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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    That last statement- so true. Interesting history lesson, though. Still, it doesn't explain why they changed the name of the character, but, whatever. As loose as licensing seems to have been in the 80's, I'm surprised that both Hasbro and HG couldn't have simultaneous licenses for the VF-1; after all, they used the toy, and HG didn't stop them. I'll have to do some Googling. Thanks for the info, JBO.
  2. M'Kyuun
    With no sign of the wave 5 Titans Return deluxes anywhere, I ponied up at TFSource to get Kup, Perceptor, and Topspin. As has been the trend with the TR line, these figs are really excellent updates of their G1 likenesses, and just really nice figures on their own. Moreover, the transformation systems are well thought out, interesting, with a satisfying level of complexity. I'm looking forward to the next wave of deluxes, Misfire, Twin Twist, and a new version of WindBlade with a nice IDW accurate face. I'm also looking forward to getting Seaspray, hopefully in a store. I wish the voyager figures were as well done, but they don't seem to have the same level of design, IMHO. Alas, I'm loving the G1 homages, and hope this trend continues. They can get rid of the headmaster gimmick anytime, though. Not a fan.
  3. M'Kyuun
    And it starts.... I think LEGO mixes addictive substances into their plastic. They've owned me since I was about 4 years old, no end in sight.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I hadn't done that size comparison, but, yeah, Phoenix is big. Much prefer my Skyfire looking like Skyfire than a supersized VF-1, much as I like the VF-1. I guess the chunkies were a ready solution as a toy version, but even back in the 80's, nether the name change to Jetfire nor the look of the toy went skeptically unnoticed, and I always wondered why Hasbro went that direction instead of making a Skyfire brick that they could charge oodles of money for, because y'know, both of those things would have been true had it been released. Still, Phoenix was worth the wait, even with his flaws. For that backpack hinge, I engage it and disengage it the same way, just in reverse order, and it seems to work well without stressing anything. It works surprisingly well, and once snapped forward into position for bot mode, it's solid- it never feels loose or like it's going to disengage on its own. I'm also not a fan of G1 Omega Supreme; I never really understood the appeal. Now, an Animated Omega, take my money.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I get the criticism that Skyfire's a box with wings, and I also agree that the leader class Jetfire is one of the best aircraft figures Has-Tak have made, and a good compromise between the Skyfire bot mode and a modern fighter. Typically, I'm not a fan of Cybertronian alt modes, as most seem lazy, fugly, or they don't really look like anything relatable at all (thinking of WoC's Shockwave). However, for some reason, I've always liked Skyfire's alt mode- it just appeals to me, boxy as it is. But I also grew up in the 70's and 80's, and LEGO Space was also near and dear to my heart, and many of those designs were boxy, too. They're still beautiful to my eyes almost 40 years later. So, I guess nostalgia plays a part. I'm just glad that a high quality G1 faithful figure has finally been made of the character, and that I could afford it. He's been standing guard on my kitchen counter for the past two days, and I can't help but feel a little tremor of joy every time I see him- such a beauty. I get that he's not for everyone, but from reviews I've watched and read, there are a few other folks like me who've been waiting a long time for a toy like Phoenix to finally come along and light our darkest hour. I had to. As for the mention of the feet and the hidden exhausts in jet mode- yeah, that makes no sense to me, either. They took the time to mold augmented exhausts, and then covered them with the halves of the feet. I like the idea of having louvres built into the heels and having the exhausts behind them- it's a nice sci-fi detail that would have added a little extra touch to the figure in his spaceship mode. Opportunity lost. Looking forward to next Monday when Fans Toy's Stomp, who I've had preordered for months, will finally arrive and join his fellow Dinos. Looking very much forward to this figure, as Sludge was my only Dinobot growing up (still remember when I bought him), and I've long wanted an updated figure. It's such a great time to be a TF fan- more options than I would have ever dreamed possible just 10 years ago.