Oky Posted August 4, 2011 Howdy everybody! Do you know what time it is? No? Well, I guess then it is time for a review of the Buzz and Woody minifig alarm clocks! Because if you haven't gotten any Lego alarm clocks, you might want to consider getting these. Then you'll have a giant version of your favorite Toy Story minifig to tell you what time it is! So lets not loose any time and get to the review. I'll start with my personal favorite, Buzz Lightyear! To the review... and beyond! Name: Buzz Alarm Clock Item Number: 9002748 Theme: Toy Story Brand: Clic Time Price: £24.99 Product Features: - Exact 1:6 scale replica of the original LEGO Minifigure- Fully adjustable moving legs and arms - Crescendo alarm - Light and snooze by pressing the head Clic Time Brickshelf The Package The package that the Buzz clock comes in is similar to other minifig clocks from Clic Time. It's about the same size and features a Toy Story theme. The hole that reveals the product has a stylish shape to it, with the "3" of the Toy Story 3 logo overlapping the edge a bit. On the inside and on the sides of the box it shows the same spacey image as all Buzz-themed Lego sets. What's weird is that they made it look like there is a red piece of cardboard wrapped around the lower third of the package. It doesn't resemble anything from any of the Toy Story movies and it doesn't even look good, so I don't get why they chose to do this at all. On the back it shows you some of the features of the clock and some small print. The top lid here is sealed with clear sticker that reads "QC PASSED" which I assume means this product passed quality control. Good to know. The first thing you see when you open the package is Buzz's wings which are individually packaged in clear plastic. This is the inside of the box taken out of the package. Buzz is tied onto the cardboard by these ropes, similar to the real Buzz Lightyear in the movies. There is also a white box on the back which doesn't contain anything but the batteries. I guess it's meant as a buffer. Contents In the end, this is what comes out of the box: The minifig clock, the wings, the batteries, and an operation manual. This is what the manual looks like. It features instructions on how to insert the batteries and set the time and alarm in 9 different languages, along with illustrations and some contact information. Assembly Even though this is a Lego product, you wouldn't expect there to be any assembly to be required. Well, you thought wrong! First of all, we have to insert the batteries. This requires you to remove Buzz's jetpack which is attached to his back by two large pegs and fastened by a single screw. So yeah, you're gonna need some tools for this. Next, you have to remove the battery hatch, which is also held in place by a screw, and insert the batteries. But watch out that you do it right, or else you might activate his Spanish mode! Once you're done, you close it all back up again, and voila! Your Buzz Lightyear alarm clock is ready for action! There is one more thing you have to add though: the wings! The cool thing about the wings is that they attach the same way the ones on the real minifig do, and Buzz can hold them in his hands, just like the minifig. So, in a way, these are the first minifig alarm clock accessories! The Finished Product This is what the clock looks like after the wings have been attached. Pretty cool, right? It's very accurate to the original minifig, except that it has a digital clock in its belly! The clock is somewhat hard to read from this angle due to the protruding chest armor, which may be one of its only flaws. Looking at it from the back, it's even less distinguishable from the minifig. The only thing that throws you off are the screw holes and the Lego Toy Story 3 tatoo on his butt. Here he is in comparison with the real Buzz Lightyear minifig and Build-A-Buzz. As you can see, he is huge! An action shot. The Buzz clock has about the same posability as the real minifig, except his head can't be turned, but that's hard to do even on the minifig, so I don't really care. Much like the minifig, Clock Buzz is very top heavy and can therefore be knocked over somewhat easily. If that bothers you, you can try having him sit down. He still tends to fall over backwards in this position since he is also back heavy, but you can prevent that by leaning him against a wall. A close-up of the head. The helmet is attached by three pegs, just like the one on the minifig, so you may be wondering if it is removable. Well, it's not. Unlike on other minifig alarm clocks, it's not Buzz's head that activates the display light and snooze function, it's the helmet. Pretty clever as it is much easier to hit than the head, and it protects Buzz from a concussion. OK, enough fooling around. It's time to get to business, the real purpose of this alarm clock... The alarm clock! Since the back is covered up by the jetpack, the designers of this clock came up with a brilliant solution: You can set the time and alarm via the buttons on Buzz's chest! How cool is that! Of course it would have been even cooler if one of those buttons would have him say "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue" or "To infinity and beyond", but oh well. The display is big and pretty good to read. The light has a green color that suits Buzz nicely, although it's not quite as bright as some promotional images might suggest. You can turn on the alarm by pushing the stud on his back, which is also very innovative. When the alarm is activated, the display shows a bell, and if you have the snooze function on, it shows a couple of cute Zs. The alarm sound is a generic beeping sound. You know, the annoying kind that doesn't make you want to leave the bed one bit and that