So much good stuff is coming on the horizon with this website. I'm quite excited for a lot of reviews that I have planned. That said, it's time to take a look at a lesser known toy that's out on the market today and one that's actually quite good even if it's not the usual appeal to collectors.


Imagi's Astro Boy movie hasn't set the world on fire, in fact it was one of the larger flops of 2009 and as a result the Imagi movie studio appears to be going the way of the Dodo bird. Since the movie didn't set the hearts and minds of kids on fire, the toy line by Jazwares may as well be a bust too. I first looked at Astro himself back in October in my Astro Boy Review, and despite some serious issues with his boots I thought he was a fine toy.

Today I'm looking at his robot rival, the massive Peacekeeper. In the film the Peackeeper robot appears to be huge, but this one is 3 3/4 scale. I haven't seen the flick so I can't say if there are smaller Peacekeepers in the film as well, but I tend to believe not. There is a 6 inch scale Peacekeeper as well, which might make a more movie accurate figure if you're looking for one. So how does the small scale one shape up?

Packaging:
The Astro Boy package is fairly nice, if not a bit cheap. It's not overly impressive, but it does stand out a bit from the pack. I can't say this is the kind of package that you'd want to keep on your shelf, but for kids it's a decent enough package.


The really nice part for kids or collectors is that this guy pops right out of the pack. Instead of rubber bands or twist ties, he's just snug in his inner tray. Sometimes that's a bad thing. However I think it's the right call here.


The back seems to advertise everything as it should. I think it could advertise a few more things, but it gives you the general idea. One thing I think toy companies are missing out on, especially with smaller lines like this, is a checklist! If kids have a checklist, they're more likely to try and collect them all.

Articulation:
The articulation is fairly similar to the Astro Boy figure himself, but it differs in a few places. All in all this is quite solid articulation that gives him a fair amount of poseability, which retaining his core look. I'm quite pleased with his overall articulation scheme.



Sculpt:
Having not seen the movie, I can only gage this on the commercials and promos I've seen for the film. With that in mind this does seem to be a fairly accurate sculpt. It's not a super sharp 4 Horsemen sculpt of anything of that nature, but it's a decent likeness.


I think the design of the robot itself is pretty neat and I think Jazwares have done an admirable job translating that to the 3 3/4 scale. This figure could easily work his way into some other 3 3/4 scale lines as a robot of any sort.


Paint work is pretty basic, bordering on non-existent. This certainly isn't an Ashley Wood, World War Robot, but it's not supposed to be. I'm sure you could repaint this sculpt to look fantastic, but I like the simplicity. I think robots are their best when they're a simple design. I know for the 6 inch version of this figure they went with a very busy sculpt that I think is not nearly as good as this plain one.


Because he's a kid's toy, he really is made out of dense plastic. This means you can probably beat this guy up pretty well and he won't break. The ball joints in the arm are a little tight in the up and down movement though, so that could be an area of concern with kids who don't play calmly.


I think this is a fun little toy that lots of people probably missed out on.

Accessories:
Sadly this guy comes with nothing. While Astro got interchangeable feet (sorta), the Peacekeeper Robot doesn't get anything. His one arm is a cannon though.



Value:
At first these retailed for $5.99, but I've been seeing them around for $4.99 or so. I think TRU has clearanced some of them out as well. It's a shame this toy line and movie didn't get a better shake at things. It seemed like it had a fair amount of potential. I keep seeing those old Astro Boy cartoons on DVD at various toy stores, maybe I'll check them out eventually.


Score Recap:
Packaging - 6
Sculpting - 7
Articulation - 7
Accessories - Nothing
Value - 7
Overall - 7 out of 10


Even though the Peacekeeper comes with less than Astro, I'm scoring him a little higher. This is a decent toy for this price tag and he could easily be used as a generic robot in any field. Use him in 6 inch scale as a small robot, use him in 3 3/4 scale as a medium sized robot. Stick him in your Star Wars cantina scene... There's lots to do with this guy.