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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    And for what, honestly, is not that good a figure, especially when compared to either the ER mold or SS86. I assume these are deluxe scaled, but if they're smaller, I'll stick with my far superior Magic Square fig, thanks.
  2. M'Kyuun
    I share your POV. While I can understand the others' POVs as well and can see how a bad movie or six can ruin a franchise for some, I tend to just block the offending entries out and concentrate on my enjoyment of those parts that I like. For some, I guess that's not possible, or at the very least, very difficult.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Regarding Alien 3, it wasn't a bad film, per se, just not a good follow up to the excellent Aliens. Aliens is still one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies and no matter who did the sequel, even Cameron himself, it would have proven to be a hard act to follow. That said, killing off Hicks and Newt right from the start after establishing them both as great characters who you care about, and whose importance to Ripley can't be overstated, was a gut punch that irrevocably tarnishes the film from the beginning. Both characters deserved a far, far better story, and certainly a better ending. The Alien franchise began its downward trajectory from there, unfortunately, which is why I don't watch post-Aliens films or give them much thought. I can compartmentalize Alien and Aliens into their own box of greatness and leave the chaff to float away on the winds of forgetfulness. As to Star Wars, I'm still a fan of the OT- great films all, although I could have lived contentedly without Ewoks. IMHO, George f'd up the franchise with the terrible prequels [except for the fight with Maul, the awesome Duel of the Fates, the lovely Naboo N-1 fighter, the Vulture Droids (yay, official Star Wars transformers!), and the collective films' laying the groundwork for both Tartakovsky's and Filoni's Clone Wars cartoons, as well as Filoni's Rebels, Bad Batch, and The Mandalorian]. IMHO, while the prequels were trash, what they inspired colors my view of SW in a positive light. YMMV, of course, but I think those shows will stand the test of time and overshadow the films that inspired them. As to the post OT sequels, The Force Awakens is merely ok, but I'd rather they had stuck closer to Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire storyline. Rian Johnson threw a wrench in the whole works with his terrible The Last Jedi, and Abram's attempt to salvage the wreckage of the story he had planned for all three films culminated in the lackluster The Rise of Skywalker. It's hugely lamentable that Lucas didn't make the OT sequels throughout the 90s while the principal cast was still in their prime. Zahn had a good outline of events that would have complimented the OT well, IMHO, and it's a tragedy that Lucas didn't seize the opportunity and finish off his 9-part play back then with a far, far better story to give our heroes a better send off. Alas, what could've and should've been. As to Tron, IMHO, the Tron: Uprising cartoon stands superior to both live action sequels. It was well-written, the VAs did an excellent job bringing the characters to life, the continued underdog-vs-evil governance story that started with Tron continued the OG film's legacy, Tron himself became a bit dark and gritty, which only elevated the show's maturity and appeal. So much goodness, so naturally Disney cancelled what was, and will likely remain, the best part of the Tron franchise besides the OG film itself, after only one season. It deserved at least another, and I would have loved to have seen a continuation into a third. It's just a damned good show. Alas, what could've and should've been.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Responding, too, to @mechaninac and @Big s's posts, sequels generally don't erode the enjoyment I feel for the original films. Tron, of course, looks dated; that's an inescapable fact, but it's also part of its charm and I'm not bothered by it. Same goes for many 80s movies oozing with practical effects, many of which don't look so great to the modern eye. Perhaps I've a greater tolerance than most, but I can still enjoy a lot of pre-CG sci-fi and horror films (Tron takes the prize for being one of the first heavy-CG films from the 80s, along with The Last Starfighter). I have a great deal of respect for the practical effects artists that conjured up ways to make writers' and directors' words and visions come to fruition in a tangible fashion for filming. It's becoming a rarer art these days, but there are still directors who choose to use practical effects over CG whenever possible, and I think it makes a difference when seeing a real model as opposed to a CG creation, be it a ship, a creature, a miniature cityscape, what have you. Anyway, I hope someday you'll find your way back to the OG films without the bitterness of whatever company, director, studio, etc has done to sour your view of them and simply enjoy them for their merits.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I don't collect these-yet-but I have to say the amount of articulation and the sheer detail that Dr. Wu accomplished with this tiny figure is extraordinary. I'm far more into his cassettes, of which I hope there are many more, especially the main characters like Rumble Ravage, Laserbeak, etc. However, as you pointed out, this shows improvement over earlier figs and hopefully he'll revisit some of those earlier attempts with refined versions. Always a bit of a bummer when you're collecting a line and one toy really kinda stands out, like Star Shuttle, and your left feeling disappointed and wondering why the same attention and care isn't given to every single toy. That said, at that scale, a lot can be forgiven and I think Wu's still doing a good job on these guys overall. Bring on the Datsuns! I preordered Prowl and Kickback tonight, as I'm a sucker for Prowl, and the thought of having a toy that tiny that still transforms and has a fair bit of articulation is worth picking up. I'm still enamored with Newage's take, which is pretty small, but it'll positively dwarf Dr. Wu's.
