Branded Products that Bomb - The Matrix Phone and More (FLASHBACK)

Some movies were made with the intention of having merchandise sales as part of the overall revenue in the marketing plan. Products associated with movies about superheros or racing are obvious, and they made a whole lot of cash, selling action figures, model cars and gadgets.

Among big Hollywood blockbusters, there are few movie-themed toys that didn’t get such positive responses; in fact, they pretty much bombed. Some were made before I was even born, but just by looking at their concept or functionality, I had to say, “What the heck were they thinking?”

Here are few of the worst toys, as mentioned on Wired Magazine:

The Matrix Phone 2003

The Samsung SPH-N270 was made for The Matrix Reloaded. As usual, spin offs are usually not as good as the originals (Nokia 8110 made for the Matrix)

The design is tacky, and does not meet the standards of the actual movie.

10’000 were made. What a waste of metal!

Star Wars Force Beam 1978

This toy is basically a flashlight with a clear plastic tube. It’s not a saber, and its definitely not worth more than the D-Cell batteries used to power it.  The Force Beam came with either a red or a green light. How lame!

Other awful toys include the The TARDIS, 1970s, and Dinky Star Trek Klingon Battle Cruiser 1977.