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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    That would be about the easiest way to do a transforming Skystriker, IMHO. Besides redesigning the forward fuselage to allow for a usable cockpit, very little additional engineering would be needed. Thing would be huge though- def dwarf even the 1/48 valks.
  2. M'Kyuun
    I was always more indoorsy than out, woefully so these days, but I did go out a fair bit as a kid. I had friends who owned a pizzeria downtown, which was 6 miles from my house, and about seven from my friend Dan's house. Dan and I would ride our bikes all the way into town, the last mile of which was a fairly steep downhill incline (they finally built an alternate less-steep truck bypass after several trucks lost their brakes and crashed into stuff) to go visit with our friends and get a slice or two. Can't tell you how many times we rode our bikes up and down both the steep hill and the truck bypass. I weighed about a buck-ten and had some strong legs back in those days. Very fond memories. Just doing a general search, Mathew Modine's showing his age a bit. Not sure if the gray hair is natural or dyed, but there are pics of him w/ blonde hair, and others with grey.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I was a teen in the 80s and I have no recollection of Kate Bush, and barely any recollection of "Running Up That Hill". I don't remember seeing it on MTV, or even hearing it on the radio, and I've always been a pop music fan. I was a bit sheltered and very antisocial as a kid (still antisocial at 50), but I can relate to the majority of 80s references in the show, so I feel like I'm missing out on the hype. Still, this show is a love letter to my generation, and I appreciate the Duffer Bros' commitment to cramming so much 80s goodness into the look and feel of the show. What strikes me now looking back is how upbeat, optimistic, and positive so much of the music of the time was, and just so much of our media from that era. Of course, sooooo much of it was cornier than Redenbacher's entire product line, but considering we were living through the peak of the Cold War, it's kinda refreshing to go back and soak in that positivity a little.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Except for Zartan, who I always wanted as a kid but never got, I'm pretty much out of the Joe collecting game- too many other collections, an ever-shrinking house, and now the ever-increasing price of stuff are causing me to be choosier in my toy purchases. That said, if it was really well done, I'd be tempted. Heck I wouldn't mind if they did a G1 Jetfire repaint of Maverick. Hasbro could get some mileage from a good mold, and in better colors.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Another Transformers/ GI Joe crossover was announced this morning. This time it'll be the AWE Striker which converts into Bumblebee. I didn't think the execution of Megs into a HISS Tank was particularly well done, but this one looks much better to me. Honestly, though, I wish they'd give these guys their own characters so they didn't have to be designed to try and conform to existing characters who already have traditionally well-defined alt modes and looks to them. I think it'd reduce the number of concessions and the alts could be better integrated into the bot modes. Just my $.02
  6. M'Kyuun
    I'd say the same, but my friend Luke only builds big, so I'm tangentially aware of what goes into a huge build like this. BTW, those rings in the center are each motorized, spin counter to each other, and weigh 20lbs a piece. He's since torn it apart, but I was fortunate to help him set it up at two different cons. Pretty impressive to see in person.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Here you go. Love that he brick-built the stripes- looks great.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I think the likelihood of a trailer for Prime is about zero. If they were going to do it, it would have been wiser to include it in the set, but that would have made it extremely large and prohibitively expensive for many fans. So, I think they were smart to release just Optimus sans trailer to keep the price down and make him accessible to more people across the financial spectrum. I don't think a stand-alone trailer set would sell well, as most peeps are going to display their Optimus in bot mode, and the trailer for this guy would be a large model that likely ends up in storage except for the odd times when he's transformed, rolled around a bit, and then put back in bot mode. That's pretty much the deal for my Earthrise Optimus- 99% of the time, he's in bot mode, and his trailer is essentially a paperweight on the back of one of my shelves. I like having it for those odd times when I feel like rolling the full truck around, but honestly, I can't remember the last time I did that. I imagine a similar scenario for LEGO Optimus fans as well. I get the allure, but I don't think it adds more value than just the core fig alone; IMHO, there's more value in making him available to a wider audience with different financial situations. The cool thing about this situation, though, is it's LEGO! If you want a trailer, you can make your own, and customize it however you wish. So far as the sticker(s) running down the sides, if LEGO were to make a trailer, I suspect the sides would be clad in large tiles and the stripes broken up into a series of stickers, as that's their general modus operandi in these situations.
  9. M'Kyuun
    You, sir, are Takara's biggest fan. 😊 You're definitely part of the target audience for TT's MP line, and I'm glad you guys are getting those dream figs that look like they walked right off the screen. That aesthetic doesn't appeal to me personally, but I can certainly empathize. FWIW, I dig this fig, too, and if I didn't already have FT's Phoenix, which I prefer over the TT, I'd be all over it no second thoughts given. The Macross heritage was inherent, given that Skyfire was originally, and should have remained, Jetfire, the repurposed VF-1 in the show. There was already animation completed with his VF-1 form, but licensing issues forced the redesign to the Skyfire we know and love. It is cool, however, and perhaps a flip of a certain digit to HG, that Skyfire had a GERWALK style landing in the toon. He lacks the forward knee rotation, but the gist is there. It's quite cool that it can be replicated by MP Skyfire. Anyway, I hope you and the other folks who order him, having waited so many years for the definitive Skyfire, take an immense joy in the fig. Despite my aesthetic preferences, I think Takara did good with this guy, and I honestly didn't think they'd ever do him in the MP line, so it's truly a dream toy once again come to fruition. And that's good for all fans.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I stand corrected. Thanks sh9000!
