Jump to content

M'Kyuun

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5290

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by M'Kyuun

  1. M'Kyuun
    Ultra Magnus is going to prove challenging, especially to maintain the look of the G1 toy, which was basically a big red slab with a white robot standing behind it. To integrate articulation into that without changing the look too drastically is going to be tough. So many of the G1 bots do not lend themselves to updating while maintaining their G1 looks. I'm just waiting for ML Prowl. He's probably the only one I'd pick up, as I destroyed my original toy while trying to give it hip articulation. A master toy upgrader I was not in my teens (or even now). Anyway, I'd welcome that into my collection.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Honestly, it's been so long since I've taken any of my TW Constructicons out and handled them (I took out their Long Haul about a year ago when I was designing my own transforming dump truck with LEGO) that I've forgotten what they look like. I just looked them up for a refresher and i have to say, i still very much like the approach and look of them. No regerts. Still a fine set of Constructicons with a great looking combined mode. Oh, you tease! I'm already a fan of MMC's stuff, and I'm very much a fan of their all-in-one approach to combiners, especially when executed so well (so, so would've loved to have had their Combaticons), so it's no stretch to say I'm curious how they'll approach the Constructicons. Like a number of folks here, I think theirs is going to be stiff competition, if not reign superior (if Soundwave has nothing to say about it) over the other third-party entries. I think XTB's are leading the way right now, personally; I would happily choose theirs over Fans Toys'. However, MMC has a proven track record of doing these things well with all-in-one engineering to boot. if I were in the market for a new MP Devy, I think I'd be holding out to see what MMC rolls out before making a final decision. Oh, I'm well aware. While I can't fault them for using a system that works well and adds much needed stability to the gestalt, part of me still wants the bots themselves to form the limbs and body without the need for numerous large partsforming bits that they feel like they need to integrate with the vehicle modes. It worked great for Menasor due to Motormaster's trailer offering a perfect vehicle within which the fame could be condensed and hidden. However, the other combiners don't offer such a convenient means of condensing all that frame into a convincing vehicle that integrates believably, practically, and realistically. In those cases, I wish better engineering won the day, but unfortunately not this time. Still, I look forward to completing both AotP Constructicons and Combaticons, warts and all. Agree. Too far and some of their other design decisions make their figs underwhelming, unappealing, or both, especially in light of what other parties are bringing to the table. Likewise. For me, advancement in design means more detail, not less or the absence thereof. Recognizing that the toon looked like it did as a means for simplifying the tedious animation process seems to hold little sway for most fans, and I find that odd among adults, especially when most other toys are extremely detailed today, as they should be. As for translucent plastic over mechanical details, that is one of my absolute favorite detail techniques that came out of the G1 era. The Dinobots employed it beautifully, and I wish that had carried over to the Studio Series Dinobots. They were going to do it with Grimlock, as his neck actually has the mechanical detail under the opaque gold plastic. I got an upgrade kit with trans-yellow plastic that allows the mechanical detail to show through. Love it. Likewise the Fairlady Z bros, especially Prowl, whose shins allow mechanical detail to be seen. I love that the OG release of MP Prowl recreated the interior detail as seen on the box art, which can be seen through his shindows. Yep, I made a portmanteau. As I mentioned above, MMC have proven themselves capable of delivering well-done combiners , even with the additional challenge of incorporating all the combiner bits into the constituent bots. I applaud their engineering prowess and the decision to embrace engineering over the usual more simplified methods of realizing combiners. As do I. I remain a fan of the Hasui era of MP, and this looks like it's picking up where that approach gave way to the toon-slavish approach Takara has since adopted. I prefer more surface detail, seeing alt mode bits inform the bot mode, and perhaps a little stylistic liberty taken in the design. I don't need or want my bots to comport with a badly drawn cartoon. I want to see more of the G1 toys' influences on modern toys (except Ironhide and Ratchet whose Diaclone designs didn't quite fit with the rest of the Diaclone bots, hence Floro Dery's much improved toon incarnations). And while the G1 toys were simple by today's standards, there's still detail enough on them to influence today's toys, and i like to see those things carry over. Well, the tariffs don't really affect them so much as it affects us. Moreover, they can still pander to the rest of the world outside of the US where Transformers continue to be popular. Americans are just going to pay more for them now, needlessly but for the whim of one a-hole. I think the trumpets were one of the dumbest things in The Movie. Why would bots in space, presumably without lungs, many of which with facemasks covering their mouths, deign to play a human-made instrument when they are all in the faction that disdains humans? DUMB! Preach! Trans-plastic over mechanical details is one of the absolutely coolest techniques to come out of Diaclone/ G1 Transformers. It's odd that it hasn't been more prevalent in other toy franchises, especially those dealing with mecha/robots. I love to see it when it's employed, though.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Agree; I'm not into the toon-slavish look, plus, as Mike pointed out, FT took some odd liberties that ended up with a messy looking Scrapper in loader mode. Additionally, although it matches the animation, I don't like the slanted add-on links to form the heels, as I prefer the toy's approach using Scrapper's arms. I think ToyWorld's Constructicons have held up fairly well. That said, had I had a crystal ball back when those toys released, I might have skipped them in lieu of XTB's current offerings. thus far, I've liked their approach, and while they're still leaning towards the toon look, it's not as severe as FT's. Moreover, their Long Haul is one of the best toys ever made of that character- his dumper actually dumps in truck mode and the shoulders are far better executed than TW's, which just flop about without any locking mechanism to prevent it. I'm curious to see what MMC does with their takes on the Constructicons. While FT seems to get the lion's share of love from TF fans, I've more MMC stuff in my collection and I tend to like a lot of what they do regardless of whether I buy it or not. I would've loved to have bought their Combaticons, my favorite combiner team, but I don't really have the room for another MP scaled combiner so I passed. But I sure am jelly of those who got it. I just went in on Magic Square's legends scaled Bruticus; I'd have loved to get their MP scaled figs, too, but again, no room for MP stuff anymore. Like the aforementioned floppy shoulders on Long Haul. I still love how the treads are fully functional on Bonecrusher and Scavenger, one of the major selling points for me when I bought them. I also loved how Long Haul's bed formed the legs just like the G1 toy- if they'd only made the rear wheels separate from the bed so it could dump properly, and locked in those shoulder flaps, it would still be one of the best versions of that character. Too bad they fell short. On the whole, though, it's still a pretty solid set of figs. I haven't had mine combined since I bought them; all six are crammed in the lowest level of my Detolf, and I simply have nowhere to display them as Devastator. I'm probably one of the few TF fans who displays his combiners as their constituent bots instead of combined, with two exceptions: CW Bruticus and Legacy Menasor. Both have remained combined since I got all the figs to do so, and I even went in on an upgrade kit for Bruticus. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to this next wave of Has/Tak's Combaticons, too, as well the new Constructicons, which will be my first full mainline team of those characters.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Well put and I agree. Regarding Alisha weir, I'm in awe of most child actors, as they have a poise, a maturity, and often an intelligence beyond their years. I certainly didn't possess such as a kid, and honestly, still don't at 53. But thank goodness some do, as they benefit the rest of us with some excellent performances, notable roles, and standout characters. Who can ever forget young Haley Joel Osment's captivating performance throughout Sixth Sense?