  6. M'Kyuun
    My wife and I went to see Tron: Ares this past weekend. It was neither great nor terrible, but I found it an enjoyable escape. It told its own story within the Tron universe with some nice homages to the original film and the briefest of references to Legacy. The visuals were certainly beautiful, as one would expect following Legacy. The mid-credits scene makes me hope this does well enough to justify a sequel, as what it promises has more to do with legacy than Legacy.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Brawl and Blast Off were my only two orders this time. I'm not a big fan of their homegrown Junkions either, and IMHO, they wasted what could have otherwise been a good fig by reusing a Junkion mold for Animated Wreck-Gar. I have the OG toy, which is far superior than this wannabe.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Missed the preorder window with Pulse again, so I managed to get Blast Off and Brawl through Amazon. at least I get free shipping as a Prime member. If that Brawl leg/foot transformation is legit, that's an interesting way to go, especially since they're using the frame system. I'm not complaining as it's all-in-one engineering, which is unexpected from Takara/Hasbro considering the methodology for Menasor and Superion where the vehicles are essentially accoutrements and the feet are part of the frame. I don't mind their taking the Motormaster approach with Onslaught. Both depart from their G1 toys by splitting the trailers from their cabs, but Motormaster was well-executed, IMHO, and it makes sense to use the trailer as the frame for the combined mode. Thanks to a quick demo at the MCM London TF convention, there's confirmation that the trailer enjoys a bit of swivel which should be a requisite when it comes to Onslaught's long alt mode. So few companies work it in, so I'm glad Takara did it here, even if the arc of rotation is somewhat limited. With all of the Combaticons revealed, the team and Bruticus are shaping up to be some of the best AotP releases.
  9. M'Kyuun
    There certainly does seem to be an unsettling trend of one-upmanship with Fans Toys, and I'm sure they're all too aware that they have a devoted following that they're all too happy to exploit. For my part, while I own a number of their figures, I'm not a star-struck fanboy. Actually, I'm not a devotee of any particular company, as I'm picky and patient, and I tend to fence-sit waiting for the version of a figure that most appeals to me. I will say, however, that I'm happy with the FT figs I own and I don't regret buying any of them. But their practice in light of other companies' releases is shady, especially when history tells us that a promise of a new figure often takes years to fulfill. As my collecting is tending to wane, I'm watching most of these conventions with an air of vicariousness; while some things are interesting, the increasing prices and my lack of space conspire towards cultivating an attitude of more looking, less buying, alas. I too, favor MMC for their combiners, as I'm definitely a fan of the all-in-one engineering they've come to master. I would have loved to have had their Bruticus, and I like what they're doing with their Constructicons. I think XTB are doing a great job with theirs as well. I'm especially enamored with the fact that their Long Haul's dump bed can actually dump, an unfortunate rarity. I bemoan the lack of functionality with Hasbro's latest Constructicons' alt modes although they did a good job with Devastator. I thought the Combiner Wars version was a hot mess, but this one looks appropriately G1 and, what's more, unlike its predecessor, this one is solid once combined and lends itself admirably to posing. It speaks to lessons learned, so good job, Takara. Returning to FT in regard to the above pics, once again the promise of a new Prowl figure incites my interest; however, their too-toon leanings and tendency towards over-engineering for its own sake leaves me cold. I'll be happy when the toon-slavish trend fades and toy designs favor surface details and more of the OG toys' features over the toon's plain and simplified forms. Unfortuantely, according to Evan Brooks at the MCM London Convention this past weekend, Has/Tak are adopting the toonish aesthetic more and more going forward with SS86 which doesn't inspire me. Fortunately, I already have the vast majority of G1 characters that I want from the last few years' releases, and I'm quite satisfied with them in the event they go fully toon and lose my interest completely. Agree, except I've been wanting it since 1984! 