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Penguin

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Everything posted by Penguin

  1. Penguin
    All of those kits are in the height range you mention except the 1/100 VF-19 models and the VF-2SS. These are a little more than 14 cm in battroid mode, but not hugely. The VF-19 is fairly thick and bulky in battroid mode as well. The cannon on the battroid VF-2SS sticks up quite a ways unless you lower it over the shoulder, which obscures the head of the battroid.
  2. Penguin
    Well, we see this progression from War in the Pocket, through Stardust Memory, to Zeta Gundam: RX-78 NT-1 Alex Gundam (experimental design for Newtype MS) -> RGM-79N GM Custom (mass production) -> RGM-79Q GM Quel (protoype for new Gundam)) -> RX-178 Gundam Mk II (Titans elite unit) So, sometimes GMs are prototypes for Gundams, and sometimes vice versa. If we consider the RX designation of the Gundams, X is normally a designation for experimental, not prototype. So, it seems that Gundams act more like technology demonstrators, like the VF-0, rather than true prototypes. Gundam advancements do make it into mass-production units. The GMIII in Gundam ZZ and later the Jegan in Char's Counterattack can be seen to have a jetpack inspired by the RX-178. But Gundams do not seem to lead directly to new mass-production MS in general.
  3. Penguin
    I've got quite a few of the CM's Ingrams and I like them fine. I got the movie versions of units 1 & 2, and the TV version of unit 3, but they're all basically the same. Nice bit of diecast. Poseability is reasonable, but nothing to get excited about. They are a little small and so some of the tiny pieces can be finicky to work with, especially if you want to change around the heads. I dabbed a bit of glue on the head parts once I assembled them, just for extra stability, since I don't plan to change the heads around. Antennae are softer plastic, and can sometimes fall out if you handle the toy a lot after they are inserted. The only CMs Ingrams I don't particularly recommend are the reactive armour versions from the second movie. The covering on the arms is a thicker rubber, and it springs back enough that they don't hold poses very well. So, I wouldn't go for those unless holding bent-arm poses isn't high on your list. I have a bunch of photos of the CMs guys here. Have a look.
  4. Penguin
    Gotta say, I've never been a huge fan of the "hero" mobile suits (though an MG of the Heavy Arms from "Endless Waltz" will get my attention). It's always been the grunt units that catch my interest. It would be nice to get MG versions of the GM Cannon, GM Cannon II (to complete the Stardust Memory collection), and GM Sniper II without having to resort to B-Club extra sets (now long out of production and just too expensive). I've got hopes for the GM Cannon II in the HGUC series since recent releases (RGM-79C and RGM-79N) seem to be topping off the Stardust Memory set. On that note, here's my latest MG creation... an RGM-79[G] GM Sniper that I titled "Bad Month at the Office". Basic paint coat is Tamiya sprays and hand-brushed acrylics, with Gunze Gundam Markers for metallic green and chrome silver. Weathering is a combination of Gunze Gundam Markers (weathering set plus Gundam Silver), Tamiya Weathering Master pastels, Gunze brush-on pastels, and Tensocrom acrylic washes... plus a few files and a pin vise. The base is premade terrain for tabletop wargaming (can't remember for what game).
  5. Penguin
    Not surprised to see they're using Catwoman, but Bane's a surprise. Interested to see what they come up with, and if they use anything from the "Knightfall" storyline where Bane first appeared. Or more interestingly, the "Venom" story where Batman himself gets addicted to the genetically-tailored steroid that would eventually fuel Bane. Some friends and I were discussing who from Batman's Rogues Gallery fit into Nolan's universe, and though Bane did come up we thought maybe Riddler (in current times he had become a detective himself, and with Batman being hunted there would be an opportunity for a glory-hound to try to fill the void) and Penguin (who runs a legitimate club as a front for his activities, which might fit well into a power struggle in Gotham now that the gangs have been completely broken down). Anywho, looking forward to this. Not expecting it to be as fantastic as "Dark Knight" (that way lies madness ), but high expectations for sure.
  6. Penguin
    That's welcome news! I caught 1.0 at Chinook, so 2.0 is go. Still remember walking in hearing some girl asking her boyfriend "why did I let you drag me to this?"
  7. Penguin
    I picked that up back when it was released as a "future car" from "Back to the Future 2". I always thought about doing the work to make it a full Blade Runner spinner, but never got around to it. Now I won't have to. Laziness pays off again!
  8. Penguin
    All this talk about steroids... everyone is forgetting the critical "vita-rays" that catalyzed the injected chemicals to complete the process (that, or there was a critical shortage of comic geeks participating in a thread about a comic book movie until I posted )
  9. Penguin
    From what I know, Pern is one of those properties that has been optioned but never come to the screen. R.D. Moore was going to bring it to the WB as a series at one point, but that failed. Someone probably still has the film rights, but nothing's in progress that I've heard about.
  10. Penguin
    Just to toss in my 2 cents, no, you don't need an airbrush to do this. I use spray paints and hand brushing exclusively, and I've never had problems with getting a good, opaque white coat as long as you use a good primer first. I use the Tamiya spray primer Vifam mentions, although I tend to use the white instead of the grey when painting white.
  11. Penguin
    I think it would be interesting if the writers did something hearkening back to Stane's line from the first film about them having problems with technology in "that part of the world". IM2 had Tony's own tech being tossed back at him, so for IM3 it could be cool to see something developed along a completely different paradigm... something that takes Tony completely by surprise and he can't figure it out. Not alien or magic, just something totally out of sync with his approach. Dunno what that might be, mind you. Just as long as no one convinces Favreau to ditch his plans and do something magical now that Thor is in the same continuity (and I still don't know how well that's going to fit into the thus far essentially science fiction Marvel movie universe).