  5. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, this was a good one, a slightly different take on the genre. No sparkles here.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Leslie Nielson just had a way of delivering deadpan lines, and the humor was always at the forefront of his films, be it Naked Gun or Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Other than the little girl gag, all I see is another Liam Neeson film where he's a crack assassin, special operative, spy- what have you, much like every Jason Statham film is yet another Jason Statham film starring Jason Statham as Jason Statham if he, too, were a crack assassin, special operative, spy, what have you. I just get the sense this is going to be more Taken, The Commuter, The Ice Road, etc ad nauseum with a touch of silly humor thrown in. So many of the 80s films are classics b/c it's nigh impossible to recapture what made them memorable, unique, elevated above the scores of other films that didn't quite make such an impact. I'm not really a fan of silly humor like Naked Gun or the Mel Brooks films but my wife is and she owns all of it. I've watched a good bit of it with her and in spite of my feelings towards these kiinds of films, I've had a good laugh or three watching them, such is the absurdity, the enormous talent of the actors and directors to pull off the schtick so well, and the ability to so successfully parody other films, usually in the action genre, although what Star Wars fan hasn't sat through at least one watching of Brooks' Spaceballs without a few chuckles. There's an art and a mad genius behind making these types of films successfully, and I'm extremely dubious that this new incarnation will live up to its inspiration.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Combination, supreme, super supreme- whatever they're calling their fully loaded pizza- yes. Just cheese is too bland and lacking texture and flavors that a combination of toppings bring to the experience. so off topic right now. Finished S2 of Pantheon today and it was both really well done and, thankfully, complete, unlike so many other shows that get axed before reaching a satisfying resolution. Highly recommended. Working our way through some older season eps of Black Mirror that we haven't seen yet before moving on to S7. Such a good series. One of the eps we watched today was called "Mazey Day".
  8. M'Kyuun
    😆 Hawaiian is the worst! Worse than missing dogs!
  9. M'Kyuun
    I thought it was a fun film, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be given the caliber of talent. CG bots were really well done, and I suspect that was ultimately the draw. I like Simon Stalenhag's work, and if you do too but crave something grittier, I'd suggest Tales from the Loop on Prime. I thought it was excellent, and a second season would have been most welcome, or another series done in the same vein. I was hoping Electric State would be closer to Tales, but it was a bit too tropish, rote, and played for humor, likely so it'd appeal to younger audiences. Been watching Pantheon on Netflix, based on three short stories by Ken Liu. Very well written and voiced (Aaron Eckhart and the late William Hurt play major roles). It's good sci-fi (for now) revolving around human minds being uploaded to a Cloud-like virtual space and the ramifications. There's far more to it than that, but that's the core of the story. well worth a watch. I'm just onS2 ep2, but I'm enjoying it immensely.
  10. M'Kyuun
    This was the only Space Police I set I owned for decades until I finally got my hands on a second-hand copy of the Spy Trak I in my forties, a set I'd really wanted for all those years. I honestly never noted the lack of obvious powerplants on the SP sets, but that's an interesting observation. It makes me like them no less. Anyway, the Galactic Peace Keeper struck a chord with me as a kid due to its sleek styling and, always a fan of transformative features, I loved the pop-out winglets with their 'sensor arrays' 😉. Just a gorgeous little ship that still holds up today. Regarding that canopy, it debuted in 1989 in the Space Police sets and continued to feature in sets until 2002. Funny that we wouldn't get a modern analog for another twenty years with Buzz's XL-15. As to stacking, although it was obviously designed with that in mind, stacking only occurs in two sets out of the thirty-five in which it came. Both were Space Police II sets, the Galactic Mediator and the Solar Snooper, the latter of which I have.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Since they're attached with ball joints, I can see a 3P upgrade kit making new forearms with flip-out fists for him, which is the main improvement to bot mode that I'd like to see, From the side, his shovel-chest appears to sit too low, a la MP Arcee; however, looking straight on, it looks fine. Those raised bits on either side of his head kinda throw off that side profile a bit.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Looks good. Prey was done remarkably well and I would have liked to have seen more like it throughout various eras of human history. Guess I got my wish, but I'm surprised it's animated. Nonetheless, it still looks good and perhaps they can do more with an animated budget. Looking forward to it.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Why? This is excellent news! I'm one of those voters.
