Cowboy Rescue Hero?
Written: Apr 13 '03 (Updated Apr 14 '03)
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Pros: Brandon Irons is cool and you don't see many figures of him.
Cons: Very difficult to get the lasso to stay in his hand.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a top notch Rescue Hero, keep looking. If you are just looking for a neat cowboy, you should check him out.
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| neosmom's Full Review: Fisher Price Rescue Heroes Body Force: Brandon Iro... |
My son is a HUGE Rescue Hero fan and has over 30 figures at this point. And our assortment is very broad. I can honestly say that he likes anything that is Rescue Heroes.
Brandon Irons is a cowboy. I totally don't get that, but maybe it's me. Rescue Heroes are just that. They are our heroes that save people. The consist largely of firemen and policemen along with some construction specialists and a few other oddities. I would say a cowboy is an oddity. I haven't seen him in a show yet, so I'm unsure of how he should fit in, but who knows. Fisher Price is pretty creative. Besides, my son couldn't care less how he fits in. He's a cowboy. What could be cooler than that?
Okay. You know what he is. But what does he do? He's supposed to throw a lasso. Does he? Not really.
You have a standard size figure dressed in blue pants with a brown jacket and a hat. Very typical cowboy look right down to the large silver belt buckle (RH logo, of course). Except that his shirt is bright lime green (the standard color on all Body Force Rescue Heroes) and he has a communicator thrown over his shoulder (very high tech looking on a cowboy). He has the trademark large feet that make Rescue Heroes so easy for young children to stand up. And he has the standard backpack that comes with almost all figures. The typically high tech looking cord from this pack is gray, but has the texture of a rope to it. In his hand is a large mechanical item. Hanging from the front is a big plastic circle made to vaguely resemble a lasso. It's attached to a string that is wound up inside this mechanical gadget. So, you pull the "lasso" and it comes out hanging from a yellow string. Now, his left arm is held out from his body at this funky angle that makes him look really strange. And his fingers are in this odd position that is difficult to describe. Well, the reason his arm is at this angle is so you can push it back and it locks in place (just a simple click). Now, the object of the game is to balance the lasso on his hand so he can throw it. For those of you who have mechanical engineers living in the house, you may want to get them now. Okay. Got that plastic circle balanced on his hand? It took me a full minute of sitting here and fussing with it to make that happen. Now you push down his backpack so his arm releases forward and the lasso sort of falls off of it. Fun right!?!? Now, you go back to the mechanical gadget in the other hand and you will notice the handy yellow lever/button on the back of it. Push that down and the lasso reels neatly back up inside.
I must tell you that I find the challenge of making this toy work to be entertaining. It is possible to do it, but it's actually downright silly.
What does my 3-year-old think? Well, he loves it. He doesn't have any other toys that even resemble "Old West" or anything like that, so it fits the standard little boy love of cowboys. He will sit and pull the lasso out and then reel it back in over and over and over and over. But Brandon Irons never gets to hang out with the other Rescue Heroes. He's never been in any of the vehicles and I'm pretty sure he's never even had the priveledge of a visit on the Command Center. But he does get to come out and play anyway.
Would I tell you to buy this figure? If you are shopping for a die-hard Rescue Heroes fan who knows who all the cool and popular characters are, then no. It probably won't be a hit. But if you are trying to find a good ole cowboy and want one with a bit of high tech to him (and as an added bonus doesn't even carry a gun) then this is a super toy. He'll be a hit. Just don't get too excited over his potential lasso throwing abilities.
As requested in the comment section, here is a bit more information: I purchased this toy at Target. Although I haven't been on the lookout for him in other stores, I feel certain that I have seen him around in some other places. I threw away the packaging when this toy was opened, so I can't be sure if there was a choking hazard listed on it. But looking at the toy I really can't see anything that a younger child could choke on. I suppose the lever/button piece might be able to break off and I wouldn't want an infant to have the long string. I would have allowed my son to have this toy at his second birthday if he were interested.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 4.89
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
neosmom
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Location: Orlando, FL
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 0 members
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