Editorial Review

The artist Michaelangelo was probably never known as the light-hearted jokester of the Renaissance but that is the role of his namesake in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In this action figure version of Mike, he totes his weapon of choice, a set of nunchakus, and wears his customary orange mask as well as a snarling smile that manages to make him look both happy-go-lucky and still vaguely menacing. When bent back, a spring-loaded mechanism catapults Mike forward in a flip (that was perfectly executed every time we tried it). A breakaway wall with imitation bricks below a set of fake trees is also included. Besides being the Turtles' resident jokester, we are also told by the packaging that Michaelangelo is the peacemaker of the troupe which seems odd given all the nunchaku swinging and wall breaking but in a world where turtles become ninjas, anything is possible. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Editorial Review

Howard Hughes meets Skunkworks! The Air Hogs RC Skywinder is a high-flying silver airplane designed to loop the loop, climb, dive, bank right or left, or sidewind. A six-function radio controller allows players to command the stunts from terra firma. Made of high-density EPP foam and plastic, the sleek airplane has a military look about it, although its fun-giving capacity belies the serious image. Kids (and let's be honest, grownups, too!) launch the 19x18-inch airplane into the wild blue yonder, press the thrust button on the controller to allow the plane to climb, then wait until it reaches a minimum altitude of 30 to 50 feet (depending on the intended stunt). At this point, the sky (and the battery charge) is the limit. Slight movements of the toggle switch or thrust button guide the skywinder in any direction, allowing for inverse or regular loops, sidewinders, and more, up to heights of 100 feet. Includes stunt plane, controller, charger/display stand/trainer (for indoor training), two extra propellers, and one tool (for adjustments and propeller replacement). Six AA batteries required (not included). No assembly required. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (6)

This toy is junk.
In theory, this is a great toy. It is very realistic, and you are supposed to be able to put the astronauts in the command module and the LEM for great imaginative play.

In reality, this toy falls apart the minute you remove it from the packaging. You can't put the astronauts anywhere because they splinter and you can't pull the components apart as shown because pieces break off at the lightest touch.

It is NOT worth the price and NOT worth the disappointment on a child's face.

Museum piece!
Purchased this item, and as the other reviewers have mentioned, it fell apart in our hands. NOT for Kids!!!!!!!!!! I am attempting to find another like item, but I have my doubts!

Durability is -1 star.

If anyone finds a talking apollo unit that will stand up to 30 seconds of play, PLEASE let me know.

A flimsy toy that frustrates children and adults alike
My five year old son received this as a gift for Christmas, and by that evening, little pieces were falling off with no prodding. A footing from the lunar module fell off the next morning, and when I tried looking it over to see if it could be fixed, two more came off in my hands! My son is so frustrated, as he knows he is being careful as he attempts to play with it while more pieces simply break off. The metallic look of the set is very misleading - think aluminum foil as opposed to a heavier metal. My son has received similar sets, and they have fared well even after months of use. I am ready to toss this out (and would if I could take it away without him being upset as he really likes the astronaut voice recording). I would never recommend this set, as it has frustrated my five year old and my husband and I alike. My husband thought it could only have cost $5.00 or so, and nearly fell off his chair when I told him it was almost $40.00!! Too bad, as the educational value of an imaginary play toy like this is why people do pay so much for such a small toy. Hopefully the maker will get smart and start producing a better quality set to match the example they are trying to promote for our children.

Cool but breaks easily
My son just loved this toy but pieces started breaking off of it as we took it out of the box. Every time he played with it he called out that another piece broke off. I would only recommend this as a display item, so don't buy it for a child, it is too intriguing. I am very disappointed in this toy and for the cost, it is outrageous!