  14. M'Kyuun
    All good points, if practical. I'm merely speculating, should the technology somehow take off and become successful, as to what direction that tech could possibly lead. Humanity is a barbarous creature and the one constant throughout our history so far as we know it is that any available weapon we create, we advance it and at some point, use it, in nearly all cases. Likewise the weaponization of seemingly benign technologies. Fortunately, we haven't crossed that line with hydrogen bombs just yet, but we're closer to midnight now than ever before. Obviously, you guys don't feel that Corleo is going to lead anywhere, but I'm not discounting anything. Our reality today includes much of what was considered sci-fi until just a couple decades ago, so dismissing anything, especially a technology that already has a real basis at present, is an underestimation.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I could see them used as pacification or for making forcible entry into an area that may be wired or is defended by potentially armed suspects, thus reducing the danger to a cop or soldier. Moreover, they could give chase to people who run from law enforcement, a job normally given to police dogs, who face harm at the hands of potentially armed suspects. Unlike a dog, who only has his jaws as a weapon, formidable though they may be, something akin to Corleo could be outfitted with any sort of restraining devices to capture and incapacitate. It could be designed to climb fences or jump fences too high for a dog. In lieu of a dog's nose, suspects could be marked with a traceable chemical marker that the quad-drone could detect and follow. The psychological component alone would prove as a good deterrent.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Well, let's be honest, the Bay films weren't good, successively becoming worse with every new film. And while the Sunbow toon wasn't exactly high art either, I think it's far more relatable than Bay's chaotic films. Too, by virtue of age, the G1 look is more pervasive, with many Geewunners introducing their kids to it thus bringing a new generation of fans into the fold. I don't have kids, but I'm curious how many fans here who grew up with G1 have introduced their kids to it and which your kids prefer, the old G1 stuff or the Bay stuff? Or maybe they don't like either and Earthspark is their "G1". I know that, had I had kids, they most certainly would've been introduced to all the cool 80s stuff from my childhood. Moreover, they'd see my Transformers collection, mostly G1, every time they came into my mancave. Anyway, as a fan of G1, I'm just happy that it's still going strong, that the toys have improved in certain ways, especially more toy/toon faithfulness, and that the options have extended well beyond official toys to fulfill the desire for more G1y goodness. I would shed nary a tear to see all of Bayformers consigned to the dustbin of history; like Robotech which introduced Macross, and in many cases, anime, to the West, Bay's films served a good initial purpose by reinvigorating the TF brand, which was stagnating, and generating a lot of revenue for Hasbro, which also benefitted Transformers beyond just the Bayformers toys. The brand has since sustained well, not b/c of Bayformers, but b/c of G1's continued popularity. I think that's vindication for the oldest designers at Takara who first invented and introduced these things over forty years ago, and by succession, for those of us G1 fans who defended it in the wake of the Bay era.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Well, G1 started it all, those characters are iconic at this point, and they're proven sellers. However, I'm thinking once they're done with the combiner teams and crank out toys of any obscure characters or outliers like the Omnibots (fingers crossed!), they'll slow down on G1 for a while to focus on other series and comics-based stuff. I'm not sure how much the recent generations of kids are into "vintage" Transformers; I'm thinking us old fogies in our 40s and 50s are the main audience and consumers of G1-related merch, esp toys and models, and to that end, how much longer will it remain relevant or marketable except as Ebay/Amazon fodder or just the domain of dedicated collectors? I collect b/c I have a passion for transforming toys and of course, Transformers has all but monopolized and dominated the genre in the West. Too, growing up with the Sunbow toon, I have a connection to the first season bots (never cared much for successive seasons, but I'll still buy the toys b/c transforming robots are awesome). To the point, once all of us older fans start losing interest or quit collecting altogether, will the younger generations still demand G1 toys? I'll take 'em while they still make 'em.
  18. M'Kyuun

