Figure name: Hooter and Fuzzball Captain EO Plushies
Figure maker: Disney
Retail Price: US$24.95 and $16.95
Available at: Disney Parks

First thing you might say is, "Um ... Rio? Why are you cooking your plushies?" and the answer is ... USE YOUR IMAGINATION! I mean, that's totally not aluminum foil you see! It's their spaceship and they're traveling the galaxy on their next mission! So ... don't interrupt them or anything! Ahem ... Now, back to the review.

First up we have Fuzzball, who is just an adorable little guy who loves to help out Captain EO when he's in a jam. He seems to be the smartest of the bunch and always knows just how to fix the situation. As you can see, the plush version of him is obviously quite fuzzy, so it goes along well with the name "Fuzzball." The fake fur they used for his tummy is awesomely soft, while his hands, feet and tail are all of a slightly more rough fabric.

Fuzzball's not very big, but measures in around 9" tall, though his tail overly makes up for this with measuring in at about 15.5" long. You might wonder why his hand's out all weird like that, but it actually makes sense! At the end of the movie, he comes out at you real fast to say "bye-bye" and wave before he flies back off to follow Captain EO. I think it's actually pretty cute that they threw that in as his pose for those who pay close attention.

I love the colors used in the plushie, and for those who don't know, these are remakes of the original plushies released in 1986 when the film first was released in Disney parks. If you ever happen to run across the originals on eBay, you'll see that these new versions are much better done than the originals. I do still love the originals, because well, they're the originals, but I'm quite glad that I bought these new ones instead of spending hundreds on the old ones.

There's a wee bit of a quality control issue with these I've noticed, as you might have seen how from certain directions his eyes look a little off. This was one of the best ones I found when I dug through what was available at the store in Disney World, so it's something you'll definitely want to look over before you buy them if you get a chance. Honestly, none were terrible, but since it was for my MJ collection, I was a bit picky when I chose.

Now we have Hooter, who is a bit bigger than Fuzzball, at over 12" tall. Bless him, he tries really hard, but he ends up being not the most reliable character in the film, but he usually comes through in the end, but not without causing a bit of trouble first.

A nice surprise about Hooter is that this plush is extremely soft! I could probably just space out and pet his ears for ages; it's just so insanely soft to the touch. I also like that the details on his nose and eyes are embroidered on, which give a nice change of pace with the details.

Another nice detail is that his shirt he wears is not just a netting type of thing anymore, it's an actual soft, almost washcloth feeling fabric. It fits well with the other fabrics on the plush and will stay together much better than the way the original was done.

His tail sticks out so cutely underneath his shirt, and everything is proportioned very well. As you can see, he has the Disney Parks Authentic tag, as that's where you'll have to find them. I can't gush enough about what a great experience it is to see Captain EO in person. Sure, you can look it up on Youtube, which I did to originally see it, but WOW ... nothing tops it more for me than seeing it over and over again at Disney World like I was lucky enough to do last month.

I love the way that both of these two plushies were remade, and would tell anyone who's a fan of the film to go pick them up as soon as you can get your hands on them at a park. I'll fully admit that Hooter is my least favorite character in the movie, but I absolutely love and adore the plush of him! Both of them are definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of the movie, or of Michael Jackson in general like I am.

As previously mentioned, both Hooter and Fuzzball are available at both Disneyland and Disney World, and you can pick them up fairly cheaply. Fuzzball is US$16.95 and Hooter is US$24.95, so you'll be able to fit them into your budget fairly easily if interested. If you can't make it to the park to grab them for yourself, you can always call Disney Park Guest Services at 1-800-328-0368 and see if you can order them by phone. It's always a pleasant experience, so give them a shot!