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Just want to say, Phoenix lives up to expectations. There are a few areas that could have used another coat of paint, or just a paint job period, but overall, it's an amazing figure with an interesting, fairly straight-forward transformation. I only consulted the instructions to see what to do with the head, as it didn't seem to fit right (needed to be rotated 180 degrees for plane mode), and to see what they recommended for stowing the gun. I stow it with the barrels pointing forward matching the downward angle of the crotch- looks better to me. After handling him a little and transforming him once with only the head issue, my only real criticism is with the gun stowage. It could have, and should have, been done better, especially at the price point. I'm surprised PE or Dr. Wu haven't already cranked out a more streamlined folding gun for him. I'd give it serious consideration if the gun mode was really close. Anyway, for anyone jonesing for a cartoon accurate Skyfire, I think this will float your boat. Recommended without reservation.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I'm not sure who built the AT-AT, but the UCS styled Milano was built by a well known and extremely talented AFOL named Tyler Clites. Why Tyler's not working for LEGO, I don't know, but he puts out an endless stream of great MOCs, much to the pleasure of us lesser builders (me, that is). You should have bought the Milano set from the first GotG movie- it was a larger more accurate model. Prob cost a fortune on second market now- pretty typical these days. Alas, if you're entering the dangerously seductive world of MOCing, you will soon discover that LEGO can be rather taxing on the budget. I've been collecting since the early 70's, no dark ages for me, although my spending was pretty light throughout the 80's (birthdays and Christmas), the 90's (living on an Airman's budget, I had to be choosy), and early 2000's. Enter greater disposable cash flow and an enabler wife, and my collecting became rather voluminous through the mid 2000's. I've had to slow down a little since I retired, as I'm now a bum living on my pension/disability, and between Transformers, LEGO, Macross, and 3rd party Transformers, it becomes rather costly. Fortunately, Walmart has some decent sales on LEGO after about 6 months of shelf life, so Patience is my new best friend (except when he ain't, and my other bestie, Impulsive Buyer, takes the helm). Maybe it's old age, but my excitement for new sets isn't as fervent as it used to be, so generally I can hold out. Forgive my digression; I wish all the best to anyone delving into the LEGO hobby, prices be damned. Have fun, and play well!
  8. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the info, Scyla. Phoenix is due on my doorstep tomorrow, so I'll be forewarned when I transform him. Getting stoked to get him; after the previous attempts, I really didn't think we'd ever get a high quality Skyfire figure. Judging from the vids I've seen, while he's not perfect, he's still getting high praise from the reviewers I've watched, including Bobby Skullface, who I feel gives a pretty balanced critique. Now I just have to figure out where I'm going to display him- really need to invest in some Detolfs. Just got notification that my FT Stomp is now available, too. Good gravy, that damned money tree out back needs to bloom. Alas, Sludge was my one and only Dinobot when I was a kid, and I've had a soft spot for him ever since. He was the first FT Dibot I ordered, and of course he was backordered out-of-stock. In the meantime, I got Sever, Grinder, then Soar, which collectively have cemented my good opinion of FT products, and filled some gaps in my G1 collection. I'll be glad when Cesium releases and I'll finally have the whole team.
  9. M'Kyuun
    I wouldn't fret; LEGO have said that it will remain in production into 2018; I think they were a little overwhelmed by initial sales, but it seems to be a runaway hit thus far. If it sells well, and continues to do so, I'm thinking LEGO may extend its shelf life a bit. I'm hoping that the Voltron Ideas set will be a go. If they get a license for Voltron, then that'll open the doors to other versions, esp the Netflix one. I'm down for that.
  10. M'Kyuun
    'Preciate the heads up concerning Phoenix- saving money's impossible when you're a collector of just about anything these days. Sigh. But yeah, the transformation is brilliant, as is pretty much every other aspect of the figure. From vids I've seen, it doesn't look like his gun stores in starship mode, which seems an odd omission. If so, I can live with it.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I'm hoping to go see the new LEGO House in Billund when they're done with construction (dream vacation for me); I hope the archive is open to public, but I doubt it. I could spend hours in there, drooling. I have an extensive collection, but there are still a number of old Space themed sets that I'd like to get. I wish I'd started trying to collect them years ago before they really blew up in value. I finally got to build my Saturn V today. What a beauty. There are some amazing techniques employed to effect the cylindrical shape, and it's both light and solid when complete. Damned fine job, LEGO Designers.
