by Lysa Goodman
In a perfect world, I’d be enjoying this Friday by flying around town on the back of my very own flying robot. We’d pal-around and crack jokes, and then I’d give Baymax a great big marshmallow-like hug. Alas, until the time comes when household robots are the norm, I’ll settle for this fantastic new toy from Disney’s Big Hero 6 and Bandai.
With the holidays approaching, and two very excited boys in my house - I immediately grabbed the Deluxe Flying Baymax figure. First of all, he’s HUGE. He stands an impressive 11” tall. With his wings deployed he has an 18” wingspan. By his side is the 4.5” Hiro figure, in his own set of armor. It’s hard not to get giddy over this set. It’s just looks like candy-coated, shiny, action-packed FUN.
This toy lights up. It makes sounds. But even better, when you attach Hiro to his back, he makes different sounds. It’s a nice touch that makes it a little less repetitive. It also seems to change sounds depending on the direction you hold Baymax - a whoosh sound when you fly him up versus down. Together or apart, these two figures make a great combo. Baymax's armor is slick and well done. Pretty much every point is articulated, even the head/neck. If you’re a collector, you’ll be able to pose him in a variety of ways. From a kid’s standpoint, Baymax will be very playable thanks to the attention to detail. Hiro is also well-articulated and attaches to Baymax’s back with magnets. And when you don’t want to hear Baymax noises at 3am, he has a handy off/on switch.
Not only will this Baymax look impressive on a shelf with his wings out, but his sheer size and build lead me to believe he’ll stand up to the rough play of young kids. He’s substantial, heavy and solid. His main “weapon” - though I use that term loosely - is his rocket fist, which fires off at the touch of a button. The only drawback is of course the repeated times I will be fetching the rocket fist out from under the couch.
As an extra touch, he comes with batteries included, so you can enjoy him straight out of the box.
I have a hunch that the real challenge will be trying to keep him hidden away until December after seeing the film this weekend. Well, that and trying to not be tempted into getting one of the adorable inflatable life-size Baymax standees that are popping up in theaters everywhere. Are you listening Bandai? Please make that a thing.
The flick is now showing nationwide! Get it (new stock soon).