😄 Even as a kid when Transformers were shiny and new as a Western concept, I found the toys extremely lacking for their limitations, chief among them, articulation. When Classics was coming on the scene, I hoped for more G1 designs, but nope- just G1-ish with liberties. That said, I love Classics Mirage, Bumblebee, Hound and Ravage, all designed by Alex Kubalsky. They're still some of my absolute favorite TF figures. I think that was the early allure of MP- the designs skewed towards the toon look well before the main line stuff did and it took them a long, long time to realize maybe the main line should follow suit. I'm glad they arrived at the realization, and the toys have been good to excellent for the most part, but it's lamentable that they didn't come a couple decades ago when prices were cheaper and the toys enjoyed greater parts counts at smaller scales. Imagine had they done SS86 or the current main line in 2007. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm vaguely familiar with the Prowl as a part of Devastator storyline. I haven't seen or read it myself, but over the years, I remember its being mentioned in some fashion or other, likely here on this forum, the one I frequent most. As to DST's take, oh my, the liberties! I fear it's not for me, but in the interest of completing that story in toy form, it's cool that DST has you covered, in their singular fashion, of course.
  10. M'Kyuun
    S'all good. 😁 FWIW, The FT figs, and the two Dream Star figs I own, are a bit too fiddly for my liking. I've never transformed either back to its plane mode, and while I do like how they look in their bot modes, I honestly wouldn't miss them if I sold them off. Twenty or so years ago, I championed increasingly complex transformations; however, as I get older and my threshold for patience stretches ever the more taught, there never being much to begin with, I find my enjoyment of the fiddlier transforming toys wanes. I think the CHUG+ toys strike an excellent balance for me, and while I still enjoy picking up the odd third-party fig here and there, mostly legends but sometimes MP or thereabouts, or the odd Macross fig (I've only this year begun collecting a few HMR Macross figs and I very much enjoy them), I find I grow weary at times with some of their transformations. Thus said, I can certainly empathize with your frustration with oft over-complex engineering. As much as I really like transforming toys in general, when it comes to Transformers, perhaps the tenacious lure of nostalgia has me in its grip more so than other properties, as I'm unabashedly a G1 fan, although I don't subscribe to the plain cartoon look as so many other fans do. I do applaud the artistic license employed by any number of artists and toy makers over the decades, as they keep the franchise fresh, and lines like Beast Wars, Prime, and Animated resonate with me. However, when it comes to stuff like what Cang Toys, Dream Star Toys, or Iron Factory are doing as opposed to the more faithful G1 takes by FT, XTB, Magic Square, New Age, etc, I'm generally moved by the latter over the former, even if I can appreciate what the former are doing. But, I do own two Dream Star Aerialbots and eight IF figs, so I'm not above dipping my toes into the pool of toys with liberties taken. Sometimes variety is nice for its own sake. Anyway, I hope you derive a goodly bit of joy from your DST Constructicons, as they definitely give the old designs a proper shake-up, and while I'm not compelled to have them myself, I can certainly appreciate the direction and outcome of their creativity. As to what I'm assuming is a reference to DX9's take on a MP scaled Prowl, while I was initially interested, I'm not wholly enamored by the toon-slavish elongated shin-dows or their lack of sublime mechanical details ensconced within, one of my favorite aspects of the original Fairlady Z TF design. Too, I'm not a fan of the toonish three-toes details nor the odd oddly zig-zag rear edges of the doors which lack the subtle upsweep on the rear upper tips. The rest of the design looks OK to me otherwise, but for my taste, I'm still over the moon for MP-17 Prowl, one of my top favorite TF toys of all time. It's a dated design at this point (2013- hard to believe!), but it delivers everything I ever wanted from a Prowl figure since I picked up my G1 copy when I was thirteen or so and it continues to enthrall. However, I get that many a fan likes the extreme toon look so, for those fans wanting that in a Prowl figure, this should be the toy they've been waiting for. I hope it turns out to be an excellent figure, as the milking will be epic, and that too is good all around. If it is indeed so, I may even succumb to FOMO and get a copy in spite of myself. I do love me a good Prowl figure. Cheers!