Apollo Moon Mission Set by Action Products Intl.
This is NOT a toy!! VERY fragile..EASILY broken. Many small peices. Not recommended to be used for anything other than a model placed on a shelf or handled only by an adult. Again, this is NOT a toy!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Pint-sized NASCAR fans can stage races at home with this radio-controlled replica of race driver Tony Stewart's car. Although it's about 1/64 of the size of Stewart's actual car, the other features on this model are exactly the same. The box features a bio of Stewart's racing highlights on the back and the car charges in a miniature copy of Stewart's orange racing helmet emblazoned multiple times with The Home Depot logo. When it's time to race, the 27 MHz controller switches on to send the car forward or backward using the left-hand touchpad controls or left or right with the right-hand controls. Kids can race cars against each other or against the powerful 49 MHz NASCAR model cars for some stiff competition. The controller operates via one 9-volt battery and the charger takes three AAA batteries. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Drive the 2002 Winston Cup champion's car
It's so great to see the NASCAR market these days. When Racing champions released a 1:64 rc car it only went straight and turned in reverse, I never thought I'd see the day when cars of this size can turn left, right, reverse, and forward. And I never expected the charger to be a helmet. REALLY COOL. I'm so glad that I can drive Tony Stewart's car anywhere. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Why should an old-fashioned notion like gravity slow down a perfectly good race track? In this clever and thoroughly entertaining set from Hot Wheels, the one included big wheeled vehicle can move nicely around the track but also climb a vertical wall and then drive upside down in a loop. Not much secret hocus-pocus here, it's all done through magnets. For an added challenge, try to time the vertical climb just right so the car connects with the loop. The upside down factor at play here is awfully neat but it still doesn't change the fact that the set is fairly limited in terms of variety. Still, you have to admire the tenacity of a plucky little car that drives upside down with such determination. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It may be ok for older children
This toy might be alright for older children, but it definately can be difficult for the younger child. To rev the car in order for it to continue through the entire track you need to do it slowly, which my child has no patience for. Then, when you get it going, it can be very difficult to place it on the track so it is aimed correctly and stays on. Its diffucult for an adult, nevermind a young child. i would say it is definately for children over 7, which my child is not. the manufactorers say 4 and up .... that is wrong. my child gets very frusterated with the toy and it is sitting in his room unused.... a waste of money on my part. The track also doesnt stay together very well, and the sky line bridge part gets messed up very easily and it becomes not aligned and then it doesnt work, so i have to check it each time we try to play with it to make sure it is in the right position.

Lots of fun
My son loves his "rev-ups rev-ups" as he calls them. He's almost three and plays with this all the time. We bought him the other playsets to go with it and a few more cars too. The only draw back we have is the tracks fall apart easily and for a three year old he can't fix them himself, so we were constantly repairing the tracks. We finally just used a little hot glue to secure them a little better and now he's good to go.

Keeps Him Occupied
My little boy is 4 and he absolutely loves this Rev Ups track. He has tons of toys and cars and tracks and this is the only one he plays with for any length of time. The little magnetic cars are ingenious and will travel up or down any metal surface (like the refrigerator). The only drawback is that the box shows about 10 different cars available but I have not been able to find them. The track comes with one and my husband found one at [...] but when I went to find another they were unavailable.
But no matter, my little boy has loads of fun with the 2 he has and I am sure yours would too.

fffuuunnn
this is the BEST! Hot wheells set EVER.the car goes on a half loop and rides on the track upside down then when the car goes towrad the end the track flips (shown on top of page)over the car goes on the track again ... Read more

Editorial Review

We've long suspected, when seeing one of those giant Hummers driving down the street, that there must be something more inside that giant rig than simply a car. It just seems too darn big to be merely a passenger vehicle. In this toy incarnation, there is, in fact an entire city contained within the large clunky black vehicle. With a little bit of unfolding, reveal three different cityscapes: a drag racing track, an airport with long winding track for more racing, and a construction site. Two cars are hidden in there as well, ready to explore the area. The hood of the big Hummer opens to allow storage of several Speedeez cars and there's a handle for lugging the Hummer/urban diorama around. We were impressed by how easily the Hummer transformed from one state to the other and found the smaller Speedeez cars to be well-designed and zippy. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Editorial Review

It’s quite a thrill to see a genuine helium airship take to the skies and obey your remote commands. This bright Mylar blimp inflates to about 3 feet in length, and is powered by two small propellers underneath. Best used in a large indoor space such as a gym, it can also explore the great outdoors on a calm day. Competitive airship racers can get ships with different frequencies to avoid control interference. Inflating the ship requires a trip to a helium tank, such as you might find at a florist or drugstore, and 2 AAA batteries are required to power the ship, plus one 9-volt battery for the two-joystick remote unit.--Richard Farr ... Read more