  11. M'Kyuun
    I don't think so- just molded slugs.
  12. M'Kyuun
    So, now that we have a variety of clear pics to look at, I've been comparing it to Fans Toy's Phoenix. The similarities are quite striking, and honestly, if you missed out on Phoenix, the official is shaping up to be a rather fine-looking toy in both modes, a compliment I rarely get to hand out to jet-formers. That said, aesthetically, I still prefer Phoenix. I like his chunkier multi-angular sculpted thighs and the overall proportions, even the minimized waist, which, though not animation accurate, looks better to my eye than the animation design. That's a very subjective thing, and I imagine when FT were designing him, they purposely molded that waist to look similar to MP-10's. I could be wrong, but that similarity has always struck me. Too, Phoenix' s more 'heroic' styled chest looks better to me than the longer chest panels from the animation. I also prefer the blockier shaping of Phoenix's forearms over the official's tapered forearms. In jet mode, they are surprisingly similar, although Phoenix's gullet is shallower, and his red thruster pack is neither as long nor as tall as the official, for good reason: difference in transformation. Looking through the pics, I'm reasonably certain that Skyfire's arms tuck away into the backpack in jet mode, whereas Phoenix's forearms form a goodly chunk of his fuselage just behind the cockpit section. Both are good solutions for tucking away those huge arms and odd rounded shoulders, but the engineer-wannabe in me absolutely adores Fans Toys' solution of integrating them into the plane itself. It's one of my favorite things about Phoenix. Props to Takara for the far better-looking and more realistic main landing gear with multi-wheeled bogies even! 😍That's just lovely, and far more comely than FT's oddly backward angled mains with just a single forked wheel each. 🤮 The way Takara fold the feet in jet mode looks a bit odd to me; I prefer Phoenix's slightly recessed feet that fold completely within the legs. Too, Phoenix's are closer to the animation, if this still is any measure of accuracy. I realize I'm gushing all over Phoenix, which just solidifies in my mind that I already have the MP Skyfire for me. Slavish toon accuracy isn't as important to me as detail, and I find the many stylistic touches that FT brought to their version of Skyfire appeal to me greatly. However, I stand by my original statement; whichever of these two toys you end up with, as a fan of Skyfire's design, either toy is going to deliver a big cool looking bot that converts into an equally cool Cybertronian jet with no bot kibble to mar its profile.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I can't see Hasbro sitting this release out; eventually it'll be on Pulse, but it's going to be crazy expensive. You know Hasbro wants a piece of that pie. Like Mike, I'm curious to see how the final turns out, and what sort of goodies they build into him. He's already more toon accurate than FT's Phoenix, big shock to nobody, but I want to see if they're able to improve the articulation, which has kinda been their thing for the last six years or so. Tall order on a fig this size- lots of ratchet-y goodness. FT's transformation is pretty brilliant, and the jet mode is virtually seamless top and bottom; I love how they used the arms to form a goodly chunk of the front section of the plane. I'm very curious to see how TT approaches their toy's transformation. We've seen commander class Jetfire, which is a great toy, but def not to MP standards with the huge gap on the bottom. Then again, if MP-52 is any indication, the bottom of the plane is insignificant to even a MP plane-former.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Given the size, I doubt it as well. Optimus is the real draw, and at that scale, a stand-alone trailer set would likely end up becoming a shelfwarmer for the cost. I'm not even concerned with building a trailer for mine. I'd rather spend the time, effort, and money on improving Prime's articulation and making other tweaks. But yeah, there will no doubt be any number of trailer MOCs, and I've also no doubt several will find their way onto Bricklink.
  15. M'Kyuun
    The LEGO fan community is one of the most helpful out there, esp in these days of more and more toxic fanbases. Right? I'm contemplating it, too. I looked about a bit, as there are a number of reviewers who received early copies, but I've yet to see any mods. My money's on Chubbybots, as he always does a good job modding these official mech/robot sets. I'll likely pursue my own method, but it's always illuminating to see how others solve the same problem. No harm in copying a superior approach, either.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Normally, I'd be thrilled by this, but I've had Fans Toys' Phoenix for years now, and I'm pretty satisfied with that fig. Given his size, this is going to be a very spendy fig, and I'm not sure it'll do enough beyond what Phoenix offers to justify it. I think TT are a day late and a dollar short, as they've been with a number of their recent MP releases where comparable and oft cheaper third-party versions have already been released. For a large part of the fandom, one of those options suffices, esp in light of the TT pricing and uber-toon slavish aesthetic, which doesn't appeal to everyone.