  11. M'Kyuun
    Hey Mike, I noticed this in the last sentence of your second paragraph. I think you meant to say, " Bonecrusher's shovel chest". "The vertical green "straps" flanking the purple on his chest with the red details do a rather good job of recalling G1 Hook's shovel chest." I appreciate the look at these guys, although I must confess that my interest is minimal. While I commend DST for their innovative takes, my inclination is heavily towards the G1 look. I will say, however, that objectively, I think this is a superior design over the G1 designs, as the bots tend to be cleaner, the alt modes more realistic, and I assume the full combined mode will likely be clean, highly pose able, and more visually interesting. I figure subjectivity and a heavy dose of nostalgia color my tendency towards the G1 look, but I'll give credit where it's due. I went in on DST's takes on Slingshot and Skydive, as both had better than average Harrier and F-16 modes, an extreme rarity with Transformers figures. Granted, like their Constructicons, DST took a fair amount of liberty with the robot designs, but I like how they look. I stopped with those two, although I think DST did a good job with their takes on Air Raid and Fireflight which gave me hope for their Silverbolt. Unfortunately, the latter fared no better than the vast majority of other companies' takes on the character. To date, I think Fans Toys have made the best version and yet its Concorde mode had its share of flaws, too. However, at least it used the majority of fuselage to form the bot instead of concentrating it all into a giant cube underneath. In the end, I grew disenchanted with DST and once again abandoned any interest I may have had of owning a decent set of Aerialbots. Part of me regrets not going in on the FT Aerialbots, but with lack of space becoming my greatest hurdle in collecting, I'm hoping that either Magic Square or New Age will rise to the challenge. Honestly, I don't have much hope that either would take a different avenue with their Aerialbot designs, but I'd very much love to be proven wrong.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I have long entertained the opinion that the Minifigure, iconic and beloved as it is, is an anachronism, nonetheless. Its limitations are manifest when compared to Mega Blok's stylized but highly articulated figures whose pose ability make them far more fun to play with, IMHO. I have long thought that LEGO should develop a new improved figure to enhance some of their action-oriented lines, at the least. I'm not saying get rid of the Minifig, but incorporate a new more pose-able fig to accentuate and compliment certain lines where a far more dynamic figure might enhance the playability of certain themes and sets. And, yeah, LEGO's unofficial retirement of Castle and Space, the latter my favorite theme, two of the three original Minifigure-based themes released in 1979 that drove LEGO to meteoric success is, I won't say disgraceful, but certainly dismaying and disappointing. It's analogous to Disney's retiring Mickey Mouse by just fading him out of existence except for an anniversary or the infrequent special occasion.
