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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Nice pics, Kuma. I lament that I didn't get all three of the original Seekers when these initially came out. I waited and managed to score a copy of Skycrow(Skywarp), and I have Meteor(Starscream) PO'd, along with their version of Thrust, but I'm wondering if either of these is going to come to fruition. I've been waiting on Thrust for over a year. Anyway, I prefer these figs to Takara's latest MP, and continue to hope Maketoys will come through.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Except I have the toys and bad memories, like some form of entertainment PTSD, to remind me otherwise. Moreover, I have a hard time seeing the Bumblebee Movie as anything other than a prequel to the '07 film, albeit with a few nods to G1 courtesy of Travis Knight. Otherwise, the look of the Cybertronians still leans well into the Bay aesthetic, Bee still has his stupid mute-speaking through the radio schtick, he's treated more like a dog than an intelligent being on par with Charlie with his 'humorous' antics despite being shown as a competent warrior in the opening scene, and the waffling comments by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura concerning whether it was stand-alone or prequel. It was obviously intended to be a straight-up prequel, but with The Last Knight performing poorly, Knight was able to make some changes, like the opening Cybertronian scene, to separate it a little from bayformers. But too much of the Bayformers influence remains to erase the original intention of the film. The redeeming quality of the movie is that it has heart, you feel for these characters, the Cybertronians are treated as characters rather than props, and it has a coherent story that even a kid can follow from start to finish. in short, it proved that the G1 look could work for the eponymous characters, it doesn't have to be convoluted to tell a good story, and if you let someone who's a Transformers fan direct, the film will be the better for it.
  3. M'Kyuun
    To be fair, I don't think Bay is solely responsible for what characters did and didn't appear in his films, as I highly doubt he knew any of the characters well enough to pick and choose. Rather, I'm inclined to think that task fell on the scriptwriters' shoulders, and Bay worked loosely off the scripts, interjecting his own special brand of lewd and puerile humor, frenetic shooting style, lack of cohesive storytelling, and obdurate indifference to what made Transformers good in the first place. While the Bay films continue to have their defenders, I'm heartened to see any number of younger folks on Twitter and TF forums who've discovered and enjoy G1, some esteeming it better than the Bay films. There's hope yet for the future.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Me too! "Worst gunner ever" Good stuff.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Well, from Hasbro's POV, the Bay films made them truckloads of money, likely more than they've ever seen from any other property, and they know there are still fans, so from a business stance I can understand their reluctance to move away from it entirely. Instead, I think it'll be a far more gradual distancing as the fandom dies down, and we'll get more stuff like Bumblebee, where we see slight changes to the aesthetic to bring the characters closer to G1, in that particular case. But the transformations will likely still be CG artists' inventions with no mechanical sense to them whatsoever, not to mention a different transformation every time for the same character. How they accomplish the beast modes for the new film, or even how they're approaching the animal aesthetic, remains to be seen. Since they hired the same effects people who worked on the live-action Lion King, I think it's fairly safe to assume that the beast characters will look like natural animals, otherwise, what's the point? I make no bones about how much I absolutely abhor the Bay films. In my estimation, Bay should have been dropped from consideration the moment he told the producers he had no background with Transformers. I think the films prove that point succinctly. Moreover his brand of humor wasn't a good fit either, IMHO. However, I'm aware that, sadly, the Bay films are the G1 for kids born in the late 90's onward, so their nostalgia is going to be stronger for those films than any other continuity in the franchise. My hope is that those kids grow up and discover what came before, and even if they'll never develop the same attachment that Geewunners have, they'll recognize things in those old stories that ring truer than anything that Bay did. As for the present, and this beast-centric film, I can only hope that the director is a huge Beast Wars fan, and that at least some of the heart and humor of that show makes it into the film. Garry Chalk, Scott McNeil, and David Kaye reprising their roles would be a huge boon to the film, too. Yeeesss.
