With the Minions prequel movie set to open on July 10th, the minions toys have arrived. Not that they weren't already here considering the success of Despicable Me 2; however, there are a bunch of brand new minions hitting stores. Of particular interest are the new Micro Playsets by Thinkway. These are tiny playsets that feature 1 to 1.25 inch figures that are quite similar to the Battle Pods series that Hasbro did for the last movie. The plastic is firmer for the new figures, and they don't come in blind-bags. This time, they come in three-figure multi-packs with a little backdrop and a 2.5 by 4 inch plastic case. There are 8 sets available representing various snapshots from the film (the trailer really). Unless another wave is introduced, the total collection is a manageable 24 figures.
The price per set is $7 (at Target), or $2.33 per figure.
I am a fan of this "micro playset" format for toys. First, like many people here, I think the LRG size is right. Second, it avoids the forced-duplicates of blind-bags. Third, it avoids the gluttony of large playsets and/or inclusion as game-movers in popular tie-in boardgames (as Hasbro also did for the last movie).
While the cases are not cool like Mighty Max, it still feels like a little bonus and a ready-made means to track, sort, store, or display your collection. I hope that these are a success so that similar "micro playsets" are created. Thinkway currently has a partnership to release figures from older Pixar films. Micro playsets for Toy Story or Wall-E would make my day.
Here are the product promotional shots, followed by my photos of one playset.
Attached Files
Edited by steverotters, 19 May 2015 - 04:48 PM.