It’s a little more than a month until Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy arrives in theaters, but if the previews are any indication, one of the film’s breakout stars will be Rocket Raccoon, a space alien who resembles an anthropomorphic Procyon lotor. There’s nothing too surprising about that. Rocket Raccoon may seem ornery and lacking in impulse control, but he’s also an anti-hero who’s big on personality and seemingly always ready for action. (He kind of reminds me of another Marvel Comics character-turned-movie star, Wolverine, had he been imagined as, you know, an actual wolverine.)
The Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon, from Hasbro‘s licensed Guardians of the Galaxy line for kids ages 4 and up, captures a lot of what makes the character fun. Along with being decked out in the same orange jump suit as his film incarnation, this 10-inch-tall action figure comes equipped with a blaster rifle, which is roughly the same size as his body. It features a light-up scope and barrel that also rotates and glows in different colors. Once locked and loaded with three AA-batteries, Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon has two play settings. There’s the Try Me mode, in which pressing down on the scope makes Rocket say different lines, such as “I told ya I had a plan!” and, “Aw, come on, I don’t got that long of a lifespan anyway!” while his rifle blasts away. The regular On mode lets kids press the button surreptitiously hidden on Rocket’s left leg as another way to activate the figure. Now they can run around and act out all kinds of action-packed adventures, while holding Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon comfortably in their hand.
As far as design, Rocket Raccoon comes with an attachable tail, which helps it stay upright and not fall over from the blaster’s recoil. It also has a few purposely loose parts—including its head, jaw, and waist—that shake whenever the rifle’s blasting away, giving Rocket some additional personality when he’s in action. Overall, between the faithful sculpting, different-colored light effects, and the wide range of available sayings, there’s enough variety for lots of repeat play. It’s still too early to tell whether Guardians of the Galaxy is going to be the biggest blockbuster of the summer, but this Hasbro tie-in is already one of my favorite toys so far this year.
This product and more from Hasbro will be on display at The Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite 14 event in New York City on July 17. Part of Blogger Bash, a two-day conference connecting bloggers and brands nationwide, Sweet Suite will feature the hottest toys and games for the upcoming holiday season. Visit thebigtoybook.com for more info, and follow the conversation on Twitter!