  6. M'Kyuun
    This. As long as they become anything else but people, I'm happy. The Pretenders was a dumb idea dreamt up by Hasbro b/c they'd parted ways with Takara, and at the time, couldn't figure out how to make a toy transform the way their Japanese counterparts could. But they could figure out how to put a robot in a gummy plastic shell. Let's just stick to non-human alt modes, otherwise, as Thom says, it's just Terminator. I don't recall their ever saying exactly how the BW characters were able to synthesize the necessary organics to achieve their beast modes, or at least the organic coatings that somehow merge when they transform. It was pure sci-fi magic, and when I watched it, I never felt I needed a plausible explanation. Just like I don't need to know how a tractor beam works, FTL engines, lightsabers, or the transporters in Star Trek. They just do, and I can accept it in the context of sci-fi, esp if the story around said sci-fi gadgets and tropes is a good one.
  7. M'Kyuun
    That looks pretty decent, and it'll be the first time, AFAIK, that they've ever released this version of Bee. Shame that half his car mode is on his back and he has a faux chest. Alas, that's become the unimaginative solution for a lot of TF figs over the last few years, and will remain so so long as Hasbro keeps its iron grip on the direction of the franchise. I wonder if Takara would have done it differently, given their design it first, assign price later approach. Anyway, glad we're finally getting this version, warts and all. A Batmobile Transformer would have been awesome. I always thought Animated Lockdown, Animated Blurr, or the Prime Vehicon would make for nice Batman crossovers. Apparently, I'm not alone: Oh, and yeah, and Earth mode Hound would be nice. Classics Hound is still one of my all-time favorite toys, though, and it was so well done that in my mind, it's still the toy to beat in mainline. A simple retool of Siege ain't gonna cut it, but that's what we'll get, no doubt double packed with a Beast Wars repaint on Amazon, if they do make an Earth version.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Something like that, but more along the lines of a solar flare for Awake, IIRC. Back OT, I'm hoping they'll reveal the art direction for the beasties in the new movie, as that'll give us a hint as to how the toys may turn out. My guess is they'll follow a similar design path as Beast Machines with streamlined, techno-organic beast modes that inform the bot modes. If they went a more Zoids-like look with the beast modes, I'd dig it from a toy perspective, as I love the Zoids aesthetic, but it's not right for a Beast Wars homage. More worrying, however, is how they write and present these characters, as Beast Wars was full of cheeky humor that worked great for the cartoon, but might not translate to live action, and really, that was a huge part of the show's charm. My earned cynicism with Hollywood's homages and their constant need to stray from what made the original subject great makes me wary of this film. Fortunately, I'll always have BW and BM on DVD to assuage my sorrow and disappointment. Personally, if I had to introduce these characters into a modern world already populated by Cybertronians who have taken on alt modes resembling human machines, I'd approach it in a similar manner as to how the Insecticons were introduced in the G1 toon, living for millennia apart from humans, having taken on forms based on the wildlife and adapting to feed on organic materials. Having had only their small group for company for such a vast period of time, they'd be socially awkward around these younger Cybertronians who've since arrived on Earth, who don't use organic materials for fuel, and who have forged a relationship with the indigenous population. There's a lot of room for character development in a setup such as this, and to see the modern world through the eyes of these 'old souls' who've lived in harmony with nature for untold centuries since the dawn of humanity, who they assiduously avoided, would offer a different perspective that we haven't seen since the old Beast Wars toon.
  9. M'Kyuun
    So would I. That's incredibly well done.