you grow to hate more with every morning. I wish there were an alternative, but since this is a simple alarm clock and not radio, I guess this is all we can expect. But what would Buzz be without his best pal, Woody! Let's move on to the next clock, shall we? Name: Woody Alarm Clock Item Number: 9002731 Theme: Toy Story Brand: Clic Time Price: £24.99 Product Features: - Exact 1:6 scale replica of the original LEGO Minifigure- Fully adjustable moving legs and arms - Crescendo alarm - Light and snooze by pressing the head Clic Time Brickshelf The Package The design of Woody's box is very similar to Buzz's, except it has the desert background from the Western Train set. Again, I'm not a fan of the red cardboard print, but at least it fits in with the warm colors of the western background. The back features the same functionality demonstrations as all minifig alarm clocks. But unlike on Buzz's box, the circular sticker that seals the top flap doesn't have the "QC PASSED" written on it. Does this mean this product was not passed by quality control? Being the largest of the minifig alarm clocks, Woody's box is taller than Buzz's. Here's a comparison: Since Woody doesn't have wings or any other accessories, the top compartment of his box is empty. Woody is fastened inside the box the same way as Buzz. On the back you can see the battery box clearly sticking out. Again, this is probably used as a spacer so that the back of Woody's beloved cowboy hat doesn't get damaged. Contents Aside from the operation manual, there's nothing else inside the box. The manual is similar in that it provides instruction on inserting the batteries and setting the time and alarm, but instead of featuring illustration of Woody, it shows a generic minifig alarm clock without printing. I guess they decided that only Buzz needs specific instructions since his operation is different from other alarm clocks. Installing the Batteries Putting in the batteries is easier on Woody since you only have to remove one hatch on his back that is sealed with a screw. Insert the two batteries, close the hatch, and done! The Finished Product Clock Woody looks pretty good and very much like his minifig counterpart aside from the display on his torso which is much easier to see than the one on Buzz since it is not obstructed by chest armor. The same can't be said about his backside though. Like on the minifig, his leg printing does not extend to the back, and the back of his torso is kinda ugly. It doesn't have any of the printing from the minifig, and all the buttons and screw holes clearly give it away that this is an alarm clock and not the minifig, taking away from the illusion. The little holes in the lower corners of the torso, whose sole purpose was it to tie the figure onto its package, don't help either. Even though he is taller than Buzz, he is less likely to fall over. He is pretty well balanced when standing up and is even more stable when sitting down, thanks to his long, heavy legs. Comparing him to the original minifig, there is only one word to describe how much larger this 1:6 scale replica is: Humongousfig! When the Toy Story sets first came out, some people were complaining that the minifigs look too creepy. I never understood this argument until now. However, looking at such an enlarged version of Lego Woody's head, I think I can see the creepiness of his wide-eyed, smiling face. Not sure if this is what I want to see looking at me from my nightstand when I wake up in the night. The articulation on Woody is obviously much higher than Buzz's as he can almost fully rotate his arms, although his head can't turn either. Which is a good thing, I guess, since that would amp up the creepiness even more. Woody's display is pretty much the same as Buzz's, except that his is illuminated in a orange color. I don't think this color suits Woody too well; it would have been better if it was yellow in my opinion. The symbols that indicate when the alarm is on and when the snooze function is activated are the same as well. It also has the same annoying alarm sound. To finish up, here is a picture of the two alarm clocks together. The proportions are pretty spot on, and they look great together. Final Verdict: Both alarm clocks are fairly accurate giant replicas of the original minifigs and do their job as simple alarm clocks. Buzz is especially cool with his chest-button operated alarm and seems overall much better thought out than Woody, though. Therefore, he is much more fun and aesthetically pleasing, so if I'd have to choose one, I'd go for him. But then again, I'm kinda biased toward him anyway. As for the price, they cost the same as all the other minifig clocks, and considering Buzz comes with his wings and Woody is actually larger than all the other clocks, these are a better deal than all the other Lego Alarm Clocks. And even though these aren't official Lego products, they are must-haves for any Toy Story collector, and I'd recommend them to anyone who likes Lego Toy Story and is looking for an alarm clock. So, if you can find one of these alarm-clock-of-a-toy-of-a-toy's, get it! I personally wont use them as alarms and will stick with my radio clock, but I'll still display them on my nightstand. You can find more pictures in this Brickshelf folder. I hope you enjoyed this 3rd Anniversary Reviewers Academy review and will join us in the academy soon! Parting Shot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ceroknight Posted August 23, 2011 Thank you for the review! I might actually get one of these alarm clocks for my brother Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WhiteFang Posted August 23, 2011 This is rare as you don't always get to see a LEGO alarm clocks for a review. I am not a big fan of such LEGO lifestyle items but like yourself who are a dedicated LEGO Toy Story fan, this is a MUST HAVE item in your bedroom. It's wonderful to see both of the designs side by side. Thank you for sharing this! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Masked Builder Posted August 23, 2011 These really are quite interesting. I like the fact that they're just scaled up minifigures with a clock. While the alarm clocks are nice, I'm not interested in the Toy Story ones. I may pick up the Star Wars ones at some point but we'll see. Nice work on the review. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blondie-Wan Posted August 23, 2011 Nice to see a review for the clocks - thanks, Oky! I like these quite a bit, though I don't know that I'll get any; if I got any of the LEGO minifigure clocks, they'd probably be either these and/or Star Wars ones. I do wish they'd found a way to marry the clock functionality with the functionality and creative sensibility behind the original character for the Woody clock like they did for Buzz (using his "real" buttons for the clock controls and so on). As I've noted before, I think it would be terrific if the Woody minifigure clock were an analog clock, especially if you could wind him up by pulling a string from his back. I do realize that probably wouldn't be a realistic option in this day and age, since most of the kids who make up the target audience for these probably have no idea how to read an analog clock (as well as a clockwork mechanism being more vulnerable to breaking down), but I think it would be a nice idea, anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brainbox Posted August 23, 2011 Thanks for the review! Do you know, I'm actually quite taken with the Buzz clock. It may be a little on the pricey side, but I'm actually sorely tempted... One for the maybe list, perhaps. I mean, the Buzz minifig is great anyway, so a larger size one is most welcome as far as I'm concerned. And it's a clock! As evidenced by the three I have in my room, I seem to have rather a thing for clocks. I hate it when I find something new to spend money on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blondie-Wan Posted August 23, 2011 (edited) Oh, there is one more thing I'd have liked to have seen in the review: Here he is in comparison with the real Buzz Lightyear minifig and Build-A-Buzz. As you can see, he is huge! Comparing him to the original minifig, there is only one word to describe how much larger this 1:6 scale replica is: Humongousfig! If only you had included the Duplo versions of the characters in those pix as well! Edited August 23, 2011 by Blondie-Wan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oky Posted August 24, 2011 Thanks, and you're welcome, everyone! This is rare as you don't always get to see a LEGO alarm clocks for a review. Well, seeing as it is the anniversary, I thought I'd do something special. Oh, there is one more thing I'd have liked to have seen in the review: If only you had included the Duplo versions of the characters in those pix as well! I may be a dedicated LEGO Toy Story collector as Fangy said, but not even I am crazy enough to spend good money on Duplo sets. I gotta stop somewhere. Therefore, I can't include those figs, sorry. However, if I should see the Duplo Pizza Planet truck at 50% off, I just might get it, and if I do, I'll be sure to take that picture with all the Buzzs for you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elderscroll Posted August 25, 2011 I'd like to like these... but i don't.... :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blondie-Wan Posted August 25, 2011 (edited) I may be a dedicated LEGO Toy Story collector as Fangy said, but not even I am crazy enough to spend good money on Duplo sets. I gotta stop somewhere. Therefore, I can't include those figs, sorry. However, if I should see the Duplo Pizza Planet truck at 50% off, I just might get it, and if I do, I'll be sure to take that picture with all the Buzzs for you. But... but... I've spent money on Duplo sets! Not many, to be sure, but I try to have at least one or two representations of every theme and whatnot in my collection. As it happens, I actually have the Pizza Planet truck myself - it's the only Toy Story Duplo set I have, but I do have it - so I've got Duplo Buzz, in addition to numerous sets with regular Buzz minifigures, plus Construct-A-Buzz, so I could take a picture of three of the four together, myself... but I don't have the clock, alas. (Sadly, I don't have any sets with Duplo Woody, and of course there isn't a large Construct-a-Woody, set, though there darn well should be, if you ask me. I've been thinking of rectifying that with a MOC, actually...) Edited August 25, 2011 by Blondie-Wan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prateek Posted August 27, 2011 Great review! I think these clocks are really nice. I see that TRU has a sale on Lego clocks, so I might pick one up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt. Redblade Posted August 28, 2011 One thing that bothers me is this: "-Exact 1:6 scale replica of the original LEGO Minifigure." Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that mean the clock is 1/6 the size of a minifig? Because minifigs stand around 34-35 mm, so that would imply the clock stands roughly half a centimetre in height. Unless I'm mistaken, and feel free to call me on it if I am, somebody really screwed up in the product description. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r1chard Posted September 11, 2011 epic. thanks for sharing! thoughts: i hope we have a section of all reviews on minifigure clocks like the newly released kai, and potc characters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
