Manufacturer:

LI Kids actually posted this review earlier in the year though as this would be a suitable Christmas option, we decided to dig it up and repost it. Look for our other toy reviews for some fun Christmas options for the kids!

I will admit it. I am not a huge fan of the Power Rangers brand. I think this is because when they first came out the series had the Rangers going from animation to real life people. I found that to be a little annoying and thought that some kids would have a harder time understanding that it was completely fake.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for this type of show if it’s animated, but having real people in the show just irked me. Since those days, I have put the Power Rangers behind me and hadn’t given them much of a second though. At least not until I was contacted by Bandai to do some toy reviews.

The Power Rangers Jungle Fury toys are every little boy’s dream. The Megazord spins both at the top and bottom, it transforms from one major megaman into three different animals, one of which is huge! Who doesn’t like transforming toys? The fact that it breaks into three usable toys is nice too, because then the kids can always share without having to pass the toy back and forth. When a child is alone, he can make it one big toy and with siblings or friends, he can turn it into three toys. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Still, I was surprised to find that I actually like this toy. I knew that CT would like it, because it’s right up his alley. With the recent release of Transformers he likes anything that can be transformed, pulled apart, and put back together. I knew that Lil B would like it too, because he’s all boy, and loves to play rough. I thought I was the one that wasn’t going to like it. I find it quite amusing though and I have to admit, I would have purchased it for the boys had I not received it for review.

Positives & Negatives:

Positives:
Transforms from one Megazord into three Zords
Allows for single or multi-child play
Transports Easily
Popular with all kinds of children
Recognizable brand
Sturdy and Durable
Parents will get their money’s worth

Negatives:
None that comes to mind

Pricing & Availability:
Amazon.com currently has this at a list price of $49.99. Normally, I would say this is a bit expensive for any toy. Of course, it depends on the toy. When you consider the lasting ability of the Megazord, the fact that it’s well made and can be played with by a wide age range of children, and it’s technically three toys in one then the price isn’t so bad. It would be nice to see it move down to the $35 range, but if you’re looking for a Christmas gift for a boy in your family, you could certainly hit the jackpot with a Power Rangers Jungle Fury Megazord.

Requirements & Instructions:
Two AA batteries are required in order to make the spin action work. Otherwise, instructions are pretty unnecessary. It is obvious how and where the zords fit together. It didn’t take either child more than a minute to be able to take it apart and put it back together. While, I wasn’t surprised about this in the case of the teenager, it was nice to see the four year old be able to do it, as well.

One other thing, when I put in the batteries, I was thinking this would be one of those toys that sucked out the batteries. Being that it’s incredibly popular I expected the batteries to drain quickly. However, there is an on/off button so when the kids aren’t playing with it or don’t want it to spin on accident, they can keep it off and the batteries aren’t affected. I have had the batteries in since we got it and as of December have only had to change them a couple of times.

Durability:
This Megazord is about as sturdy as they come. It’s definitely not anything that you could just snap in half. You would have to work at it if you wanted to ruin it. I’ve seen this dropped about four hundred times and there are no signs of wear or tear. It looks just as good as it did when I took it out of the box. This is perfect for boys that like to play rough. It will be able to stand just about anything that they can throw at it without any problems.

Ease of Use:
The Megazord is a children’s transformer-like toy. It doesn’t get easier to use or play with than this. The hardest part is getting the batteries in and out, and even that is a piece of cake! Once it was out of the box and ready to spin, the kids had a ball with each component separately and when it was together. They never asked me how to do this or that and they only protested when I tried to check it out, so I could see everything it did for myself.

Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
Each specific zord does its own thing. The red zord is a tiger and it’s the largest of all three components. The attention to detail is stunning, which adds to the visual appeal of the toy and seems to up the interest level (who doesn’t like a nice looking toy?). The blue zord is a Jaguar and the yellow zord is a Cheetah. Both the yellow and blue animals are the same size, though the detail is equally as amazing. All animals have workable tail spots, in case your child makes sure to want to take the tails on.

You can’t stand them up on their own very easily, but if your child is holding them and using them as any other child would then they won’t have any problem or worry with the Megazord. I didn’t hear much from the kids once they had this to play with. Occasionally, the thing that caught my attention the most was the kids wanting to put it together and hearing them fight over who gets to hold and play with it while it is put together.

It’s actually a rare day to see one of the kids walking around without this since we got it. The spinning feature keeps things interesting and it adds another element to an otherwise well designed toy. As this is one of the first in the link of Jungle Fury toys, I have to say that I cannot wait to see what they come up with in future releases. I am sure they will be equally as awesome.

