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Monday, May 31, 2021

Mattel Pixar Minis Advent Calendar Review!

Ho, ho, ho...Merry Chri—wait. OK what am I doing in May reviewing a Christmas themed item? Good question. Well this Pixar Minis Advent Calendar has been on my radar to get since it hit Amazon last year and I finally went ahead and got it just recently (for my birthday, in fact). The reason I finally broke down and ordered this is—well, there are three reasons: Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible and Angel Kitty minis! 

As you may already know if you follow my content closely, I'm a huge fan and collector of Mattel's Pixar Minis line. I've collected them ever since they debuted in 2016 as Toy Story Minis and have enjoyed seeing the collection continue on and expand to ALL Pixar over the years. Though I already have the majority of the minis included with this calendar (Mike, Sulley Joy, Sadness, Nemo, Dory, Wall·E & Eve were already available the Pixar Minis blind bags Series 1; Tinny was included in a Toy Story 4 Ultimate New Friends 10-Pack; Ian & Barley were part of the Onward specific series), there are a few here that caught my eye that I don't have (the three being, as mentioned above, Elastigirl & Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles and Angel Kitty from Toy Story That Time Forgot).

So why would I pay almost $30 for just three minis that I don't already have? Let me explain. Let's start with Mr. Incredible. Mr. Incredible WAS released as a single blind bag last year in Pixar Series 2, but that series still hasn't hit the US yet and so I never got him. I felt this was a great way to secure him just in case. 

Next up, Elastigirl (or Mrs. Incredible). Elastigirl was suppose to be released last year in Pixar Series 3 blind bags (as seen at Toy Fair last year in THIS image I took), but that series was never produced as planned. I'm not sure if it's been just delayed or cancelled altogether, but the series was never released anywhere. So currently, this is literally the ONLY way to get the Elastigirl mini—a reason in itself to get this calendar for us diehard completists. 

And lastly, we have the Angel Kitty mini. Angel Kitty was also suppose to be released last year in a Toy Story minis series based on the Toy Story shorts and TV specials (seen HERE in my video), but that wave was also delayed or completely cancelled. So as with Elastigirl, this is the ONLY way to get the Angel Kitty mini (who, by the way, is different from the Toy Story Buddy Packs figure of the character from 2016).

For the longest time I held out hope that those delayed series would see the light of day and that I could just get these few characters then. But at this point, I've pretty much lost all the hope I had and finally decided to just go for this set in order to get them; even if through kind of a round about (and pricey) way. No regrets here though, I'm so glad I finally have these long awaited characters.

The advent calendar also comes with a cute mini Christmas tree accessory (it's the last door you open; so the door for Christmas Eve if you're opening this properly throughout December leading up to Christmas). I do wish the tree had something more "Pixar" about it (like a Luxo ball ornament and/or tree topper or something), but honestly there isn't anything Pixar (or Toy Story about it). It's still cute though.

Here are the rest of the minis that come with this set. Since I already have them and reviewed them in previous posts, I won't be going into any more detail here. I still wanted to document them though.

And here's a closer look at the 11 really cute stickers that come inside! I absolutely love all the iconic Pixar props/imagery here and the minimal art style. These will come in handy in the future, no doubt. You can also cut out the wreath on the back of the box and put the stickers on the little designated spots on that as well.   

To wrap things up, speaking of the box, I have to mention the packaging. It's absolutely genius. Seriously, the Pixar themed stockings and all the little Pixar touches around the front and back are brilliantly designed and completely adorable. My hat's off to the design team with this one! Mattel has done it again.

Well I think that's all I got! If you're looking to add this to your Pixar Minis collection, you can snag it on Amazon using the link below. Retail price is $29.99, but it constantly fluctuates (I've seen it as low as $22). Don't miss my YouTube unboxing as well—and be sure to like and subscribe to my channel for more content like this! Comment below with any thoughts or questions you may have.


Sunday, May 30, 2021

Disney Store Pixar Luca Merch (Toys, Plush, Clothing & More)— My In-Store Look!

