Those who read my Who Framed Roger Rabbit flexies review know the extreme love/hate I have for bendy toys. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, bendy toys were in abundance. If the movie or TV show didn't have enough cool points to warrant an action figure line, there was at least a bendy made of a key character. While the movie Harry and the Hendersons would have been exciting to have gotten an action figure of John Lithgow or David Suchet, we were "blessed" with a bendy of Harry himself. But on the flip side, if it was expected to be a dynamite blockbuster, we got action figures and bendy figures too (i.e. - Land of the Lost, Who Framed Roger Rabbit or MMPR: The Movie). There was a strange corelation though with lines that had both action figures and bendy toys; the whole line usually flopped hard and ended up on clearance shelves shortly. I'm sure someone can point out an exception to that observation but I can't recall one off the top of my head at the moment.
You'd think bendy figures would be awesome, right? In theory, yes. A figural toy with infinite options for posing. Something that could sit and stand and everything in between without obscuring the sculpt with all the cuts traditional articulation leaves you with. These bendies were usually very droll and if you got them as a gift you knew that person obviously didn't like you that much or got you a gift last minute. That may sound harsh but I'm totally aware of what it's like to get sucky gifts. One year my mom's brother got me a puzzle and a flashlight. Some might say I'm being petty but it's the reason why I won't refer to him as my uncle.
Most all bendy toys of the era came on very basic card and bubble packaging. The card art was sparse, usually utilizing few colors and little to no use of movie or show based photos. No matter what the character was they were always in a very creepy arms stretched out pose. Some might say it's in a ready to hug you pose but I more relate the pose to a crusifixied body. That may sound harsh but I just really hate bendies. Another major letdown was the lack of accessories and the price was roughly equal to a decent action figure, there was no value in purchasing a bendy.
The Rocketeer is a bendy I've held off buying for a very long time. I know you've read through what amounts to a manifesto against producing and buying bendy figures but hear me out. 99/100 times I find the Rocketeer he is always missing the jetpack. Rocketeer without a jetpack is just a bellhop figure with horse riding boots and a silly helmet. Finding it with the jetpack I see as an accomplishment because I didn't sacrifice money for an incomplete toy, the only added bonus would have been to find him still carded. While I hate bendy figures I love the Rocketeer and hate that an action figure or affordably priced 12 inch doll hasn't been made in over 20 years.
***Update*** - Thanks to the fine folks at Plastic Heroes, I was able to add a carded Rocketeer figure to my collection. I'm not sure if that's reason for celebration but I'm going to count it as such.
Thanks for writing this up. Such a thrill seeing this toy with the jet pack so many years later. When I was 7, the jet pack was the first thing I ever stole in my life. The Kay Bee Toys at my local mall had a bin of random bendies, including this one, all unpackaged. My parents refused to buy it, but my 7-year old logic didn’t consider it stealing if I only took the jet pack. I felt so guilty when I got home that I pitched it into the woods in my backyard. That’s the last time I saw it until right now. Thanks again.
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