Aliens Power Loader & Ripley
The very idea of Aliens toys for children is a little strange. What child was into Aliens? What child was allowed to watch Aliens? I mean, other than me and my friends?
More than five years after the disturbing, violent, R-rated film was released, Kenner created a line of Aliens toys for children. This was well after my time as a toy-buying child, so the toys weren’t on my radar.
It occurred to me recently that there must be an older Power Loader toy, and there it was, plentiful and cheap on eBay.
The Loader comes in a lovely painted box.
Inside, a corrugated sleeve.
Minor Assembly is required.
The resulting toy is surprisingly satisfying. Sure, certain liberties were taken to simplify the design. The legs have been combined into a single platform on tank treads, the forklift-like arms are reduced to simple claws. If you were to look at the toy and movie loaders next to each other, the toy looks ridiculous, but by itself it nicely captures the essence of the movie version. Paint apps and molded detail are above par for the time.
Decals still came standard in 1992, and they really enhance the Loader’s appearance.
The arms rotate at the shoulder with heavy detants.
A cannon rotates into place from the back. It fires a spring-loaded missile.
A plunger at the shoulders opens the claws when depressed.
A fine, fun toy, but it’s missing something. A pilot.
Ripley comes on a huge card.
Ripley is pure-nineties blah. Paint apps are fine, she barely stands. The entire figure is dedicated to her weapon gimmick.
The gimmick is neat, though. You see that pink peg going into her pouch? That peg is connected to the “flame” inside the gun, so that when you pivot the figure at the waist joint (!) the pink flame comes out of the barrel.
Not a bad gimmick or figure, but when you strip away the gun you’re left with this. The perma-posed arms and legs don’t bode well for piloting a vehicle.
While Ripley fits well enough inside the loader, her pose makes her addition awkward. She can even hold one of the handles, and she’s always turned to one side. Not great. But not awful either.
It’s a big sturdy fun Power Loader toy. It does everything it needs to. It’s a slam dunk as a child’s toy, and it displays well in an adult collection.