Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
For a male red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), the journey from adorable joey to towering boomer centres mainly around one thing: the ritualized fighting known as boxing. Only the victors win the privilege of mating rights, and as such, battles between boomers can be extremely violent and ugly. Each will scratch, punch, wrestle, and kick until one surrenders, upon which he will live out his days in exile.
One of my very first reviews for the Animal Toy Blog was the Southlands Replicas male red kangaroo; now meet his competition, the 2021 CollectA male. Unlike the former, this boomer is sculpted in a resting pose with his great feet flat on the ground and his thick tail planted firmly to serve as a prop. Appearances can be deceiving, however. The boomer’s head is turned to the left, his ears are perked, and his eyes are staring intensely. And while his arms are dangling, the muscles appear to be flexing. Yes, I’d say this big fellow is getting ready to rumble!
Our boomer stands a little under 11 cm tall at the ear tips and measures 9.5 cm long from the tips of his hind claws to the end of his tail. His main colours are light orange and beige with very dark brown at the tips of his hands and feet, including claws. The soles of his feet are brushed with light grey and his genitals are splashed with dark brown. Dark brown is also applied to the insides of his ears and down his cranium. His eyes are glossy black and the tip of his muzzle is medium grey with a dark grey nose. Finally, there is faint grey wash applied over the orange parts of his fur.
Not surprisingly, this boomer has superbly sculpted fur all over his body. The muzzle has a visible pitted texture and the soles of the feet are nicely detailed. And then there’s the musculature. The tail and legs look springy and powerful, ideal for bounding across the Australian outback or for tearing up to deliver brutal kicks. But it is the chest, the shoulders, and the arms that really draw your attention. They are positively bulging with enormous muscles! Looking at this guy, it’s no wonder that red kangaroos are sometimes referred to as the bodybuilders of the animal kingdom. This boomer’s physique totally puts the Southlands Replicas version’s to shame. Everything about him is bigger and bulkier save for the tail. If I saw two real red kangaroos that were built like these toys, I’d put my money on the CollectA to win the fight!
And on that note, I’d say that CollectA’s boomer is a more appropriate toy to give to children for the purpose of play. Its pose makes it less likely to put scratches or dents on wooden surfaces (you may recall me talking about that in my Schleich kangaroo review), it doesn’t have any unsightly seams, and it’s made of softer and more durable PVC, meaning it’s less likely to break if it falls onto bare floor. All that being said, I still consider the SR version a magnificently sculpted toy and continue to recommend it for older collectors.
In conclusion then, the CollectA male red kangaroo is a very impressive and fun toy that’s definitely going to please collectors of all ages. I recommend this boomer as strongly as the punches and kicks I envision him dishing out in combat!