  12. M'Kyuun
    True on both counts. I'm satisfied with the FT versions, but the GP Dinos are cool in their own right. I think the FT ones are more refined, but the GP ones are the next best option, IMHO, for G1 Dinobots. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference. I'm still eyeballing Fans Toys Phoenix (Skyfire). Pretty much, it's a dream toy come true; if only money weren't such a scarce commodity.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I'll second Mike on the Fans Toy's Dinos; very solid toys, with great engineering, die-cast where it's needed, good paint apps, and nice marriages of both G1 toon and toys, with more of a leaning to the original toys. I have Grinder, Sever, and Soar, and all three are extremely well done, to the point that I honestly doubt that Takara could do much better. I wouldn't mind seeing them try, but Fans Toys set the bar high. I'm still waiting for Stomp to reissue, and instead of Scoria, I've gone for they're remake, Perfect Fusion Cesium, which is much closer to the G1 toy aesthetics.
  14. M'Kyuun
    A bit harsh. As a TF fan, I'm still in the hobby primarily for the toys. I dislike Bay's movies, so I don't go see them at the theatre (except DoTM) which sucked. I have quite a few Bayformer toys, and I like most of them; the two credits I'll give Bay are that his movies have generated a lot of revenue for Hasbro (to keep pumping out toys) and that the Bayformer aesthetic challenged Takara, and Hasbro by default, to really expand their engineering well beyond anything we'd seen in Transformer toys. Out of that we got Classics (Generations), Animated, Prime, and Masterpiece, as well as three Bayfomer films' worth of interesting toys. AoE seemed a turning point, and the toys for the last two films just haven't been as interesting or complex. I like G1, but I don't think a reboot necessarily need be 'slavish'. Nor do I think a slavish G1 movie, if well written, would bomb. G1 Prime is still probably the most recognizable robot figure in the world, and many of the other G1 characters continue to retain a semblance of their original look in the comics. The Masterpiece line, which has been primarily G1 based, is a success for Takara. Third Party toys. Titans Return. There's still a lot of interest in G1. That said, if they rebooted and went more of a TF: Prime direction, I'd be fine with that, too. Honestly, whatever aesthetic they choose for the bots, I think it'll be accepted if the rest of the film is well crafted, and different from the Bay films. For starters, let's make Prime heroic instead of a psychopath, make the Autobots a team who like and care about each other, and make the Decepticons the bad guys again, and necessary to the plot.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Nice work, Hikaru84. I envy people with talent.
  16. M'Kyuun
    The Mixel ball and socket joints were the last new joints to be produced, and they've been around for about 3-4 years now. There are a number of joints I wish they'd make, though. I'd love a mate for part 47455, and ratcheted Technic ball and socket joints (similar to Zoob). A horizontal ratcheting rotation joint, similar to the AT-AT leg joints (parts 44224 and 44225) would be stupendously useful for mech builders. These are the top three wants for me, but I'm sure there are many more joints that folks want LEGO to produce. On this subject, though, when I was looking at the upcoming Kai's Fire Mech from the Ninjago Movie, the hip joint looked like a combo of the Exo Force clicky and half of the AT-AT leg joint. It's hard to see, and I'm highly likely mistaken, but that'd be a nice adaptation if so. That Glaug is delicious. I so wish mecha were more popular here in the US, or that I lived closer to an area where it has this kind of popularity. Most years, I attend BrickCon, a large fan-run LEGO convention in Seattle, and there's a mecha section, but it's generally diminutive in comparison to just about every other theme there. I take my VF-4, but it generally falls under the radar b/c most Americans haven't a clue what it is, well that and it's usually overshadowed by truly amazing mecha by the likes of Mark Neumann and Brian Cooper. That's a shadow I'm happy to bask in, though-those guys are amazing.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Nice mod- much more accurate to the real thing. I imagine the designers may have gone with something like this, but I think once they got to a certain point, they were shooting for the 1969 parts count, and this would have put them over. This is also, to date, the largest Ideas set, but it sets a nice precedent. While your design mirrors the real fins, aesthetically, I kinda like the stock fins in the set. Herein lies the beauty of LEGO-always mod-able. Eight more days til I get to open my copy. Looking forward to it.