 
Hey everyone! I know, I'm a couple weeks behind with this post (I was finally able to make it to my nearest Disney Store—an hour away—just a few days ago), but I had to make the time to do this write-up since I enjoy doing it each year! I always love documenting the Disney Store in-store setups here on my blog and giving you a peek at what's available whenever new Pixar merch hits... and this time with Luca would be no different! This tradition began years ago when I was searching online for pictures of older Disney Store merchandise/displays from some of my favorite Disney and Pixar films. I wanted to reminisce, but couldn't find anything...so I began doing this for myself and for anyone down the road who may come across this post. So far since I started this blog, I've done this for Monsters University, Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory, Cars 3, Coco, Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4 and Onward. It's a bit of history! Maybe you're coming across this post years from now looking to take a trip down memory lane like I had been trying to do. Who knows?

The Luca merchandise hit online on ShopDisney on Monday, May 17th (see my video rundown HERE) and in stores a little before that. If you've seen what's on ShopDisney already, then you've seen all this. In fact, the website even has a little more than what you see above and below. However, it's one thing seeing all this stuff individually on the website; it's another to see it all displayed together in a the themed section of the store. Totally magical! This stage set is much smaller and more low key than say, Toy Story 4 (or any of the Pixar sequels for that matter) and is much more in line with the amount of stuff we got for Onward last year— but I still love it. It's actually kind of nice and not quite as overwhelming. Very manageable for us collectors.
 


Check it all out! It's cool, yet also the same ol' modern Disney Store merch. These days, if you've been following with their yearly releases for a while now, you can totally predict what's coming: plush, tees, mugs, pins, figurine sets... (and since it's a summer release, also swimsuits and towels). Pretty standard stuff. Don't get me wrong though— everything does look great all displayed together as usual! I kind of just miss the old days with limited edition items, unique/sought after pieces, snow globes, etc. You know?
 
Honestly I'm not sure how much of this I'll end up buying (I'll see how much I enjoy the film), but I'm definitely the most tempted by the plush and the figurine set. Enjoy this detailed look!
 

So what are your thoughts!? Have you gone to your Disney Store yet to check all this out (or maybe already placed an order online)? What are your "must have" items or favorites in general? Looking forward to hearing what you have to say down below. And get ready for Luca, releasing exclusively on Disney+ on June 18th—I couldn't be more ready, just a few weeks away at this point!

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Monogram International Pixar Alien Remix Figural Bag Clip Blind Bags—FULL CASE REVIEW!

Welcome back to the blog everyone—today I'm here with a full case of Pixar Alien Remix Figural Bag Clip blind bags from Monogram International! This collection is out of this world and I'm super stoked to share it with you today. A HUGE thank you to Monogram for reaching out and sending me this assortment to unbox and review! It was extremely generous of them and I'm "eternally grateful". 

This is actually my fourth collaboration with Monogram Collectibles, so if you like what you see here, be sure to check out my other reviews featuring the Toy Story, Toy Story 4 and 25 Years of Pixar assortments. In case you didn't know, Monogram International makes the cutest (and only?) officially licensed pop culture inspired 3D foam figural keyrings and bag clips out there, so you can imagine my excitement when they revealed their brand Alien Remix series of bag clips on Instagram back in February! Monogram consistently does amazing work and those other few collections I reviewed is just scratching the surface of everything they have to offer. Definitely check out their Instagram, Facebook, website, YouTube channel and other social outlets for their latest news, reveals, past releases and new releases. Don't miss out!

To catch you up, if you're not familiar with what this "Alien Remix" theme is all about, last year—to celebrate Pixar and 25 years since Toy Story—Mattel and many other companies such as Funko, Beast Kingdom, ShopDisney and so many more, made figures, apparel, pins, plush toys and other merchandise featuring Toy Story aliens dressed up as different Pixar characters. Now Monogram International has joined the Alien Remix fun with this series of mystery bag clips!

Per usual with these series, there are 11 characters total (nine standard and two mystery "exclusives"): Alien as Woody, Alien as Buzz Lightyear, Alien as Bo Peep, Alien as Forky, Alien as Lotso, Alien as Wall·E, Alien as Merida, Alien as Sulley, Alien as Mr. Incredible, Alien as Bunny (exclusive A) and Alien as Ducky (exclusive B). The same Woody and Buzz aliens were also released last year in Monogram's Pixar Series.

There's typically only one each per case of the "exclusives", so they're much harder to find (in other words, they're "chases"). For the standard/common characters, there's usually two full sets per case plus a few extras. Retail price for each bag is $7.90 and each character measures 2" tall.