  10. M'Kyuun
  11. M'Kyuun
    None of the Bay films make it on my 'good' list- foreign dog crap on my lawn has more value, as it at least serves a nutritional factor for the grass. Bay's Transformers films are empty spectacle devoid of passion or knowledge of the subject matter, whose only positive is that they make the featured cars look good. Bay started out as a commercial director, and that's how scenes of cars and women feel- like they're products to be salivated over. I continue to question his selection to direct movies based on a franchise for which he had absolutely no association. It certainly shows. I wish they'd tapped Travis Knight from the beginning, as I think the trajectory and content of the films would have been radically different, and based on Bumblebee, and the juggling he had to do between making it a prequel and a stand-alone as the producers waffled, far, far better than any of the soulless Bay films. As it stands, it's both prequal and semi-stand-alone, as the Bayverse elements are unfortunately inescapable. I fear the same will happen with Rise of the Beasts, as Hasbro seems reluctant to let go, and Bumblebee's success emboldened them (IMHO, the Bee Movie was successful not b/c of it's Baylike qualities, but for stuff that eschews everything 'Bay' like the Cybertronian scenes and the heart put into it by the actors/writers and director). Not sure if Hasbro sees it that way, but as long as they can milk the Bayformer teat, they're gonna try to drain it dry. More's the pity for those of us who've been in it since 1984 and love the true premise and characters that started the whole thing. As an aside, I have seen Awake on Netflix, and it was a decent sci-fi pandemic film where people lose the ability to sleep, with very rare exceptions, and the resulting mental decline creates havoc and terror as only humans are capable. Good performance by Gina Rodriguez as a mom trying to keep her kids safe.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Dismayed that it's still being tied to the abysmal Bayverse, at least by timeline, although I suspect it'll share more ties, just as Bumblebee did. I was hoping that the new spate of films would break entirely from Bayverse to establish their own look and feel, but I get the sense that Hasbro's playing it safe by keeping everything live action anchored by some degree to the Bay films. For the record, I liked Bumblebee; it's the only live action TF movie that I like, that I even consider watchable, but it's not without its flaws, and ultimately, it still shares a lot of aesthetics with Bayverse, especially Bee's face. But it was a step in the right direction so far as taking more care to treat the Transformer characters as such rather than just one dimensional props. As a Beast Wars fan, I'm quite wary as to how they're going to take these characters that existed in a time period long before modern humans and only had interactions amongst themselves, mostly, and put them in a modern day setting. Are they going to be much smaller so that they needn't mass shift when transforming? What will be the purpose for their having taken on beast modes, especially if said modes aren't organic in nature, with the purpose of protecting them from some environmental factor that can harm them otherwise? Having them be obviously robotic creatures appeals to me, but it beggars the question of why when there's no apparent reason to do so, and it doesn't exactly work as a disguise. However, they may just recycle the reasoning for the Dinobots' construction by the Autobots in the toon as a way to build up their ranks with stronger warriors against the Decepticon threat. I could buy that, but I would hope there'd be a little deeper reasoning than just that. Anyway, I'm finding it difficult to be excited about this, especially when they're already linking it to Bayverse.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Just got back from seeing it (in the theater, finally!), and I thought it was just as good as the first one.
  14. M'Kyuun
    That you did him a solid by getting him a copy early is commendable, man. And you can't be held responsible for factory mistakes. Hopefully Hasbro's on top of it and getting it corrected for future copies (like mine).
  15. M'Kyuun
    Great review, Mike. You're totally on point with your observation that the bot mode gun mount would have served the cannon mode far better if it was tucked up by the crotch. I saw a solution on Twitter using several of Nonnef's 5mm port adapters, albeit with one sanded down to fit the screw hole in the crotch, that allows for that piece to tuck away nicely. Unfortunately, I can't find it now to link it. My copy of Galvatron is PO'd with Pulse, so hopefully mine will benefit from the updated shoulder fix, as Pulse seems to take longer to get stuff out, even when it's already appearing in brick and mortar stores. While I still like the TR version, it has some compromises, and this one was certainly designed to more closely fit the G1 toon model. I had initial reservations, but had to concede, after a vid review or two, that it was a decent fig, with some minor flaws. I do wish instead of having his feet rotate down out of the legs as they do in cannon mode, he would have had the more handle-esque support bar like the OG toy and the TR fig, via its tacked on third mode's cockpit. All things considered, it's arguably the best official Galvatron toy to date, and I'll be happy to pair him up with the exquisite Cyclonus and very good Scourge as you did.
