I’ve been a collector all my life – everything from knives to stamps to coins to tobacco tins have filled first my parent’s house then my own. But the first steps down the road of pop culture collecting start with those damn little toys you get in every kid’s meal. Back in the eighties I started to pick up the occasional Happy Meal toy that was cool…then the occasioal set…and it was the gateway drug that led to me now buying $300 Premium Format figures and $150 sixth scale figures. A slippery slope my friends, a slippery slope.

I’ve kicked that habit for the most part these days, although that’s sort of like a crack addict giving up caffiene. But I fall off the wagon now and then, particularly when one of the fast food stores hits one of my favorite licenses, and such was the case with the new Star Wars Bobble Heads at McDonalds.

There are 17 bobble heads in the full set, and some do more than just bobble. They are also a mix of styles, with some of the based on the movies, and some based on the new animated Clone Wars. They should be at your local Mickey D’s til for another couple weeks.

If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com, or hit my other site Captain Toy – Michael’s Review of the Week. On to the bobbles!

McDonald’s Star Wars Bobble Heads

Packaging – **
What did you expect – they come in little plastic bags. At least they were nice enough to give you some basic instructions for those that are more than just bobble heads.

Sculpting – ***
The sculpting is fairly basic here, but it’s solid work for such inexpensive toys. In fact, there are toys in the store that cost quite a bit more and don’t have nearly as nice of sculpting. The concept is fairly simple – each large head is attached by a spring to some sort of vehicle. For the most part, these vehicles make complete sense (Vader on his fighter, etc.), but there are a couple weird exceptions. Nonetheless, the combinations are generally well thought out and well designed.

The sculpting on the ships is simple, without a ton of detailing, but everything is recognizable. The heads are fairly large, too big to be used for sixth scale figures and in some cases closer to quarter scale. Obviously, the ships are much smaller, giving them a slight ‘super deformed’ feel to their style and look.

Paint – ***
There’s not a ton of paint here, since many of the parts are simply cast in the most appropriate color. But if you consider the cost, and compare these to some mass market items out there these days, you’ll see that what paint work that is here is well done. There’s a little slop here and there, and some of the cut lines could be cleaner, but you’re getting you’re money’s worth.

Action Features – ***1/2
All the toys feature consistent action features: they all have bobble heads, and they all have wheels on the bottom to roll. For five of these toys, that’s it. These five are pictured below, and they bobble and roll just fine, but that’s all they do.

The next set of four also have wheels on the bottom, but they have a pull back feature. Pull back on the vehicle while the wheels are touching a surface, and when you let go they’ll roll forward. This worked pretty well on all four, with a medium distance obtained by all.

Next up, we have three that have light up sabers. There’s an on/off switch, and once flipped, you can press a button to turn on the saber. The light is bright enough to see in a day time room, but it looks much better in the dark.

The next set also has three members. These have an on/off switch and a button to push, but this time when you press it you get a series of sounds or spoken lines. That’s a nice feature, especially at this price point.

Finally, there’s a pair that walk. Turn the knob on the side to wind them up, and let them go! Both walk well, albeit a bit slowly.

Fun Factor – ***
I gave the full set to my seven year old son, knowing full well that I really don’t need another set of Happy Meal toys. He enjoyed them for awhile, and they work well for what they are – cheaper toys intended to amuse your kids for short periods. Don’t be surprised if your kids can’t find them the next day, with the possible exception of one or two of their favorites. My son gravitated to the walkers and the light up sabers, but your mileage may vary.

Value – ****
Depending on the license, they do some truly amazing stuff for pretty much no cost. Coming up next in September – Batman Legos! You know I’ll be getting that whole set for my son AND a set for me!

Things to Watch Out For:
Getting a large ass from eating too many Happy Meals.

Overall – ***
Some people see action figures and other toys at the local store and think “Jesus, that’s no better than a Happy Meal toy!”. I see the quality of the current day Happy Meal toys and think “Wow, that’s good enough to be in a store!”. It really does amaze me what they do with the licenses, considering how little they charge for these. Kinda makes you wonder how much that beef in your kid’s hamburger cost them, eh? Best not to think about it, and pass me the McNuggets please.

Where to Buy –
Uh, McDonald’s? Expect to pay around a buck each if you buy them individually, although it can vary from store to store.

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