  13. M'Kyuun
    This looks excellent and I'll likely get a copy when it releases. Yes to an HMR, although I wonder how much partsforming would be involved. I'm liking the chunky proportions of the Moderoid.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Indeed I do. The heli dude is reminiscent of a couple figs released in the past, although I forget their names. I have the toys, though. I'm curious if this is going to be its own line disconnected from existing lines or if there's going to be some sort of tie-in. The former offers more freedom for Takara to explore ideas without having to conform to preexisting designs, and I like that approach. I believe the Takara designers are a very imaginative and capable bunch and it'd be cool to see, in an experimental line, just what they could cook up untethered from any previous notions or expectations. I do wish, however, that they'd create new identities for them instead of leaning on preexisting character references. I look forward to seeing how this line develops, however, I check my expectations if they decide to do a jet, as I fear their usual lackluster approach will spoil any attempts. I'm jaded, but not without decades of poorly executed reasons.
  15. M'Kyuun
    His art is a form of immortality, but it's folks like this that contribute something beautiful to the world that one wishes had an extended lease on life. RIP Mr. Struzan
  16. M'Kyuun
    I agree with your assessments. My copy's on its way, for some reason shipping with DHL. Yesterday my copies of TFOne Arcee and AotP Alpha Trion arrived by FedEx and USPS respectively. I'm digressing, but I find it odd that they're using so many delivery services seemingly all of a sudden when USPS has sufficed for years. Regardless, I'm just happy that they're coming. As to the fig, just based on your review, the first I've seen, I think they did a pretty good job overall, although I'm with you regarding the lackluster disguising of the head and the missed opportunity for hidden gun storage, one of my greatest pet peeves in this hobby. It's not often that the design as--is yields up a nice space to stow a weapon out of sight, so the fact that this one does and they still didn't use it just boggles the mind. I'm thinking the care isn't there, although I give Takara huge props for the elegant weapon storage on Studio Series Concept Widow. More of that please. I still fancy my TR version, as it had to look like the character and accommodate a Titanmaster, and Takara understood the assignment. My TR copy came from Pulse missing a prop, so I'm happy to see that this new update has them pinned on. Too, I like the minimalist toy deco, often with molded and painted details to homage the OG toys' decals, that they do on these toy-based figs. It's a nice touch. Kind of a shame that there aren't any small wheels for him to roll about on, but given the dearth of good placement options on the underside where they wouldn't somehow compromise the bot mode, I think they made the right choice. Anyway, another minibot down, with only a handful to go. I hope they maintain this standard. Windcharger's legs are looking a bit hollow and somewhat unsightly, but I'm sure there'll be upgrade kits to address the issue. Otherwise, I opine that they've been doing a splendid job with the upgraded Minibots overall. Looking forward to the rest.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I knew this was coming and expected it to be good considering what the SC Team have thus far accomplished. I wasn't expecting the options to change the car's configuration nor the addition of an extra minifig, all at the usual price of $28. A great deal in every sense. I hope they do KITT, the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, the OG Spinner from Blade Runner, the Asurada and Super Asurada from Future GPX Cyber Formula. Sadly, the era of futuristic or sci-fi cool cars died in the 90s and, lacking a revival, we continue to mine nostalgia.
  18. M'Kyuun

    DX Chogokin VF-17S

    M'Kyuun replied to GGemini's topic in Toys

    I much prefer the original chonky design. I'll stick with my Yamato.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I've no interest in the Timelines stuff thus far, but for a second, I entertained the thought of getting Armada Nemesis Prime, primarily for the articulated minicons, but $90 is far too steep a price for what you're getting. The way prices are rising on these things, I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue collecting, at least at my current level, which has already tapered over the last couple of years. I'm in for SS86 Starscream and Skywarp and for figs like Mirage that are in need of a good G1 mainline or SS figure, and any remaining minibots, but thanks to the main lines over the last few years, I have a pretty solid G1 collection with only a few holes to fill. Once those are filled, I may just reluctantly and regrettably retire from collecting. It's just getting too expensive. Too, I'm out of room for these things, so I also need to find some more storage/display solutions. Funny, when we moved from our two BR apartment, which itself seemed large to us initially, into our house, it felt like we had so much room. Our house is about 1600 sq ft, not huge by any stretch, but not small either, relative to many of the houses here in town. It took less than 20 years to fill much of that space, a great deal of it with my toy collections. So much plastic.