  16. M'Kyuun
    I wasn't thinking of that, but now that you mention it... Pretty darn cool how that thing retracts into the fuselage. Little safer than being a door gunner. Next thing you know, they'll be equipping this thing with a 105mm cannon like the gunships carry. Not sure if the Osprey could handle the recoil from that thing, though. The 40mm cannon would probably be ok. Nothing like mounting artillery on a hovering platform.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Oh, I have a couple Bayverse Bees- I just don't have any BumbleBee Movie Bee figs. I like the design, but I just never felt compelled to bring it home. I think the Bee Movie Prime fig was pretty well done, and I really like Dropkick, but then I've been a helo fan since my preteen years, so getting an official AH-1 Transformer was a delightful surprise. I like the transformation engineering on that one. Not for everyone, but I dig it. Kinda like Maverick: an F-14 with a wickedly similar transformation as the venerable VF-1. Pretty cool, and I hope it galls HG to no end.
  18. M'Kyuun
    The Target I went to did have a couple copies of B-127, with his Cybertronian car mode. I left them on the pegs. I have Bee Movie Prime and Dropkick, but I've yet to own a version of Bee. I'm hoping some the new Kingdom stuff will start releasing soon. As in Transformers, not Egypt.
  19. M'Kyuun
  20. M'Kyuun
    Like mine a couple days ago. My Walmart is typically disappointing, but Targets usually fare better for inventory. The one I visited didn't have any of the latest wave, so I remain committed to just getting all my TFs online, and if I happen to stumble upon one in the wild, I'll grab it and canx the PO. Speaking of POs, I broke down and paid the extra $5 markup for the Amazon Exclusive ER Sideswipe/BW Skywarp two-fer. I missed the better priced Pulse PO, so that's what I get for hesitating. Initially, I wasn't going to bother with the ER version, but there are enough differences from the Siege, and similarities with ER Sunstreaker's alt mode to warrant getting a copy. I really wasn't interested in Skywarp, but I like the Airazor mold, and I like the colors they used, so I'm sure I'll enjoy the figure for what it is. I'm just not crazy about the head sculpt, but I can live with it.
  21. M'Kyuun
  22. M'Kyuun
    Good luck with the hunt, Mike. A second part of an interview with Shogo Hasui at Takara has been posted on TFW2005. The first part of the interview was posted about a week or so ago, and the mods over there were kind enough to merge both parts. Interesting stuff if you're collecting Generations or Studio Series. Speaking of SS, the interviewer and Hasui-san speak of SS Devastator, which I presumed in my excitement to mean an upcoming set of figs based on the '86 movie. It took a second reading for me to realize they were talking about the Bayverse version. Interesting reading , nonetheless, but Bay's take is best summed up by . The similarity between the Classics Seeker and the ER Seeker molds is also explained.
  23. M'Kyuun
    LEGO's really branching out in what subjects get made into sets, as well as the licensing they're pursuing. Personally, I think the typewriter's neat, but the shoe does nothing for me. But there are a lot of folks into kicks, so I guess this is aimed at them. Hey, whatever sells sets.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Finished S1 tonight with the wife. When a promo for another show instead of the next episode came up, signifying we'd completed first season, it was an 'aw, man' moment. Good series that takes you on a journey. Of course, there are some revelations, but where it leaves off keeps you wanting to see where the story goes, to continue the journey. Well done show for sure. Some of the CGI looks like CGI from the early 90s, but I agree that the actors all put in good performances, and kudos to the makeup team. Then there's Bobby. Hoping his story will be told in S2. Nice to see the circle closing concerning the principles- you know that's gonna happen, but it's fun to see how it comes about.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Also started watching it. I actually watched the first ep alone, liked it, so I watched it again with a few more eps with the wife. Enjoying it, including the narration, whose character I'm sure we'll meet somewhere along the way. Def paints a less than favorable, yet realistic portrayal of humanity, as history, both old and recent, can attest. Looking forward to completing the first season.
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