Bottom Line:
I cannot recommend this highly enough. If you’re on the lookout for a holiday or birthday gift for a fan of the Power Rangers this is definitely the way to go. The Megazord is beautifully detailed, fun to play with, and offers a long lasting appeal that many toys lack. This is suitable for younger boys (around four and older) and boys in their pre-teens and possibly older depending on the child. It is a little bit pricey for an everyday item, but when purchased for a holiday or birthday it offers a fair price for a toy that will probably see use for years to come.

Price: 4 out of 5 stars
Durability: 5 out of 5 stars
Ease of Assembly: 5 out of 5 stars
Fun Factor: 5 out of 5 stars
Child Readiness: 5 out of 5 stars
Lasting Appeal: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.83 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Hot holiday gift, Bandai America, Jungle Fury, Jungle Pride, Power Rangers, Megazord

The other Summertime dolls showed amazing attention to detail and though I was not a fan of the show, series, or even Hannah Montana, I was impressed with the dolls as a whole. Now, I will admit that there is plenty of detail put into the Hannah doll. However, the doll does not particularly look like Hannah at all. That is, unless, of course, you are going solely on the blonde hair thing, which if you are, then they look like twins! Regardless of my distaste for Hannah and this particular doll, chances are, your kids will love her if they are Hannah fans.

Positives & Negatives:

Positives
-Realistic
-Inspires Creative Play
-Doll is Durable
-One of a Set, So Multiple Additions are Available
-Comes with Multiple Accessories
-Well Made
-Lots of Detail

Negatives
-Has Small Parts, so may not be good for Younger Children
-Doesn’t Look like Hannah Montana when compared to the other Dolls
-Clothing and Accessories Appear Flimsy

Pricing & Availability:
Considering this is one of the most popular series for younger children in recent years, I am going to guess that you should be able to find Hannah and her friends at most major (and minor) stores that sell toys this summer. This is set to be one of the hottest toys of the summer, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it online or offline. If you are planning to shop online, Amazon has this doll for around $11 with free shipping on orders over $25. This is especially convenient if you’re planning to purchase the set of dolls, or the Surf Shop in addition to Hannah.

Requirements & Instructions:
The great thing about buying dolls is that as a parent your job is about as minimal as it gets. All you should have to do is take the doll and associated accessories out of the box and let your kids have at her. This is a great creative toy, so your child shouldn’t need any help from you, unless you want to offer some help or you decide to sit down to play with them and Hannah. Otherwise, they should be able to run fine with this on their own. Your child will be able to put Hannah in a number of settings, based on the play/scenario they are wishing to achieve. Of course, Rico’s Surf Shop would be one of the most popular options, if you choose to pick that up along with the dolls.

Durability:
While the doll itself is quite durable, there are some issues here that need to be discussed. If you have a younger child, under the recommended age of six, you should avoid buying this Hannah doll. There are numerous small pieces and if your child doesn’t swallow them, there is a good chance that they will lose the pieces. Unfortunately many of these pieces are not durable at all, so if Hannah’s bangle bracelet ends up on the floor, you could step on it and ruin it without even knowing it was under your feet.

Older brothers could definitely ruin Hannah’s outfit, as well. The belt that is attached to the shirt could easily be ripped off, the shirt itself is a more flimsy material, and the pants (which are not the same length on both legs) are rather soft in the material department, too. This is probably the most disappointing part of this doll. As a parent, you want your child to end up with a realistic, money-worthy representation of your child’s favorite Disney star. Unfortunately, this Hannah doll doesn’t hit the mark where it should. Of course, the good news is that there are numerous other Hannah dolls to choose.

Ease of Use:
Hannah is just a regular doll. If you’ve seen a Barbie you know just what to expect because it’s just about the same thing. Your child shouldn’t need any help thinking of ways to enjoy this doll. She would make a perfect addition to play at the beach, around the pool, or in any summer setting. She has all the necessary rock star gear with her, as well, so she will be suitable for indoor play and in any concert setting that your child can dream up.

Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
The Hannah Montana Summertime doll is dressed in a sky blue, dual layered tank top with ruffled edges at the bottom. The tank top has an attached, gaudy, brown belt. The design on the shirt has a guitar, butterflies, and flower petals, with the words “Secret Pop Star” written on it. She’s also wearing a pair of white, sparkly hot pants, matching sky blue heeled sandals with straps, two silver bangle bracelets, and silver hoop earrings.

Hannah comes with a guitar (of course) with an over the neck strap, a hairbrush, a purse, flower sunglasses, and stickers. There are plenty of accessories, so your child should have a lot of fun dressing her up and having Hannah perform for her friends. Your child might not have as much fun playing with Hannah Montana as she might with the other dolls in this set, merely because she doesn’t look that much like Hannah. If your child is over six and a fan of the show, she might be able to overlook the flaws and still have fun with this doll. I just wish that the quality here was as good as the other dolls in this series.