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Well, the good news is that the domestic opening weekend box office is the lowest of any of the Bay-former films, so it sounds like they're losing their appeal here in the States. The Asian market is still going strong, though, esp China. However, the bad news continues, as there's to be a live action Bumblebee movie (a girl and her car this time around, supposedly set in the 80's) set in the Bay-verse. It's still just more of the same, IMHO, no matter who they get to direct, write, what have you. As long as they keep the Bay-verse alive, I think the live action movies will be plagued with the same issues as the main line films, b/c they're going to try and keep the same feel, humor, and look as Bay's movies. Aside from Keith, the appeal of these films appears to finally be losing momentum (I didn't like the first one, and have found the rest to be unwatchable as well). I've only ever paid to see one Bay-former film, DOTM, in the theatre, and I'll never repeat that mistake again. It's just so incredibly far from what I want in a live action Transformers movie, and just far from what I want in a generally mediocre movie. These films are so poor that mediocrity would be an enormous upgrade. My $.02, of course. YMMV. I'd love to see a whole new team and a new vision for the live-action films, with roots in G1, and a feel closer to Transformers Prime. With Orci and Kurtzman writing Prime, and a Bay-former derivative look, I initially balked at it and watched it with no little bias. But, it was a damned good show, and quickly won me over. They did a great job of developing the characters, both bot and human, even if Miko was a bit annoying. But it made me stop blaming Orci and Kurtzman, in part, for how bad the live action films were, as they demonstrated their passion for Transformers as well as their ability to write a compelling story in Prime. In short, my feeling is that had a different director been using their live action scripts, we'd have gotten much different movies, i.e. ones that made sense, had character development, better plots, more attention to the bots as characters rather than props, and maybe a far more appealing aesthetic. We'll never know. But, if the upcoming Bumblebee film does poorly, perhaps Hasbro and partners will consider a new direction for the live action films. If that happens, hopefully they'll choose a director who's a legitimate TF fan.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Pretty neat. I didn't PM him; is he just selling the shoulder pauldron and helmet, or the entire minifig? If he's doing the entire fig, I might have to get a little Hikaru for my VF-4. Hadn't seen that Ninjago Movie set until just now- wow! Indeed, that'll look splendid next to the Airjitzu Temple, but I'm going to have to clear some space for both of them to sit side by side. LEGO's killing my bank account these days...but so much goodness.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I kinda like PE's little OP for Ginrai. I'm not crazy about the stacks out front, but overall he looks like a fun little figure. Too many other things eating my budget now, but if this little guy goes on sale, I may have to get him. I'm still waiting for a restock of FT's Stomp and the release of their new mold for Slag (Cesium). If they release at the same time, that's a nearly $400 divot in ye olde bank account. But, if they're anything like the other three Iron Dibots, so worth it.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Well, collecting often necessitates prioritizing, esp on a budget. I stopped collecting Star Wars figures years ago- LEGO, Transformers (official and third party), and Macross are my buying mainstays. The Saturn V was a no-brainer for me, a lifelong LEGO space fan, and just a casual fan of spacey stuff in general. Regarding Nexo-Knights, I started watching it when it first came out, but it didn't really grab me. I'm not a die-hard Python fan, but I've seen Holy Grail a few times, so had I continued watching it, I imagine I'd have picked up on the references. It's cool, too, that they reference the yellow castle- I like it when LEGO puts self-referential stuff in their movies, shows, and games- they've got a good tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. My wife and I are firmly hooked on Ninjago, though. It's a deeper show than standard fare- still full of action, powers, dragons, and technologies to keep kids' attention, but deeper relationship stuff, character development, and writing that is oft marked by a more mature tone. I'm glad they brought it back, as the sets and the show have continued to impress, and I'm looking forward to Lord and Miller's take in the Ninjago Movie. Lastly, going back a few posts concerning the Ultimate Batmobile, I was mistaken when I said the Batwing doesn't lock in- it does, although I haven't looked to see what is actually locking it. I believe it's something under the wing catching onto the bat-tank portion when it's docked. Anyway, I picked it up and rolled it over- the Batwing stayed firmly in place. So, the whole thing locks solidly into one big vehicle, and yet separates very easily into its constituents. I built the large Batman Movie Batwing today, and that's a nice model as well. They did some nice engineering allowing the engines to swivel around the wing mounts for VTOL capability, and the wings themselves hinge downward 90 degrees. When backlit and held vertically, it looks like the Bat Symbol, albeit a bit stylized. Thus far, the LEGO Batman Movie sets I've bought have all been really fun, imaginative, and well designed. I'm looking forward to getting the rest, as well as the upcoming Ninjago Movie sets, which look to be very mech-centric. No such thing as too much mecha.