  12. Penguin
    Favreau has always indicated he wants to keep the film version of the Mandarin within the style and feel established for the IM movies: "The problem with the Mandarin is that the way it's depicted in the comic books, you don't want to see that. He has 10 magical rings — that just doesn't feel right for our [franchise]. So it's either tech-based, or the rings are not really rings." Actually, the Mandarin's rings aren't magical... they're alien technology. But, same diff movie-wise.
  13. Penguin
    I had the old 1/72 kits, and they are really small... not much bigger than a Star Wars figure. If this ends up more than $10, I won't bother. Gimme a 1/48 or 1/32 kit, and I'd be all over it.
  14. Penguin
    For those interested, they're up for pre-order at HLJ.
  15. Penguin
    Yeah, don't know why IMAI did that. ARII had opening missiles hatches for their 1/72 Tomahawk and GBP-Armoured VF-1J, although they didn't open very far. Having the opening gun cluster hatch on the Spartan but not the missiles... oh well.
  16. Penguin
    I'd agree with that. The Zeta Gundam series doesn't fall prey to the "monster of the week" syndrome that the original series did. It's still pretty long, but I enjoyed it. Based on Gubaba's comment on "cut-to-ribbons" story, it sounds like the movie trilogy is a little like Do You Remember Love in that they look pretty but drop a lot of the character development, and so watching the series first will fill in the gaps.
  17. Penguin
    Well, I'm happy to see what I hope is just the first of these to come 'round. Regult for certain, Spartan absolutely (love that gun array too!), Monster maybe... woulda perferred the larger version (1/160th was it?), or was that not IMAI? Defender... well, I think I'll invest in the Wave version instead I built the 1/72 Imai some time back, so I'd rather build something new.
  18. Penguin
    I just started watching the first of the Zeta Gundam compilation movies... nicely remastered animation, but is it just me, or are they a little more "spotty" than the original Gundam movies? My impression of the first Gundam movies was that they held together well and, even though they dropped quite a bit, it wasn't jarring when you thought about what had been removed. I'm about 50% through the first Zeta Gundam, and already it just feels a little disjointed. Maybe I'm "judging ahead". For example, skipping Kamille's first fist fight with Jerid has got me thinking about whether that whole feud is translated in the films, maybe as an outcome of the fight with the Mk IIs, or if it's downplayed. Whatever the reason, I'm noticing the missing bits more in this movie than I did in the first trilogy. Has anyone else seen them? Am I being unduly harsh at only 1/6th of the way into the trilogy?
  19. Penguin
    "Store exclusive"... well, so much for finding it in Canada. I think I'm more interested in the laser Optimus Prime. I've got the "Black Convoy" version from Takara's Car Robots, and it would be cool to have a regular prime-coloured edition for contrast. Can't fight Fire Convoy all the time.
  20. Penguin
    Blah. I'm already sick of 3-D. I could probably be convinced to see the original trilogy in 3-D, just for the fun of seeing them in a real theatre again, but I'll pass on the prequels. As for making the prequels more palatable, well, that's a matter of taste, ain't it? IMHO, that would require at least massive re-editing, additional ADR, possible re-casting and re-shooting... yeah, don't think Lucas would put in enough effort to meet what I'd be looking for to make the prequels any better.
  21. Penguin
    Chalk up another vote for Gamlin's VF-22S. The VF-22 remains my favourite valk to date.
  22. Penguin
    Wow... that's some sharp work, EXO. Love the side-mount for the Stinger-esque launcher (that picture's what sold me on picking up that book ). I never saw the T-Rex package, but what you've done looks plenty fine to me!
  23. Penguin
    After the disappointing way they handled Doomsday (looong build up, blink-and-you-missed-it climax), doesn't bode well for Darkseid. People don't know how to handle the New Gods at the best of times. I predict they become generic sci-fi villains (with custom-fit Kryptonian connection, naturally), or smothered in ham-handed backstory in an attempt to bring in too much of the comic. Wow... thats reads really bitter. Seeing as I skipped last season completely, who woulda thunk I cared anymore?
  24. Penguin
    Speaking about improvements in CGI, as much as I'm looking forward to seeing this, it's notable that CGI is so smooth and lifelike that, for me at least, the inner-computer world shown in the trailers lacks the "otherness" (for lack of a better term) that it had in the original. It looks fantastic and cool, but the old CGI with all its flat planes, sharp angles, abnormal physics (and other flaws) really made for a world that was markedly different fo omthe world of us "Users". Some of that is lacking, at least as far as the trailers have shown. It leaves me wondering whether the sequel's computer world will capture that same feeling of someplace alien, given that the vastly improved CGI capabilities can really reduce the (occasionally jarring) contrast between the live action and the computer graphics. Hopefully they interject some other "that just can't happen here" bits to retain that atmosphere beyond just rezzing up cool vehicles. I'd hope it doesn't just look like actors lost in a neon showroom. I don't mean this in any sort of luddite, "classic TRON rules" sense or anything... it's just the second thing that came to mind after I saw the first full trailer (the first being "hell yeah, gotta see this").
  25. Penguin
    That's from B-Club's "c.o.v.e.r." resin enhancement parts set for the HGUC RX-78GP01. 1/144 Cover Kit HGUC GP01 Set
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