Background
The Toy Story franchise is one of the most lucrative (and popular) film franchises for Disney/Pixar studios. Not many animated films have had the sustained success of the movies featuring Buzz, Woody and a box full of other toys. And it makes sense that a movies about toys would yield...a bunch of toys.
A few weeks back, we took a look at Hot Toys Cosbaby (M) Series that featured Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the Alien. In addition to those larger pieces, Hot Toys has released a blind box series featuring 8 different figures from Toy Story 3. They've added to the above three characters with the Army Man, Emperor Zurg and Jessie.
The Facts
Toy Story Cosbaby (S) Series
Series: Cosbaby
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Material: Injection molded snap kits
Dimensions: Approximately 3” tall
Points of Articulation: 9 (neck, shoulders, wrists, hips and ankles)
Designs: Alien (Smiley and “OOOHH!” Versions); Army Man; Buzz Lightyear; Emperor Zurg; Jessie; Woody
Accessories: Army Man – Machine Gun (Secret Army Man figure includes binoculars)
Packaging
The Toy Story Cosbaby line is blind boxed in colorful square packaging. It features the characters from the film on the front, alongside the Toy Story logo. On the sides, you can see seven of the figures that might just be inside of that box.
Our Opinion
I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to see any of the Toy Story films. It's simply a matter of time though. If anything, these toys have made me more interested in the films. Hot Toys has the license to create Cosbaby figures based on the Toy Story films, and they've released two series based on the characters. I am just guessing that the (M) Series stands for medium Cobaby, while the (S) Series is the small Cosbaby.
The Toy Story Cosbaby (S) Series features most of the main characters from the Toy Story trilogy. There are a few omissions, including Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex and Hamm. But they would probably be the most difficult to adapt to the Cosbaby platform. Speaking of that, I feel most of the characters adapted fairly well. The only figures I am not a fan of are the Army Men. They're just so iconic in their original toy state that something seems amiss in this Cosbaby form. I think it's that all of the other toys look like their on-screen counterparts.
The Alien, Buzz Lightyear and Woody are very close to their larger (M) Series versions. Buzz is still the standout figure of the series.The Alien is available in a pair of variants – the smiley face and the open-mouth “OOOHH!” version. Neither one includes the 3D Glasses included with the (M) Series Alien. In addition to the Army Men, the new characters included in the (S) Series include Emperor Zurg and Jessie. Both figures have transferred perfectly to the Cosbaby form.
Quality-wise, these aren't on the same level as Hot Toys' 1/6 scale line (very few things are). But they are solid, intricately sculpted figures. There are a few spots where the paint isn't perfect or there's an issue with a seam. But, overall, they're above average for a blind box series.
OVERALL: At first, I wasn't sure how the Toy Story characters would transfer to the Cosbaby style. We had really only seen films with human actors (Alien, Predator, Pirates of the Caribbean, Iron Man, etc) take the Cosbaby form. But I was impressed. We're a fan of 6 out of 8 figures in the Toy Story (S) Series – sorry Army Men. But that doesn't deter it from being my favorite Cosbaby line to date.
You can pick one up at the following:
Sideshow Collectibles: $69.99 (Set) or $8.99 (Individual)
Toy Story Cosbaby (S) Series Grades
Figure Quality: 9/10
Sculpt: 8/10
Paint: 8/10
Accessories/Outfit: 7/10
Packaging: 8/10
Durability: 8/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Alien: 8.8/10
Army Man: 7.8/10
Buzz Lightyear: 9.1/10
Emperor Zurg: 9.0/10
Jessie: 8.9/10
Woody: 9.0/10
Would you consider selling zurg?