I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

S-14
TakaraTomy- Transformers MP-05: Megatron



Well, this is a long time coming and well overdue considering that I?ve had this MP Megatron, waiting in its box, since 2007-2008 (I don?t recall when I actually got him). I mean, there has been 52 MP figures released since this bad boy and even a better version of G1 figure at a time when gun figures are way out of the question. In any case, the delay can be chalked up to 3 factors:

1. Excitement and worry that opening would provide a letdown given that this figure is one of the more maligned MP figures out there. I mean, I knew that I was going to like him regardless (spending $100 + on a figure will do that), but sometimes the anticipation is the best part and I wasn?t sure this Megatron would come through.
2. For 10 of those years, I had moved and didn?t have a toy room to display my collection, so opening figures, especially MPs, was on the back burner. This is why I?m still opening Generations figures all these years later.
3. Pure anxiety. This MP has a lot of issues as well as a famously difficult transformation and I was always very concerned about breaking it with my ridiculously bad transforming skills. Turns out, he?s not so bad to transform, and I didn?t break him, so that?s a plus.

Pros: Ok, I?m going to start with the obvious and the basic antithesis of the Masterpiece line: Megatron is big, he?s an updated representation of the Generation 1 character and an improvement of the blocky, trigger dick toy from the 80?s. The gun mode is aesthetically pleasing to what a Walther P38 more or less looks like, but upscaled for either robot mode or to drop the realism factor. Accessory wise he?s complete with a laser sword, a energy flail, a pistol and a little Kremseek (from the G1 Cartoon ep) transformation wasn?t bad and the instructions were fairly easy to decipher which is always a plus in my book. He also has some weight to him which makes him at least feel expensive.

Cons: Is it really fair to judge an older figure by current standards? I mean, it?s not as though toy technology has really improved in the last 15 years. In any case, while I appreciate what they accomplished, Megatron doesn?t feel much like a true MP figure given that it doesn?t match the G1 cartoon look all that well with the most glaring issue being the exposed gun parts in robot mode. MP?s have long been marketed as toys that match the cartoon, but this Megatron seems to be one that tries to improve on the original toy. Couple that with the exaggerated gun mode, finicky transformation and in ability to stand without a custom made stand, you got a MP that didn?t really hit the mark.

[Team Jetfire]

[Robimus]

Yessssss

[WhenGeeksCollide]

DC Multiverse - Aquaman Unboxing
https://youtu.be/Qy9ogiF2pM0

[Team Jetfire]

Apologies for the hiatus. Some life stuff getting in the way of toy stuff, but I’m back in action. I’ve got some pretty fun stuff coming up so I hope you continue to checkout and enjoy!

[Team Jetfire]

832-2
Hasbro- Ghostbusters Plasma Series: Winston Zeddemore.



I’ve said it before, but Winston is my favorite Ghostbuster. The other three were geniuses (or maybe mad scientists) but Zedd was the most down to earth character in that movie. He was just a typical guy, looking for a paycheque and acting as our way into the story. So when I saw him on the clearance shelf a few years back I knew that I had to pick him up, which of course led to picking up the rest of the wave to complete that ever important BAF.

Pros: As with the others on the team, Winston has a detailed sculpt, a solid amount of articulation to archive some great poses and an amazingly detailed proton pack. Extra points given that he was the only one of the four to come with an ecto pack energy blast which looks really great.

Cons: This is probably just a small production error on mine, but the peg holes on one of his boots is deformed and doesn’t sit right. I also am choked that he was the only one to come with the energy blast.

[Team Jetfire]

833-2
McFarlane Toys- Spawn: Mandarin Spawn



I was very keen on this resurgence of the Spawn comic series toys, but if I?m being honest it has kind of fizzled out for me. Not for lack of interest, but rather lack of recognition. What is a Classic Spawn toy line with out a Classic Spawn? Granted there was one produced, but I?m still salty that it was produced under a Kickstarter model. I understand testing the waters and with a pay to play option for the character, but given what has been mass produced since you can?t tell me that we have earned a general release classic Spawn.

Pros: McFarlane continues to show why they are one of the best toy companies out there and it?s crazy to me how quickly they have adapted to compete with Hasbro. Like, just look at the detail on this figure: the sculpt and paint is ridiculously good for a figure that cost $25. Couple that with two crazy looking accessories and some decent articulation you have a figure that both fans and non-fans of Spawn can appreciate.

Cons: There is a fine line between form over function and while Mandarin Spawn looks amazing, his usable articulation is rather limited.

[Team Jetfire]

834-2
Toybiz- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Flaming Ringwraith



I have to hand it to Toybiz for taking a page out of the Hasbro Star Wars playbook and producing a figure of every single person, place or thing that was featured in the Lord of the Rings series. Not that I?m complaining given that this figure is pretty amazing, but just something that doesn?t happen very often anymore. I mean, this poor, unfortunate King who was cursed to serve Sauron took a flaming stake right to the dome by the unwashed future king of Gondor when he was so close to getting the one ring back from Frodo. And to add insult to injury, I think this is the same Wraith who will be killed by Eowyn, the worst cook in all of Rohan with a sword to the face! How embarrassing.

Pros: Top down this figure rocks and was just another example of why I wanted to go back and pick up what I missed out on. Great sculpt with lots of detail on his cloaks and light up fire effects, a good amount of articulation and ability to pose and a real nice looking sword/sheath combo.

Cons: My only issues, and it?s a minor problem that boils down to this figure being based on a specific action scene in the movie so there isn?t much in the way of playability.

[Team Jetfire]

S-15
Diamond Select: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.





I can?t recall if I wrote about my (not so recent) trip to Florida and seeing as I was able to pick up Gollum, via Amazon, what better time than now? I?ll save you from the general themes of the trip (Cheerleading, Disney World and Universal), but thought I?d share some toy related details.
To start off I will say that I wasn?t looking for anything in particular and didn?t want to get my hopes up given that I was pretty well up to date with most lines and I knew that retail toy hunting was pretty bad in the US centers. I was also excited to hit up some Targets given that it had been a while since my last trip and I had hoped for some exclusives.

On the whole, I would say the haul was better than expected, but still a bit disappointing. My pick ups included Gollum, 3 BST AXN Avatar figures and a Gundam HeavyArms. Not bad right?
My disappointment came from the fact that there were no new GI Joe classifieds to speak of, I couldn?t track down the NECA Bronx and there were zero Disney Toy Box action figures at the parks.

Another issue was the distribution. We were there for 2 weeks and most of my purchases came from the first week, with basically nothing on the shelves the second week; it really made me appreciate my local toy shops here in Canada.

Lastly I was floored with the amount of The Eternals and Star Wars Black Series Lando Calrissian figures; especially in the parks. How big of a hit/how popular did they think The Eternals/Lando Calrissian were when producing these figures? I mean, I passed on all but one of the Eternals figures, but as a big fan of Lando I picked him up a long time ago. Billy Dee gets no love I guess.

Overall I came back with more than I had anticipated, which was nice, but long gone are the times where a trip south would result in an amazing bounty.

Pros: Gollum is an amazing figure that?s only made better by the fact he includes missing accessories for both Legolas and Gimli. Fantastic sculpt that captures his scrawny look really well. Solid articulation with hip joints that allows him to sneak over the rock base that is included and plenty of accessories including 3 heads, some fish and spare hands. Lastly, and perhaps the best one is a hand holding the one ring between his thumb and forefinger. Amazing.

Cons: I?m not sure I love the tactic by Diamond to not include important accessories with some figures and then include them down the road with a completely separate figure and call it ?deluxe?, but I digress; no big issues with this figure.