    Hi-Metal R

    M'Kyuun replied to joppewo's topic in Toys

    Yes. The Variable Glaug, VF-5000B M+ colors, and VF-14 are high on my list of wants, although I'd take an Sv-51Y (Nora's)) as I never got that variant in 1/60, but at HMR scale, it'd be a lot more space-friendly on the shelf while maintaining the articulation and detail of its larger variant at a fraction of the cost. I wouldn't mind an HMR VF-9 Cutlass either. There are sp many Macross designs that have yet to be made in the HMR line- Bandai needs to get crackin'! I have Yamato's OG 1/60 VF-4G w/ dark grey nose, and recently I bought the HMR VF-4G in FB2012 colors, so best of both worlds in two scales. I'm with you; if it doesn't transform into an aircraft of some kind, I'm generally not interested, except for the Octos, which becomes a sub. I'd take an HMR of that design, too.
  19. M'Kyuun

    Hi-Metal R

    M'Kyuun replied to joppewo's topic in Toys

    As would I as I really like that color scheme. Still love the YF-19 though; it's one of my favorite valks. Recently bought the HMR VF-4 and I love it. Unlike the Yamato 1/60 VF-4, whose design Bandai basically copied, I wish they had gone the extra mile to impart shoulder rotation, as it would have improved pose ability immensely. I have the upcoming HMR VF-2SS rerelease POed and I'm excited for it. It'll be my first and only VF-2SS toy, and judging by reviews, it's a really good design.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Hence my follow-up statement that the AT-AT, though cool in a movie/toy sense, is impractical. And it is totally way cool. However, If the Corleo actually becomes popular enough to become successful beyond just being a fad, I doubt it would take long for it to find its way into the military, or a DARPA equivalent, along with mods, like longer legs for greater running speeds, or bulkier builds for carrying greater loads. Not only that, but armed variants would almost certainly be likely. A drone of similar design would have the ability to traverse terrain in ways that wheeled vehicles might not be able to which would give them a tactical advantage.
  21. M'Kyuun
    That's interesting. However, if anyone had the current tech to corner the market on such a product, I'd think that would be Boston Dynamics, who have a proven range of bi- and quadrupedal robots. This is definitely very near future tech, though. And from there, how long before it becomes militarized, enlarged, armed and armored, and we end up with AT-ATs? Not that I'm against the creation of a RW AT-AT, my favorite Star Wars vehicle, but the implications of such a thing actually existing could be troubling. Too, IMHO, while it looks really cool, it's pretty impractical- take out one leg and the whole thing would be one big useless pile of salvage.
  22. M'Kyuun
    We like what we like, and I won't judge anyone for disliking something I like or vice versa and I hope that courtesy will be extended not only to me, but the fandom at large. MPG Prime appeals to me, especially the robot mode. Those feet could have used a bit more engineering to reduce their visual impact on the truck mode, and it would have helped the truck, too, had the smaller faux tanks on the legs been covered by the large truck tanks. Seeing both hanging out there looks odd. Regardless, I'm not planning on getting it, so I officially have no dog in the race. Think of it what you will in peace. I'd also be happy to see other series get MP toys, specifically Animated and Prime. Ultimately, however, I'd rather have updates at the mainline CHUG scale or legends scale (b/c I'm out of room) focused on the original design aesthetic without G1 hybridization. Moreover, I feel like third party is doing a better job on the whole with TF toys than Takara/Hasbro, and I think that mostly comes down to the restrictions and budgets that the official toys are made under whereas third parties can operate much more loosely. I think the quality in the toys shows what a bigger budget can accomplish, not to mention showcases the talents of many of these companies to rival or surpass Takara at their own game. But yeah, once G1 is exhausted, I'd love to see Magic Square or Newage take a crack at Animated.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Actually, I think the SP-Striker, a set I've never owned, would be an excellent candidate for updating. Granted, any update would likely eschew the lighting functionality of the original, alas, but so far as the canopy goes, they'd likely use element 98878 which first appeared in Buzz Lightyear's XL-15 set.
  24. M'Kyuun
    With undeniable charisma and talent, Val proved himself to be a versatile and instinctive actor. For me, his most notable role will always be that of Doc Holliday in Tombstone, probably the only Western that I actually enjoy (never was much of a fan of Westerns or Old West related media). He wasn't without his controversies, oft rumored as being difficult on set, but I think the results of his work stand for all that bother. I was happy to see his appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, and the warmth between Val and Tom felt genuine. His battle with throat cancer left him quite literally speechless, and he continued to have health issues, finally succumbing to pneumonia at only 65. What a loss to stage and cinema. RIP Val
  25. M'Kyuun
    Yep, I get that. Copy on the majority of the others you mentioned. As to Prime and Animated, I'd rather they'd made them as straight updates within the original style instead of hybridizing them with G1. We get enough G1 without making everything that's not G1 the same.
×
×
  • Create New...