  22. M'Kyuun
    He was also my first introduction to Batman, before brooding and serious became the norm. He also voiced Batman on the old Superfriends cartoon, so in one way or another, he was the Batman we 70's and 80's kids grew up with. Good memories. Thanks, Mr. West, and farewell.
  23. M'Kyuun
    That's my thinking, too, if this actually gets the go-ahead. A series will allow for character development over a span of time. I think casting a crew of unknown but talented actors who actually look the parts (with maybe one or two veterans in there to give it credence), a modest budget with talented effects people, and a writing staff who understand both American and Japanese cultures and can borrow from both, could make it work. I think CB is one of the more doable animes in terms of look and effects, since most of the time they were on one world or another, and the anime borrowed heavily from noir American film and Westerns. Unlike GiTS, which does have a lot of Japanese look and feel, CB often feels like a Space Western. For so many years growing up, with only a few exclusions, Superhero shows and films sucked. The Hulk with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno probably rates the highest IMHO due to the ability of the writers and actors to make David Banner and the Hulk sympathetic characters who reached an audience on an emotional level. I still like watching it. Special effects have certainly helped sell the new movies, but finding the right writer(s) who really get the material is key. Consider Daredevil- Affleck sucked, Netflix show is great. The recent LEGO movies, which could have been abysmal super-cheesy films, benefited from a more irreverent approach than LEGO's previous animated works, and it was terribly successful instead of just terrible. So, in my mind, just b/c a genre of film has failed in the past doesn't mean it has to fail for all time. I think if the right writers and producers and actors come along, who take the material and interpret it in such a way as to remain faithful and yet make it relatable to multi-cultural audiences, just about anything can be successful. I had hopes for GiTS, and it's a shame it didn't perform well. GiTS is another anime that I think would have faired better as a tv series, to allow for more in depth exploration of the characters and the philosophies espoused throughout the manga and anime. Movies are too limited in time, and force the production team to trim a lot to meet time constraints, audience consideration (age, culture, general education), and rating constraints. Let's face it, America on the whole is not a country steeped in profound thinking and philosophy, and our entertainment, even most geeky entertainment, reflect that. So, I think Cowboy Bebop, with its American influences, has a better shot than most anime of success with the right folks on both sides of the camera. If it's greenlighted, I hope it does well, and paves the way for more successful anime series adaptations. I'm thinking Deathnote.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Watching vids like this just teases me, as I've got the Saturn V set sitting here unopened in my man-cave, but it's a b-day present so I have to wait until July to build it (honor code). It is cool, though, that Adam and co give sets like this some wider exposure than they'd normally receive. Still no word on the Voltron set. I hope it gets made, and that LEGO getsan expanded license to produce other versions of Voltron. Hopefully, it'll also give LEGO cause to expand their ratcheting joints palette.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Which might bite them in the ass.
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