REVIEW: Uni-Minis - E.T. and Minion

[JeffSaylor]

New Vinyl Collectibles From Universal Studios...

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The vinyl collectible market has hit collectors hard and it's never been more main stream than it has been now. With plenty various types of vinyl figures in the mass market retailers, there's really no escaping them. It's not a winner every time, as Hasbro's Mighty Muggs can attest but still, there has to be an audience if Funko's Pop! vinyl figures keep popping out with now slow down in sight. Disneyland has already rocketed the vinyl collectible market to an even wider scope with several different collector lines under its Vinylmation umbrella. Not to be out done, Universal Studios has come into the fold as well with a brand new line called Uni-Minis.

There's a handful of Uni-Minis available at both Hollywood and Orlando theme parks. Priced at $12.95 for one or $20 for a pair, you can begin adding classic Universal characters to your shelf. Today I picked up E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, one of Universal's proudest Steven Spielberg properties, and a one-eyed Minion from Despicable Me 1 and 2. Other figures include Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy the Penguin, Betty Boop and more.

Each Uni-Mini comes in an identical box with a window to see which one you get. This might be a win for Universal or a fail depending on the buyers. Most of Disney's vinyl collectibles come blind-boxed so you have to keep buying and buying (with an option to trade randomly if you desire) until you find the one you want. Here, I was able to pick up E.T. and the Minion, the two I actually wanted without any problem. The generic box however is rather disappointing since you aren't able to see the rest of the series. I went home curious about the others and completely forgotten what else was out there. If Universal wants to tempt those who buy one to buy more, they need to tease the other characters right on the box.

Sculpt on these Uni-Minis are unique to each's own design, but hyper stylized for cuteness. I'm having trouble deciding if E.T. is evil, happy, or both! The Minion comes as a one-eyed variety only for now. Each figure also has limited articulation, with arms and neck for E.T. and arms and waist for Minion. They stand pretty decent on their own but the E.T. I got tends to lean forward. Balancing him upright has been a challenge, but if they sold it as "Drunk" E.T., I would have accepted the flaw more openly.

The figures have limited paint applications and for the most part are pretty clean. E.T. does have a painted glowing finger on his right hand but unfortunately are not visible in these photos. E.T. also has his glowing heart and big big eyes painted on. The Minion has more variety of colors but it's mostly blacks, blues, and silver.

There doesn't seem to be any limit in production run that I know of but if these toys are up your alley, head on over to your local Universal Studios Theme Park.

Review and Photography by David Yeh

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