 
For anyone interested in the breakdown of this particular case I received, here's the info: 
  • Woody(x2)
  • Buzz (x2)
  • Sulley (x3)
  • Wall·E (x2)
  • Merida (x3)
  • Bo Peep (x2)
  • Mr. Incredible (x3)
  • Lotso (x3)
  • Forky (x2)
  • Bunny (x1)
  • Ducky (x1

And here they are out of their bags looking stellar together!

All in all, I can highly recommended these to any Disney·Pixar fan who wants to deck out their keychains, backpacks or luggage with their favorite Alien Remix characters! If you're looking to add any of these to your Pixar collection, you can find this series for sale right now at your local Hot Topic (online HERE) or Gamestop (online HERE). They're also currently available on Entertainment Earth. If eBay is more your speed, check out current listings HERE.

Let me know your favorites down below! For me, it has to be Wall·E or Sulley—but really each one is as awesome as the next. What are your thoughts? Who do you hope to pick up?

Lastly, my video review is now on my YouTube Channel! View it below and be sure to like and subscribe for more content like this. 

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Cars 3: Saludos Amigos Ramone

Hey Disney·Pixar Cars fans and welcome back to the blog! Today I'm taking a quick look at another brand new 2021 Mattel Cars 3 1:55 scale diecast—Saludos Amigos Ramone! This version of Ramone is one I had been hoping would get released for some time now as it's (I believe) the only Cars 3 Ramone design that hadn't been produced in this scale. The other Cars 3 specific Ramone paint jobs out there that were previously available are Intro Ramone and Florida Ramone

As shown in the screen shot above, Ramone sporting his "Saludos Amigos" paint job can be spotted briefly during the very last scene of Cars 3.

This diecast looks excellent— no complaints from me. I'm thrilled to finally has this version as part of my collection! I was able to find him at Target last month (April 6th to be exact) when I found the complete 2021 singles case F.

If you're having a hard time finding this Ramone, no worries. You can order him on eBay HERE or Amazon using the link below. Happy hunting!  


Saturday, May 22, 2021

Mattel Pixar Alien Remix *NEW* 2021 WAVE 1 REVIEW!

Hey everyone and welcome back to the blog! Today I’m taking a look at the newest wave of Pixar Alien Remix figures from Mattel, which includes the first four of many more coming in 2021. If you've been following along with me for some time, I'm sure you know all about the Alien Remix collection as I've covered it pretty extensively—but if not, here's a little recap: in short, last year to celebrate Pixar and 25 years since Toy Story, Mattel (and many other companies such as Funko, Beast Kingdom, ShopDisney and so many more), made figures, apparel, pins, plush toys and other merchandise featuring Toy Story aliens dressed up as different Pixar characters. I ended up favoring the Mattel line and just stuck with collecting those ones since I knew, if I were to start collecting Alien Remix merch, that I would have to draw the line somewhere. If you wanna learn more about this complete assortment, be sure to check out my original blog post HERE.

Anyway, I was able to find this new wave of 2021 figures not too long ago at Target for $5.99 each and, as you can see here, they actually come in new, totally redesigned packaging. Gone are the rocket ship shaped boxes and instead we now have these more basic rectangle window boxes. I personally preferred last year’s rocket ship design, but it honestly doesn’t make much difference to me since I open them up to be displayed anyway. If you’re an in-box collector though, the change may bother you some. Let me know what you think.

Last year in 2020 there were 16 numbered characters and one unnumbered Comic Con exclusive Pizza Planet Truck set with delivery driver. So here we are now in 2021 and the same number system continues; in this wave there’s Duke Caboom (from Toy Story 4) who is number 17, Flik (from A Bug’s Life) is number 18, Sadness (from Inside Out) is number 19 and Syndrome (from The Incredibles) is number 20.

Let's take a closer look at them out of their boxes! They all look outstanding and it in perfectly with the rest of the collection.  

 DUKE CABOOM (#17)

FLIK (#18)

SADNESS (#19)

SYNDROME (#20)

Well that about covers it for my review of this first 2021 wave—and for all you Mattel Alien Remix collectors out there—I hope you watch and enjoy my video review below which includes a SNEAK PEEK at many more Mattel Alien Remix figures still to come later this year. Be sure to let me know who you're looking forward to the most and who else you're hoping gets made down in the comments.

Stay tuned right here every week for more from my personal collection of Pixar merch! Subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE.