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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    'Preciate the Apeface review, Mike. I've got him PO'ed through Hasbro Pulse, so no telling when he'll ship. Overall, for a triple changer, he's not too bad, if a bit chunky. As you pointed out, that all-pink nose kinda ruins the look a bit- I'd rather they'd casted it in white and painted the tip pink to mirror the G1 toy. And too, it would have been nice if the canopy was larger and the jet's cockpit accommodated the headmaster. So many of the TR/PotP figs were well done in this regard, and it seems odd that they would omit it from this design, esp when the G1 toy did it. Oh well, it is what it is. I've poor talent with paint, but I'm sure a few customizers out there will paint their figs to look more appropriately G1ish, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out. SnapDragon seems a foregone conclusion to me. All the way around it had better looking alt modes, especially that SR-71 inspired jet, and arguably, a better looking bot mode than Apeface. The Dragon mode always looked more like a T-Rex to me, and I've no problem with that at all. So, hopefully, if not in the near future, then at NY Toy Fair, we'll get our first glimpse of a minty new SnapDragon fig that is done well. If they can approximate KFC's Kingzilla, scaled down and with a shorter beast torso, then I'd be pretty pleased. Just for giggles, here's a fully transformable LEGO version built by Alan Yuppie. If someone can make one this good from LEGO, Hasbro has no excuse.
  2. M'Kyuun
    For what we pay for these premium toys, Transformers or Macross, the last thing I want to do is take them apart. In my mind, it's gulling if there's a factory/design error necessitating the disassembly of something to make a fix. Those sorts of things should be caught by QC, but history proves otherwise. I agree with Borgified in minimizing panel-formation on Macross toys. While it's necessary in some areas, the majority of valks don't require it. I do, however, think it'd be beneficial to mimic the leg compression design of MP-36, as that was a great solution. Hopefully, Bandai's not done tinkering with this thing yet, and I hope they take as much time as they need to really strike a good balance. I don't think it's possible to get it exact to the lineart, as every mode is drawn in a way that flatters it, which means that proportions change from mode to mode to best suit , and little thought was given to the practicality of a transforming model/toy. I think Bandai are doing a pretty decent job thus far with this take, although as we've all pointed out, there's room for improvement. I just don't want another super skinny-legged YF-21 that looks awkward and misproportioned. For a better battroid, I'll take a little extra caboose in fighter.
  3. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    Huge YES to both, although I wish they'd eschewed whatever reasoning they had to make the shoulders stationary, as it really limits the arm articulation. Imagine how much more dynamic it'd look if those things could move around. When I built my LEGO version, it wasn't even a question. As to the Sv-262, I agree with the overcomplication, especially the armatures for the wings- just finnicky and unenjoyable. The design itself isn't that complicated, and quite elegant to give the illusion of a single engine aircraft. I've never been a big fan of the Draken, but I think Kawamori did a great job translating it into a valk, and the battroid is a thing of beauty, IMHO. The only issue I have with the DX's battroid mode, aside from the aforementioned wing supports, is that the feet have no forward rotation for posing. Either that, or they're extremely stiff on my copy. I don't force them. Anyway, it stands just fine, and I like how it looks. Anytime I feel like transforming it, though, the thought of wrestling with those wings gives infinite pause.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Honestly, though, would you really have wanted Ratchet/Ironhide to mirror the toy? Not me. (Cringes) I'm thinking the animators thought the same, hence the change. It remains a fortuitous concession. Perusing some of these reviews, it's remarkable how different companies produce such diverse interpretations of the same characters. A little something for everybody. It's a shame, however, that they're in different scales- if they all scaled the same, and one could mix and match, that'd really be nice.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Given the Russian tendency towards almost fanatical traditionalism, especially in their space program, one would think they'd have very nationalistic names applied. Then again, they call both the rocket and the manned spacecraft it launches Soyuz, with no distinction between them, so perhaps naming stuff isn't as important to them as it seemingly is to the US and European nations. In his book Endurance, Scott Kelly elaborates a bit on the cosmonauts' adherence to rituals, like stopping, in full gear on the way to the Soyuz, to take a piss on a tire of some vehicle b/c supposedly Yuri Gagarin did so before his historic launch, becoming the first human in space. It's such a 180 degree mindset from how NASA conducts business, and it struck Kelly as something out of the norm, breaking the sterility of their suits, but he did so willingly out of deference and friendship with his Russian compatriots. The cosmonauts also shared an important life lesson with Scott: eating dill reduces flatulence, which is a handy thing to know when you're about to be enclosed for months on end in an orbiting tin can. For passing along that gem, you're welcome!
  6. M'Kyuun
    Those Danes and their creativity. I just recently learned, via LEGO, who are producing toys based on this film, that the original Troll doll was hand-carved by a Danish fisherman and woodcutter named Thomas Dam for his daughter's birthday. The other kids in town wanted them too, and soon Mr. Dam formed a company producing them, out of plastic now, for Europe, and then the US. The story echoes that of Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a Danish carpenter, who abandoned making furniture in favor of wooden toys under the LEGO name. Years later, he bought a plastic extrusion molding machine, and the rest, as they say, is history. As for the movie, they have a talented cast, many of whom can do double duty as singers, which I always like to see. The plot's kinda silly, but, y'know, it's kids' fare- loud, colorful, obnoxious. Looks like the writers had fun poking fun at the various stereotypes associated with the various music genres. I doubt I'll see this in the theatre, but when it eventually comes to tv, I may indulge as a guilty pleasure. Apparently, this is a sequel; I wasn't aware of the first Trolls, so I'm a little behind the power curve, so to speak. Anyway, hope it's done well and enjoyable.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Maybe they're trim tabs- really large trim tabs. Joking aside, David makes a valid point, one that I should have caught- the entire stab is a moving surface on high-speed aircraft, usually controlled by extremely fast and precise servo-actuators linked to an air data computer. So, the small apparent rudders on Bandai's YF-21 are superfluous. We should send them a letter. Chronocidal, you make a fair point about the position of the arms betwixt lineart and toy. The toy still looks ok in the length regard, to me, but I'll concede that the forearms and hands need to be bigger to nail the look. Feed that thing some spinach. Using words like wimpy and limp to describe a Zentraedi's war machine- dems either fightin' or cryin' words, depending on the Zentraedi in question. I think we know which way Guld would go.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Between the Bandai and Yamato, I guess both camps will have a toy that suits them, although the ideal would obviously be a toy that gets both right. That's a tall order with this particular valk. To whit, there's still no release date, so there's time for feedback and changes , and although I doubt they peruse this board, one hopes they're receiving similar criticisms from the Japanese fanbase, to whom I hope they have an open ear. Fingers crossed that there'll be some improvements before final release. Doing my own visual comparison, the arms don't look too short to me- the hands come to the knees, as they should. However, the forearms are lacking bulk. Also, I believe it was Chronocidal who pointed out that the vertical stabs are too large, the wrong shape, and their rudders are inexplicably truncated for hinging. Odd choices all. The too-small forearms accentuate the size of the vertical stabs, so that may be the real problem; fatten those forearms by a few millimeters and it may look better proportioned. I also see complaints of the forward fuselage looking 'smooshed forward', however looking at the lineart, it seems to me that everything forward of the intakes is close. I think the problem is that there's a design dichotomy between shrinking the forward fuselage to better suit the battroid aesthetics, while everything aft of the intakes seems like it's a larger scale, and then of course, the fuselage is swollen beyond the impossibly thin lineart profile to accommodate the larger legs. Someone pointed out the 'scale' differences in an earlier post (I apologize, as I forget your name), and I agree with that assessment. It creates the illusion of being smooshed, but as I look at it, all the waypoints, if you will, line up forward of the intakes. to where they line up on the lineart. Aft of the intakes, the plane just seems too large, giving the whole an unbalanced look. Basically, it's a tiny head on a big body. That's my impression. As to the YF-21 design itself, I've always wondered why Kawamori didn't design the belly plates to conformally mold around the bell bottoms, leaving them exposed on the underside , but blended with the engine nozzles to compliment the shape and reduce the magic requisite to give fighter and battroid modes their profiles. The -21 is a shellformer in this regard, hiding the legs which are generally always the powerplant in the majority of his designs. I think he could have maintained that design continuity if he'd eschewed the backpack engines and let the legs fill that role. Given their rounded shapes, I think it would have, or could have been made to, work. Alas, so much proverbial water. Anyway, I hope some of the inconsistencies will be addressed before final production and we'll end up with a pretty nice update. I'm already pleased with how the battroid mode is looking, but it could still use some finessing. As a few others mentioned in earlier posts, I hope this YF-21 is a more solid toy- easier to pose and transform- than the old Yammie. I finally retired my Yamato to its box b/c it could barely stand, so loose were the ankles, so dainty the feet, and so heavy the back. At least this figure holds out promise of standing more solidly on the shelf, and the legs compliment the rest of the battroid proportionally, so I'm getting excited. It's been a long wait.
  9. M'Kyuun
    The VF-1 is an easy answer- even after all these years, it remains an elegant design that maintains its appeal. Second, the Y/VF -19 variants are just beautiful, both battroid and fighter. It's the design that got me hooked on this Macross stuff. The VF-4, the VF-25, the YF-21, the VB-6 Konig Monster, the Variable Glaug, the VF-14, the SV-51(such a unique and beautiful design), the VF-11. I could go on- I'm enamored with the majority of Kawamori's variable fighter designs; his attention to realistic details and attempts to make these things look like or approximate real aircraft sets his Macross designs far above all other transforming properties. I wish many more of them got the toy treatment. In contrast to my statement, the VB-6 and the Variable Glaug decidedly do not approximate real aerospace craft ( the VB-6 is loosely based on the NASA STS orbiter, but is still a fantasy vehicle). However, what I love about both was that Kawamori took two non-transforming mecha and redesigned them to transform, and the additional spacecraft and battroid modes he created for them look incredibly cool, to me anyway.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Compared to my old Yamato, I much prefer this, but then I'm a battroid guy. I think the proportions are much better done, and I don't mind a slightly shorter nose or a bulkier fuselage to accomplish it if means a more balanced battroid proportionally. It's still not perfect, but the -21 benefitted from very liberal anime magic , both in Kawamori's lineart, and in the final animation, and until we have smart materials that can elasticize to mimic those changes in proportion, I'm willing to accept concessions to the design in a toy. The Yamato does have a fighter mode that will be difficult to beat, but then that was the focus of that toy, much to the detriment of the b-mode, especially those disproportionally skinny legs. Again, the Bandai looks much better to these eyes. I hope I can score one on PO night, whenever that may be.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I forgot about the Invictus; I just watched a vid on YouTube recently about it. Pretty much, an updated successor to the Comanche. Those wings give it a nice bit of lift in forward motion, which reduces rotor loading and helps with fuel conservation. It probably kills its stealth profile, though. Concessions.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Just saw it, and liked it for what it was. Lots of action and a basic Terminator narrative. It kept me entertained for a couple of hours, and that's all I really expected from it. Everyone played their parts well...Linda falls right back into the Sarah Connor persona from T2, only more wrinkled, and more angry.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Segueing from all the fighter talk, I'm currently reading The Dream Machine by Richard Whittle which chronicles the difficult development of the V-22 Osprey. I'm only about a third of the way through the book, as it goes in depth concerning all the politicking and such that was going on in D.C., as well as difficulties in the working relationship between partners Bell and Boeing, and it can be a bit dry. However, it's an amazing story nonetheless, as it took any number of folks, from Bell, later Boeing, to heads of the military, most specifically the Marines , to congressional members to get the thing off the ground, both figuratively and metaphorically. It's a tragedy, both in human terms, but also in historic terms, that it has had a number of high-profile incidents which have negatively colored its general portrayal, especially in the media. Personally, I'm a huge fan of both the V-22 and the idea of the tilt-rotor. Through related V-22 searches, I just recently learned that a second tilt-rotor, the Bell V-280, is in development as part of the Future Vertical Lift program to create viable future helicopter and VTOL technologies for military applications. It looks to be comparable in size to the UH-60. There's also an unmanned multi-role version in development. Neat stuff, and I'm glad to see tilt-rotor technology still being advanced and developed. I wish we had them for commercial use, too, but that ship has yet to sail. I'd love the opportunity to fly in one. As a related aside, Bell had a quad tilt-rotor concept that would have had a cargo capacity comparable to the C-130 planned around the turn of the millennium. It never came to pass, but I think it would have been cool to see in action. I'd be remiss if I left out another contender for the FVL competition, the SB-1 Defiant, which incorporates coaxial counter-rotating main rotors, along with a pusher prop mounted perpendicular to the tail. Although not a new idea, this will be the first use of that arrangement in a US military helicopter if it proceeds into full-scale development for the Army, who historically favor choppers over tilt-rotors. Ok, I've bumped enough- back to Russian fighters and their odd NATO nomenclatures.
  14. M'Kyuun
    So bought on release day. Hopefully, LEGO will sweeten the deal with double VIP points, but just getting the smaller Batmobile for free is a lovely bonus. Honestly, I can't remember their ever having given a set that size away as a freebee. I've been wanting this Batmobile above all others for a long time, so I'm stoked that we're getting two versions for the price of one. I hope they do the Animated Series version, and the Arkham Knight version at some point. Very different interpretations, and yet each is cool in its own way. Lots of nostalgia for the Animated Series.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Almost certainly so. Fan-made sets usually go for a premium compared to sets of a comparable part count. That's why Ideas is a good , well, idea. Speaking of which, I just built the newly released Dinosaur Fossils Ideas set (21320) yesterday, and I found it to be a rewarding experience- the set comes in at a hefty 910 pieces, and I really enjoyed seeing the various bits of skeleton take form until completion. The final models look great, especially when displayed together as a nice tableau. The designer, legendary Niels Milan Pederson, who helped design many of the Classic Space sets many of us (Me!) cherish, happens to be a part-time archaeologist with a life-long passion for dinosaurs. His office is replete with dino skeleton models he has built over the years for his own pleasure, so when this particular Idea was accepted for production, he was the obvious choice to design the set. The only disappointment I felt was that they stopped at just three skeletons. I hope the set sells very well prompting LEGO to maybe release a couple more, perhaps a nice Apatosaurus, a Stegosaur, or an Ankylosaur to round out the collection. I really, really want a Sauropod, and Niels had several on his shelves, so fingers crossed, it'll show up as a future Creator set. The only possible negative some may feel about the set is that the Triceratops and T-Rex are built in place, so you can't take them off their stands and pose them. That would be great fun, IMHO, but beyond the scope of what was intended for the set. An intrepid MOCer could overcome this limitation, I'm sure. I enjoy it for what it is, so I won't be modding mine, but I'm sure someone out there will eventually, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out. Cheers!
  16. M'Kyuun
    In all fairness, a lot of MOCs look better than their official counterparts, as fans are under no constraints but their imaginations and inventory. LEGO designers work under many constraints, from safety to the cost of using one part over another, and with input from any number of agencies within the process of creating a set, changes occur that aren't always what we as fans would consider the most favorable. It is what it is, I'm aware of the process, and I'm glad that the sets are as good as they usually are. That doesn't mean I don't have my criticisms- I do, especially in the element palette, but also with choices made in some sets where I feel something could have been done better if a different part, or technique, was used. But again, LEGO has a process, so I accept it and carry on. As a child of the &0's and coming up through the classic era of LEGO, watching it decline in the 90's, nearly fail in the early 2000's and then rise again and become the world's leading toy company, I've had the opportunity to see a lot of changes in set design, part design, paint, graphic design, etc, and while I love my Classic Space stuff, the set design and part palette has become very impressive- much like Transformer toys today compared to the bricks we G1 folks had, LEGO has improved by leaps and bounds. So, even with their limitations, I still love collecting and building sets across many themes, and I'm generally pretty pleased with most, especially with nearly fifty years of hindsight to inform my opinion. I look forward to another half century of building,
  17. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the info, Mike. After I posted my second edit, I watched a couple of vid reviews of Battalion Shockwave and Jetfire, and yeah, these were made to gain brand appeal in foreign markets, they are made cheaply with fair to poor articulation, and they're around voyager scale, although I encountered a bunch of legends scaled figs during my visit to Walgreens, who happen to be, as you mentioned, the sole retailer for these things. They've been around since 2017, but Saturday was the first time I'd ever seen them. It's a shame that the build quality and articulation are so poor, as Shockwave looks pretty nice, with some nice paint apps, and I like the spaceship mode, simple as it is, better than the Siege. Anyway, the large figs are just shy of $17, and with large hollow areas and basic articulation (Shocky has no knee joints), I'm glad I put him back. Gotta admit, there was a slight thrill of discovery, though, and with a little more articulation, he would have made a nice stand-in for CHUG. Target has Siege Shockwave on sale for $30, so I went ahead and ordered him online, and he should be on my doorstep next Tuesday. Like the vast majority of Siege figs, I think I'll like him much better in hand. If nothing else, he has a nice bot mode.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the reviews, Mike. It looks like Jackson Pollack went apeshit on both Soundwave and SoundBlaster with that excessive battle damage. Sheesh! I skipped on the Siege Soundwave in anticipation of a second release with a dedicated cassette player mode. I'm guessing that'll probably confuse some of the younger kids who collect these things, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll come to pass. G1 Soundwave was one of my favorite characters in the series, and remains so today. He had, arguably, the best gimmick, aside from transforming, with his cassette minions popping out of his chest to do his bidding. Pure awesome. I checked out EmGo's Ratchet review yesterday, and, though I had seen or read a previous review and knew that there were quite a few remolded parts, it was a nice refresher that made me appreciate the figure more. I've been to one Walgreens thus far, and they didn't have him, so I'm going to have to check again or resort to online. I may try another one in my area today, as I have an appointment, and there's one located nearby. While the mold didn't exactly floor me with Ironhide, it's still pretty good, and I must admit I'm a sucker for the 'box on the hinged stick', which is meant to be his cannon, or rocket launcher if you will, that was part of the G1 toy's sled, and was actually depicted more with Ironhide (deployed from his back in the third ep when he's "tired of sucking their vapor trail" and flies after the Decepticon ship; and again in the second episode during the Sherman Dam scene, he and Bumblebee "make a new river" with Bee manning the said cannon in the back of Ironhide's van mode. Good stuff.). As an aside, I was so, so hoping that cannon would be integrated into MP Ironhide's back to reenact those scenes- alas, no. Anyway, hopefully I'll run across a copy of Ratchet today as the total package, IMHO, is superior to what we got with Ironhide, and it'd be nice to have both. Edit: Walgreens run was a success. Amazing sculpt-work