Sam Flynn with Light Cycle

When the TRON Legacy movie came out, i was ravenous to get any piece of merchandise available from the film. So when the pre-order for the Hot Toys Sam Flynn with Light Cycle came out in 2010, I jumped on it instantly.

And then I waited…

And waited…

And waited.

In fact, it took so long that I actually forgot about it. The movie came and went, so did the DVD, as well as the cartoon. TRON toys got clearanced and quickly disappeared. The Kevin Flynn 1/6 figure from TRON came out, but nothing was heard about this… until I got my ship notice.

I actually thought for a minute about cancelling it, but I decided to just go with it. I’m glad I did. It’s really cool. and believe it or not, my first Hot Toys purchase.

Unlike the stand-alone figures, the box Is unremarkable, with simple TRON-inspired graphics and a handle up top.

Inside, Sam rests in a plastic tray, and beneath that the cycle is wedged in between two large foam blocks.

The bike is pre-assembled and ready to go – just add rider.

Where to start with this thing? It’s great. It’s massive. Sam Flynn is in 1/6 scale so you can imagine how big the bike is (16.5 inches long!) I can just barely fit it in the light tent.

Above, compared to the spin master version.

The Light Cycle features fully moving front and rear hard rubber tires, spinning engine, LED lights, and an opening rear section.

The included Sam Flynn figure looks great on the bike, but it’s not a true action figure. It’s mostly a fixed-pose figure designed to only fit on the bike. There is some articulation, and some optional parts available for variety.

The head moves a little bit, the shoulders are on ball joints, the wrists move and the waist has a small amount of motion.

Really though, the figure and bike are one cohesive unit, designed for each other. The figure slides perfectly into the embrace of the cycle.

The helmeted head is an issue. The normal head pops on and off smoothly, but the helmeted head just gets forced on with friction – there is no “pop” to secure it. I used a blade to hollow out the inside of the neck a bit and that helps it stay on better. It’s not ideal but I can live with it.

The un-helmeted head continues Hot Toy’s tradition of amazing sculpts. This looks exactly like Garret Hedlund.

Sam’s hands securely hold on to the front steering assemblies. On mine, the right front assembly was loose in the package, but it was just a matter of plugging it back in. There’s a bit of movement in the handles, but I don’t know if that’s intentional.

The motor rotates when the switch is in the on position. More on the electronics later.

The wheels are a very hard rubber, and while they do move, it’s not the smoothest. It’s also worth noting that only the middle part rotates, there are additional static tire parts on the bottom.

The first of the option parts is a separate extended leg, used to hold the bike upright when not moving at speed. The leg has a headphone jack that connects to the body – this is used to conduct electricity so the leg can light up.

The other is a different hand used to hold the “activated” identity disc. This replicates when riders held their discs out to attack in the arena.

When you remove the figure you begin to see the quality of the engineering that went into this.

Various panels need to open in a certain order to release the figure. First the side units, then the back part, followed by the middle, then the part that covers Sam’s body.

With the panels exposed you can see the intricate mechanism within. The support rods are metal, and some are painted and detailed.

The Light Cycle has a three position switch underneath that activates the lights. One position activates both lights and the engine, one is off, and the other is just lights. As you can see the bike illuminates even in bright light.

Three AA batteries are required (not included).

Once lit, the control panel is visible.

It is in the dark though, that the true beauty of this toy shines through.

The bike alone, without the figure, is nothing short of majestic. Look at all the lights, and how bright it is. Even small details like the lights on the front handles and underneath are represented.

Adding the Sam Flynn figure just completes the package. You need to activate the lights separately on Sam, and in two places.

The first place is the switch just behind the neck. This activates the body. The batteries for this are stored in the center of the identity disc holder. Three watch batteries are included.

The helmeted head is activated by a small switch in the back. These batteries are pre-installed. The head emblem lights up and there is a slight glow on the face.

The whole thing together is just stunning.

This is the definitive Tron Legacy collectable.