdoor play (see our ‘on location’ pictures below).
Imagination: these toys will stimulate your kids imagination. They will soon get other toys involved in their imaginary battles too – cars or tanks, Legos for buildings and even things like Transformers for aliens to fight.
Parachutes: The inclusion of 2 parachutists is a real bonus and spices up the army role play. They are great to throw down from the top of the stairs and really do work (obvious disclaimer – just watch young kids playing on the stairs).
The bucket: I love the bucket. It is perfect to keep the soldiers tidied away at the end of the day. There is also a handle so it can be carried around easily or taken to other people’s houses. The bucket is sturdy and the lid stays on. It can also be stacked in a toy cupboard or stored in a toy box without getting damaged.
Cons
They don’t come to life like they do in the movies!
They are more expensive than generic plastic army men but you get what you pay for. They are not cheap as you are buying official Toy Story toys (complete with Certificate of Authenticity. But you do get a lot of soldiers of a great size and quality as well as a readymade storage bucket.
The parachute strings get tangled too easily but I’m not sure what the manufacturers could really have done to avoid this. They are also hard to throw up into the air and get to work – you really need to drop them from a height.
Toy Story Army Men Review
For kids into playing army or those into Toy Story toys, I would highly recommend this set of Toy story army men. They are a great quality classic toy as well as being movie replicas.
You can also find other Toy Story army toys such as the Lego Army Men On Patrol Set and Sarge’s Helicopter.
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On Location Gallery