all over this figure; it's really a shame they didn't give it a wash, or some dry-brushing, or just a spot of paint here or there to pick out details. The accessories in my copy are all in perfect shape (no warping of the hinged stick for his cannon), but the back wheels have a little too much play and don't turn very well, almost not at all on a smooth surface. Lamenting the omission of rubber tires. Nice looking Ratchet figure. I'm not a big fan of plugging weapons in all over the vehicle mode, and I discovered that all of his weapons will fit snugly in his legs, just in case there are any like-minded souls out there. Edit2: On Saturday, I mentioned coming across a Shockwave and Sideswipe figure in Generations packaging that I couldn't identify. Well today, as I picked up my Ratchet, a shelf tag next to him had the info: Generations Cyber Battalion. I never heard of this line before today, nor have I ever seen the toys anywhere but Walgreens. Anyway, they look a little simpler than the Siege toys, similar to the Cyberverse toys, based on the eponymous cartoon. I guess they're a continuation of that line. Anyway, I won't lie: Shockwave doesn't look too bad, nor does their Jetfire, which I probably would have bought had they had it. Anyway, just thought I'd follow up.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Agree on all counts. I'm not a big fan of exclusives or limited editions. Moreover, I'd surmise that the majority of folks who collect Batman or LEGO Batman stuff have been waiting for this set, in particular, since LEGO first got the license in 2006. They've made a number of sets that looked inspired by the '89 Batmobile, of which Jokerland and Batmobile Pursuit of the Joker come the closest, but, until now, never the actual car. So, to make it limited or tie it to another set as a promotion instead of putting it out for wide release is a poor move on LEGO's behalf, if, in fact, that's what they plan to do. I hope not. If it does end up being a difficult set to obtain, the bright side is that it should be fairly easy to Bricklink the parts, and eventually LEGO or a dedicated LEGO fansite will post instructions. This smacks of the Batpod giveaway that LEGO did, a very limited release. Hope I'm wrong.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Maybe he has a heavily modified DeLorean. Anyway, I'm definitely down for a sequel if they can match or better the first. They set a high bar.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Looks like there's a UCS 1989 Batmobile coming. https://www.thebrickfan.com/lego-batman-1989-batmobile-76139-found-at-billund-airport-lego-store/ There's also a Limited Edition System scaled '89 Batmobile that some are speculating will accompany the UCS as a free gift. It's all speculation for now, as there's no official word from LEGO. https://www.thebrickfan.com/lego-batman-1989-batmobile-limited-edition-40433-official-images/ I'm stoked for both-will definitely get the UCS, and hopefully a copy of the second if it turns out to be a very limited release. In truth, I'd almost prefer the smaller one, but I look forward to all the details in the UCS.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Nice find, Mike. Both figs hit the mark for a good blend of toon and toy. Shame the articulation isn't quite up to current standards, or these would be nigh perfect. With Earthrise on the horizon, and a nice looking Cliffjumper with Siege level articulation being shown, I'm hoping that all the minibots will get the same treatment in this line, as they really seem to going full-bore G1. This would, IMHO, be the line to just knock out all the original cast with faithful G1 versions so all of us 'GeeWunners' finally get the definitive official mainline toys we've been wanting for years. After Siege, though, I hope they do something completely different- kinda like they did with Animated, only a whole new cast. Put G1 to bed for awhile. As for my CHUG shelves, for now I'm letting Magic Square's Strong Man and New Age's Max (Cosmos) fill the voids, though both are undersized for official legends, esp Max-he's tiny. But, both look really good, and are fun little versions of their respective characters, so I put them out there b/c they make me happy.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Beat me to it, Tekering. Thx for the comparison pic. The official legends figs are not only taller, but also chunkier compared to the Magic Square, which hues much closer to the animation, and which, I believe, is in its own scale apart from official toys. In truth, my old IGear matches proportionally better with the recent legends releases, but Strong Man is such a beautiful fig that I have him displayed as well with the rest. Unlike most collectors, I have multiple versions of characters on my CHUG shelves- it doesn't bother me, and space is at a premium. I could put up a dedicated shelf somewhere I suppose, for a 'definitive' assortment, but my care factor is off-scale low. Anyway, I keep hoping, as they churn out these G1 inspired legends figs, that they'll eventually give us a faithful version of Huffer, as I don't think Has/Tak have produced one since the original. He was a rather notable character in the first season, showing up and playing active roles in any number of episodes, especially hauling Prime's trailer in the ep where Megs uses all the Decepticon power rectifier chips to cheat in one-on-one combat. That gives me hope, as Earthrise Prime is coming with his trailer (it's such a useless accessory, and yet such an integral part of the whole character), and it offers the perfect opportunity for Hasbro to release a Huffer fig that can haul it too. Fingers crossed.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Nice rundown on the official legends class figs from the last few lines, Mike. I've been really happy with how well they've turned out, even Wheelie. Warpath turned out to be such a good fig that I doubt anyone has an issue with his being a deluxe. Cosmos, to me, was the one standout due to his departure from the G1 model, which I'm assuming was based on one of the comics' interpretations, but he still retains enough characteristics to be recognizable, and honestly, he's fun a figure. Huffer is the notable omission in the G1 legends updated figs, and one I've been waiting for. I finally filled the void, previously occupied by IGear's version, with Magic Square's Strong Man. I also supplemented my CHUG shelf with New Age's Max, their G1 interpretation of Cosmos. Official versions are welcome, however. Slowly but surely, the '84 roster is filling up with some nice updated figs. I'm anticipating the upcoming Cliffjumper, a character who for years has been relegated to Bumblebee repaints. Nice to see him get his own mold that's fairly faithful to his G1 look, minus the spoiler. Nice, too that they gave him his cannon from the first episode of the series, and water skis from that other episode. I think third party is having an influence. So, I checked out one of the Walgreens in my area today for Siege Ratchet, with no luck. They had a couple other Siege figs, as well as a Shockwave and a Sideswipe fig which I can't identify. They were in fully enclosed boxes marked as Generations, but the figs themselves looked more in line with the Cyberverse figures. Did a Google search, but didn't find them, so I'm wondering if they're Walgreens exclusives too. This Shockwave turned into a spaceship, different from the Siege toy, but it looked decent enough that I almost picked it up. I left it there, and, after a fine lunch of fried chicken, headed to Target where I found Siege Thundercracker on sale. I've been critical of the mold from the get-go, as the obvious folded legs forming the undercarriage bugged me in his tetra-jet mode. However, since he was marked down a bit, I figured I'd grab him. Glad I did- while the undercarriage is still unattractive, in hand it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. He locks together pretty solidly, and he's quite swooshable. Bot mode is where this figure shines, though- it should be the benchmark for articulation- the feet pivot fore and aft as well as tilt inwards a little, the fists, which rotate into the arm for transformation, also rotate at the wrist, elbows and knees both bend well beyond 90 degrees. The legs have a spring-loaded panel that allows the thigh to bend deeply into the calf for transformation, but it serves double duty by allowing for some deep kneeling poses. His thigh incorporates the waist skirt, and thigh rotation occurs below the skirt line, which works very well. His elbows are double jointed, and bicep rotation occurs below the cubed shoulders. The wings are jointed to allow the wings to sweep back, but also rotate back, kinda like a cape in the wind, allowing for ample clearance for arm posing. The transformation is clever for turning his G1 F-15 robot mode into a Cybertronian tetra-jet. The only negative I have, and this may just be my copy, is that his guns peg into his shoulders somewhat loosely, although they peg into his wings firmly. Not sure if that was a mold issue, but it's a very small detractor from what is otherwise a really standout figure. If the Earthrise mold has the same articulation, I'm looking even more forward to snapping up all three original Seekers when they release. I must admit, I was wrong about this figure; while I still wish they could have incorporated the legs into his alt a little more conformally, as a total package, the bot mode more than makes up for the alt mode deficiencies, and I've always felt that the bot mode should take precedence, as they're robots in disguise, not the other way around. Definitely a recommend. Cheers!
  25. M'Kyuun
    Um, how about a little film called Terminator- Judgement Day : Aug 29, 1997.
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