Being that Hannah is the favorite character in the series for most girls, it seems like Hannah would have been made with the most attention paid to detail. The girls I had review this doll were mildly disappointed that Hannah did not look as realistic as Oliver. They had fun playing with her, but it was obvious by their immediate reaction that they enjoyed the realism that the other Hannah dolls have in comparison to this one.

Bottom Line:
When it comes to an inexpensive toy, this Hannah Montana doll isn’t so bad. It’s not the best doll I have seen and it’s certainly not the best Hannah Montana doll in the bunch, but it has its good qualities. There are loads of accessories for your kids to play with and the addition of the other dolls and the Surf Shop will remove the obviousness of Hannah’s flaws. Despite its misgivings, this toy is recommended.

Price: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Durability: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Ease of Assembly: 5 out of 5 stars
Fun Factor: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Child Readiness: 4 out of 5 stars
Lasting Appeal: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.08 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Summertime Series, Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, Doll, Surf Shop, Disney Channel, Toy, Children

Either way I am seriously not a big fan of Billy Ray’s daughter or her show. However, my friend’s daughters love the show and Hannah, much like most little girls do these days. So, I put aside all my distaste for the show and what I think of it, to spend a day playing around with Hannah and her friends, in doll form.

The good thing for me is that I don’t have to enjoy them. This is about the kids and the kids found them to be quite fun. I always found more excitement in Barbies, as opposed to similar knock off girlie action figure dolls, but these dolls are meant to be a hit because they look just like the people that play the parts in the Hannah Montana series. These dolls are certain to be one of the hottest toys of the summer thanks to the clever design skills and the fun, summer theme.

Positives & Negatives:

Positives
Looks just like Oliver
Realistic
Inspires Creative Play
Durable
One of a Set, So Multiple Additions are Available
Comes with Accessories
Well Made
Lots of Detail

Negatives
Has Small Parts, so may not be good for Younger Children

Pricing & Availability:
I am guessing that most stores that sell toys will have this and the other Hannah Montana dolls in stock this summer. You should be able to find it at most offline retailers for a variety of prices. You can also find it online at a number of stores including Amazon. At Amazon, you can pick the Oliver doll up for $11.94. Your order will be eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping if you have an order of $25 or more, so if you were planning to purchase more than one of these dolls that may be the way to go!

Requirements & Instructions:
Considering this is a doll, as a parent your part in this will be minimal. All you will need to do is take Oliver out of the box and hand them to your child. There are some small accessories, but nothing that your child shouldn’t have a problem understanding how to use.

If you want to add to the fun you can always purchase Rico’s Surf Shop, which gives your child an excellent, show-similar setting for play time. Otherwise, all you need to work this particular toy is a good dose of imagination! The girls loved Rico’s and they had their dolls purchase plenty of fries and smoothies!

Durability:
I don’t recommend popping the heads off the dolls or trying to decapitate them for any reason. However, if you do (or if your daughter has a big brother) it’s nice to know that the head will go right back on. This doll is durable enough to take a fair beating and look fine, if that should happen. The clothing is made well on Oliver and should be hard for a child to rip or ruin unless that is their intent and they do whatever they have to so that happens. Otherwise, you should get your money’s worth here and a lot more when it comes to durability.

Ease of Use:
Again, as a doll, this only requires your child’s imagination. I am imagining there are other clothing sets for these dolls or there will be in the future. This means your child can change the doll’s clothes and create play in different settings. The attention to detail should be greatly appreciated as this doll resembles Oliver down to the littlest detail. This should help inspire your child’s Hannah Montana play quite a bit and make it easy for them to find plenty of ways to play with this and the other dolls in this series.

Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
Oliver comes dressed in a maroon Polo shirt and camo cargo shorts. He’s also wearing a pair of dark, matching sandals. Also included are a small bottle of (play) suntan lotion, a boogie board, and two Hannah Montana stickers. It’s important to note that the lotion is incredibly small, so if you have smaller children playing with this you may want to remove it from the box before giving the doll to them.

Thanks to the summertime theme kids will enjoy playing with these at family barbecues, the beach, and around the pool. The Oliver doll is recommended for ages six and up, which is age appropriate for toys with such small accessories. The girls adored Oliver and Hannah, the two of the dolls in the set that they were able to play with when I visited them. The other dolls in the set include Lilly and Miley.

The girls spent hours switching back and forth between the two dolls I brought. One minute one was Oliver and the other was a spunky, more entertaining, Hannah, and then they would switch so the other could have her Hannah time. It was fun to watch them enjoy themselves.

Bottom Line:
While I may not enjoy Hannah Montana, the girls I let play with these dolls certainly do! The Oliver doll was a hit! I do not recommend buying this doll unless your child is the recommended age or older. There are small pieces that are easy to swallow and younger children won’t realize that until it’s too late. Oliver and the other Hannah Montana dolls should be suitable for kids age six and older, until about the pre-teen years when doll use seems to taper off. That being said, fans of the show will love these dolls no matter how old they are. This is sure to be one of the hottest toys this summer!