  17. M'Kyuun
    TBH, I like the colors of this much better than the original Blaster colors. I've never been a fan of yellow or red. This looks sharp, but I have no association with SG, nor the room really for all these repaints. It does look spiffy, though.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Ah, from that perspective, I get it. I wouldn't be crazy about that either. IF's take on Powerglide retained enough hints of the A-10 to make me happy, but had it been more like any other jet, I would have balked. If you're fond of the G1 hovercraft, then that's what you like- I can't argue it, and it is the original. I don't hold a strong fondness for Seaspray, so the changes that IF made feel to me more like an upgrade to his old hovercraft mode, or a Cybertronian take on it. Either way, I dig it. If I had a soft spot for him, though, I might feel differently. Options are good.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Enjoyed the review, Kuma. I have to agree with you on that alt; I daresay I like it better than his original G1 alt mode, although the OG is a more realistic take on RW hovercraft. I have several G1 Seasprays at this point so I'm good on the G1 front. IF's stylish take sings to me; I adore the look of that bot mode; it's G1 Seaspray+, as if he received an upgrade. And that rakish pontoon boat look looks fast and fierce. I love it. Needless to say, I have this guy sitting in a pile of loot ready to be shipped; I'm just waiting for another more expensive item to be released for free shipping. Looking forward to having him in hand. Too, one can always expect some cool dynamic posing during your reviews, and you didn't disappoint. Hasbro's marketing team could learn a thing or two by watching your vids. Kinda surprised you don't like the alt, Mike. Alas different strokes. As to Bayrazor, this is yet another stylish IF take that really caught my eye, and despite my indifference towards Beachcomber's character, a cool toy is a cool toy, and this interpretation also grabbed my attention for the almost kawaii beach buggy mode and great looking bot mode. Transformation is a bit fiddly, even a little frustrating, but regardless, I dig him. Regarding Hegemon AKA McTron😄, I remember this guy from back in the day- seems like a long time ago now- back before I started buying 3P but kept a loose eye on 3P stuff that was coming out. Although having a CHUG scale Megs w/ a pistol alt was an appealing prospect, since it'll never happen officially, this design just never quite grabbed me. Looking at it now, it betrays its age, IMHO- kinda blocky, stiff, and lifeless looking bot mode. I don't like all that red on the backs of his legs or head (granted, those could be painted). IDK, it should appeal to me, but the kibble and the look of the bot mode kinda put me off of it. I want a Magic Square Doomsday blown up to voyager scale- to me, that's about the best Megs you could ask for.
  20. M'Kyuun
  21. M'Kyuun
    I liked it better than first season, too. Agree, too, that the original GitS film and SAC were dialog heavy, sometimes too much so for my taste.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Yes. The last scene with Val was pretty great, too. So glad Tom talked him into doing the film; having seen him in his prime, it's a bit heartbreaking to know he's struggled with health problems for many years. Even in his limited capacity, the guy still has his old charm. Def shades of Star Wars in there. I get the sense that Macross Plus was likely inspired, in part at least, by the original Top Gun, so drawing a comparison at this point is a bit moot. I hope at least one of the Hornet drivers in this film was inspired by the original TG. They did some great flying in this movie, and though I wish they'd brought in the F-35, at least in a supporting role, it was pretty cool to see the old Tomcat strutting her stuff. Still a beautiful plane, she and the Hornet. The actual in-cockpit filming is amazing. Honestly, having avoided all spoilers except the trailer, I figured Maverick would be flying the Darkstar at the end to save the day. Glad I was wrong. But, watching those Darkstar scenes reminded me of the brave days of experimental flight when guys like Yeager strapped on a new untested machine intended to set some new flight milestone- we owe so much to a small group of extraordinary pilots, then and now, for having the courage, commitment, and savvy to do such a demanding job at the very likely risk of great injury or death. I salute them all. I'd love to see a roundtable discussion as to how they came up with 'the mission'. Curious to see what Mover has to say about it, too. The identity of the enemy country is never mentioned, but of course the use of Russian aircraft narrows the playing field a little. There's a scene featuring a piece of ground equipment, and I was trying to see what sort of characters were on the instruments, but the camera never stayed on it long enough to make out, likely on purpose. The enemy fighters were based on either the Su-57 or the T-50 Pak-Fa, both of which bear striking resemblances to my beloved YF-23. Makes it all the more gulling seeing enemy forces flying a plane that looks like what our Air Force should be flying today. Nice to see a Hind in there too. Well, to be fair, it's a sequel to a movie with a lot of melodrama, and this really captured the feel of the original, with lots and lots of nods. IMHO, it was a proper sequel, and I think Tony Scott (RIP) would have loved it.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Just finished second season, and I'm still wondering what the heck just happened? Maybe I'm becoming dull in my old age, as it left me a little confused as to what exactly was going on. Nice throwback to original film at the end.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I appreciate the insights; I'll have to give them a try.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Glad to hear it, especially from someone who's been in that world. I'm not looking for cinematic gold, just a good rollick with jets doing their thing. Anytime anything is compared to Macross Plus, one of my all-time favorite anime, I'm intrigued. If you're gonna do a movie about jet fighters, you can't go wrong from taking inspiration from Macross. Looking forward to it. 😁
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