  20. M'Kyuun
    POs are up on Pulse!!!!
  21. M'Kyuun
    I share your affliction! I lament my near lack of display space, as the toys keep coming and I find I need be ever more judicious with my purchases, taking both quantity and size into account. Toys are the nexus of my life, and it stings a bit to have to scale back b/c I'm running out of room in my house for them all.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Of the three Batmobiles, the BvS is my favorite design and, IMHO, the worst execution among the three sets. I think the designers did a far better job capturing the B&R and The Batman Batmobiles. I'll still get the BvS and The Batman sets, but I think I prefer the original BvS Batmobile set (76045) they released in 2016. This new set has a lot more sculpting, but after consulting my BvS Tech Manual which discusses the development of the movie's various props, with all the parts at their disposal, being a collector of the Speed Champions line, and having looked at a few MOCs, I just don't feel like they captured the car very well, or at least not as well as I would have expected, especially given what they've accomplished with the SC line. Too, in an interview, the designers discussed eschewing the OG two-part canopy elements in preference of just using the regular one piece curved windshield. Personally, I'd have rather they used the two-piece canopy which was more authentic and designed specifically for this Batmobile. Obviously, the old set is simplified, but I think it captures the shaping better than the new set. YMMV. Since they seem to be cranking out more and more media related Batmobiles, I'm hoping there's an Arkham Asylum Batmobile in the works and that they make it every bit as excellent as 2021's Tumbler set (76239). Furthermore, I hope they put every ounce of effort into imbuing it with all of its functions and details. That would make for an extraordinarily fun model to build and play with. I never cared for the Clooneymobile, and honestly, this set isn't selling it to me, either. OTOH, it might make for a good parts set. FWIW, I think the designers did a good capture of the overall look. The car itself was just never to my taste.
  23. M'Kyuun
    I really wish they were purposely emphatic and unambiguous about announcing PO times; it would make life easier for everyone and give members, like me, some validation for purchasing said membership. I don't understand why, as in the past, they don't initiate POs for stuff shown that day, future product notwithstanding, following the stream instead of piecemealing the POs out over multiple days, which not only becomes confusing but also may pose a hindrance if you have plans. I rarely have plans, but it just so happens we're taking my mother-in-law out to lunch tomorrow and I'm hoping we'll be done eating before POs come up. Actually, I'm hoping to be home, as I hate trying to make purchases on my phone- much easier on my desktop. Anyway, huge thanks for the info, Mike. You're awesome.
  24. M'Kyuun
    While it has its flaws, it's still a pretty decent toy and if your preference is to display in battroid, the DX makes for a superior display model over the old skinny-legged, wobbly-hipped Yamato, IMHO. Congrats on the find, on a great price, and on being the owner of an unblemished copy. I hope you enjoy it! 👍
  25. M'Kyuun
    I still have all my Binaltech/Alternator figs. I didn't have a complete collection, but I had the majority of the main characters. Out of all of them, the Mazda RX8, Suburu Impreza, and Ford Mustang molds were, IMHO, the best, the Mazda being my favorite. In spite of liking it, I never did get the Shockwave version, and I do believe I had opportunities to pick it up. I was good with Jazz, so I didn't bother double dipping even though I did double dip on some of the other molds. The vast majority of my collection is packed away and I've not seen them in some time, but I remember their being some impressive toys for all the working features and details in their licensed car modes. The bot modes often suffered, however, from lackluster articulation and generally a fair bit of cumbersome kibble. Still, these things approached then MP levels of engineering and retailed for about $20 (for the all-plastic American Alternators) and about $50 IIRC, for the Japanese Binaltech versions which had a fair bit of die-cast, which gave them a heftier, more premium feel. Ah, the good old days when toys were reasonably priced and widely available, for the most part.
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