Price: 5 out of 5 stars
Durability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Ease of Assembly: 5 out of 5 stars
Fun Factor: 4 out of 5 stars
Child Readiness: 4 out of 5 stars
Lasting Appeal: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.58 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Oliver, Summertime Series, Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, Doll, Surf Shop, Disney Channel, Toy, Children

When we received the Prince Caspian Faun Warrior and Minotaur set, Jaden was slightly disappointed this set didn’t include Prince Caspian. However, once I opened the package and he saw all the cool things he could do with these figures his disappointment was forgotten. I recommend purchasing additional Prince Caspian action figures to go with this set, so your children can be inspired to play along with the storylines presented in the movies (and books). Either way, this set is fun on its own or with other figures. A child who loves action figures and Prince Caspian will find this to be a must have toy this summer.

Positives & Negatives:

Positives
-Inspires Creative Play
-Excellent attention to detail
-The action figures actually do things
-Durable
-Can be used alone or with additional Prince Caspian/Narnia figures
-Excellent story behind the characters

Negatives
-Set Recommended to four and up, but may be too violent for kids this young

Pricing & Availability:
This action set might be harder to find. I found it online at both Toys R Us and Amazon, but had difficulty finding this specific set at more popular retailers such as Wal-Mart. You might have to browse around to find this toy set if you wish to purchase it. At Amazon, the toy is selling courtesy of Amazon featured merchants. Both used and new versions of this set start at close to $15. You can also purchase The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian’s Mentius Faun Warrior and Asterius Minotaur at Toys R Us for $10.99. For an action figure set, the price seems to be fairly reasonable wherever you decide to purchase this set.

Requirements & Instructions:
The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian’s Mentius Faun Warrior and Asterius Minotaur is an action figure set. This means your child can basically take it out of the box and play with it. Jaden is incredibly impatient so this was helpful. The actions that the toys can do have a few instructions. However, your child shouldn’t have trouble figuring the movements out on their own.

The Minotaur’s head can be pulled back and released so it will head butt. Your child can twist the Minotaur’s upper body, and his axe will slash downward upon release. The faun warrior can move when you pull back his left leg. This will allow him to go into a kick attack. This toys doesn’t require any batteries or additional items in order to play with it, though as mentioned previously these actions are too violent (in my opinion) for a four year old. I recommend The The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian’s Mentius Faun Warrior and Asterius Minotaur action set for six or seven years old and up. If your child has seen the movie, they might know these characters are the good guys, so this may determine what age your child is allowed to play with this action set.

Durability:
The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian’s Mentius Faun Warrior and Asterius Minotaur figures seem to hold up fairly well. Jaden dropped them several times. He twisted them around and nothing seemed to happen to them. These toys were made to be tossed around, beat up and played with by younger boys. In general, most boys play rough with their toys and these figures seem to hold up well. They survived my son, so I’m sure they’ll survive your child, no matter how rough they play!

Ease of Use:
I don’t know how much easier this toy could be to play with The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian’s Mentius Faun Warrior and Asterius Minotaur action figures. These toys can be used for battle, for creative play or other Narnia inspired action sequences. I don’t believe children with limited mobility in their hands will have trouble twisting and pulling on these toys. Jaden barely had to move the head, leg or upper body to get the action figures to move. This is what I would consider to be a disability friendly toy.

Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
If you have a child that loves The Chronicles of Narnia you need to consider purchasing this action set. While boys will enjoy this set more, some girls will want to play with it, as well. In this set, you receive the two action figures, Mentius, the faun warrior and Asterius the Minotaur. Mentius comes with a sword and Asterius comes with a battle axe.

This toy is going to last for a long time, especially if your child has additional Narnia figures. One thing I really like about this set is how detailed the figures are. You can see the color of the Minotaur’s eyes. You can see the detail down to his teeth. His knuckles stick out around his axe. You also can see defined cuts on his horn that are incredibly realistic. I’m very impressed by the work and craftsmanship that was put into the design of this set.

Bottom Line:
The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian’s Mentius Faun Warrior and Asterius Minotaur action set is probably not going to be something you will want your younger child to play with, but for older kids who love Narnia, this is a must have toy set. By adding additional figures from the Narnia series you can extend the life and your child’s interest in this toy. While this toy has a tendency to be violent, it also represents the battle of good versus evil. It’s not mindless violence, and provides a good representation of your child’s favorite characters from the Narnia books and movie.

Price: 5 out of 5 stars
Durability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Ease of Assembly: 5 out of 5 stars
Fun Factor: 4 out of 5 stars
Child Readiness: 4 out of 5 stars
Lasting Appeal: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.42 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, Mentius, Faun Warrior, Asterius, Minotaur, Action Figures, Action Set, Toys, Kids Reviews