I watched Twilight when it came out on DVD, and despite that I’m just not the right target audience for anything related to the movie and the books, I must admit that my sister would gladly marry Edward right now.  Personally, I’ll pass, despite how beautiful he may in fact be.

Since Twilight is such a hit, there are toys that must be made under the Awful Movie Tie-In Law of ’76.  You’re sort of constricted to Edward, Bella, or a combination of the two, (sometimes I can’t tell them apart).  In terms of a movie toy, they aren’t bad.  They do look extremely detailed and match their movie counterpart very well.  That being said, they’re still pretty dull.  And they don’t have knee joints.  (Joints are so crucial to action figures as I describe in this GI Joe action figure review).   Edward gets sunglasses, but no knee joints.  I’m picky, and if an action figure doesn’t have joints at the shoulder, elbow, knee, groin, and neck at the very least, then I’m ticked.

A close-up of the Bella doll

There is another option for you Twilighters out there.  There are super-detailed dolls of Edward and Bella available for purchase, though at $139.99 it’s only for the true Twilight aficionados.   For the set of two, maybe $180 is totally reasonable if it lets you live out all your Edward-Bella fantasies free from the structure of the books.

The better deal is still the Edward-Bella two-pack action figures at $24.99.  The quality is lower, (though as said before, details are high), but so is the price.  This is the affordable option if you just haven’t gotten enough Twilight in your system yet.

Or maybe go rent Interview With a Vampire and see a really good vampire story, but that’s just me.

UPdate: Here’s our review of  Pixar’s UP movie toys.

Coraline Leads the Pack of Dark Themed Toys

Now that the movie has been released, Coraline toys are available in stores as well as online.  Fans can find lots of collectibles including NECA’s pose-able dolls from 3” up, fashion dolls, magnet sets, lunch boxes, throw pillows and messenger bags.

Also, Dark Knight toys are continuing to creep out into the market as well — the most recent addition are Dark Knight head knockers.  The popularity of other dark-style cartoons such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Goth-inspired toys in certain markets is sure to up the ante for all these new toys.

And don’t forget about Harry Potter. The release of the next Harry Potter feature eight months later than originally planned is bound to allow more time for merchandising and the popularity of the books brings with it a love of all things Potter.

Continuing the dark-themed movie pattern:  collectible (and rare) Twilight dolls are available for all the fans of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, with a potential for more varieties once the sequel New Moon is released in the fall.

More Hot Movie Toys for 2009

• Monsters vs. Aliens is sure to bring with it some great toys and the release of UP is bound to bring new love to balloons at the very least.

• The planned release of the “classic” Toy Story in 3-D later this year will bring with it a fresh release of Buzz and Woody toys as well as a market for those collector’s items from the first release in the 90s.

• A potential release of Where the Wild Things Are in the fall has parents and children alike excited about the movie and all the Wild Thing toys that will soon be on the market.

• Disney’s The Princess & the Frog, which offer its first animated African-American heroine in December,  has already announced its new toy line.

Some other 2009 releases of movie toys are cult-pleasers meant for teens, young adults, and kids alike, including Terminator, Star Trek, X-Men, Transformers, G.I. Joe and a big screen version Land of the Lost.

These movies will find fans in the younger generation, but my guess is all those toys will really be created with the collectors in mind.  I predict older fans with more disposable income will be pre-ordering Sleestacks and G.I. Joe dolls before the movies premiere.