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

[Team Jetfire]

877-2
MEGO- Star Trek: The Next Generation: CMDR Will Riker



Fun fact, I?ve collected toys for over 25 years and I?ve steered clear of two popular toy lines up until now that is. Yep, nary a MEGO toy or Pop figure in the toy room and while I really have nothing against the former, I am steadfast in my determination to NEVER own a Funko Pop regardless of who the character is. That may change if the MAXX is produced, but I think it is a safe bet that won?t happen given how obscure the character is. In any case, some of these MEGO figures caught my eye and I was impressed with the range of characters, not unlike the original run of MEGO figures, but also the simplicity that they offer: What you see is what you get with these figures. I also find it funny that he is listed as CMDR Will Riker on the package. Like, why did they need to abbreviate the commander and use the abbreviated name Will?

Pros: I have a lot of action figures, but only a handful that I would consider as dolls and these MEGO figures are definitely dolls in a more traditional sense: Basic body with a specific sculpted head, soft goods clothing, plastic footwear and basic accessories. I was pretty surprised with the amount of articulation these figures have too, but can only do so much with posing. Also, love the detail with the rank pips and the communicator.

Cons: What you see is what you get here, so expectations weren?t all that high. That said, I?m still not sure how the arms are held in place outside of a rubber band or string and it?s annoying how the arms come out of the socket.

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Robimus

That's a great set!

Honestly one of the best of the Diamond Select figures.

[Team Jetfire]

878-2
Toybiz: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Saruman the White



I could open Sarumans all day: I love this character, but unfortunately there aren’t any more on the horizon given that I think Toybiz only made two versions. If I had my way, I would have loved a superposable Saruman with a cloth cloak to allow for better poses, but alas it was not in the cards for him. Perhaps I can hope that Diamond comes through with a new version, but given how hard plastic is all the rage these days, I doubt that even an updated version will satisfy, but a collector can hope right?

Pros: Toybox shows once again a solid combination of function and fun that 2000s toys were known for. Solid sculpt with a good likeness, his trusty staff and the extremely desirable Orthanc stone featuring the evil gaze of Sauron’s eye that has a magnet in to sit in his hand.

Cons: Hard plastic strikes again given that is all but ruins any hope for lower body functionality and articulation. Also, and I’m not sure if this is due to age, or storage, but the cloak seems really greasy or oily once I took it out of the package.

[Team Jetfire]

880-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: The Prowler



Did I give my review of Spider-Man: No Way Home? Hmm, hard to recall and it might be a good idea for content to do some reviews on recent MCU projects, but seeing as I have Spider-Man on the brain I’ll just say that my original feelings still stand and I’m not sure why people hold it above every other MCU movie in this current phase. I recognize the good of it all, but I feel that it, much like Dr Strange 2, COULD have been so much better, but they decided to limit themselves to characters from the two other movies that we were familiar with. And while it was nice to see both Toby and Andrew on the big screen again, I think it would have been really cool to introduce a new Spider-Person to the live action universe rather than just keep it a nostalgia fest. I’m also getting a bit sick of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and hope that with the events of NWH that we get a fresh look at the character, outside of the IronMan shadow that they have created for him.

Pros: Pretty typical for a Marvel Legends retool, but I appreciate the extra value included for a character that didn’t have much juice back when this was released. Nice paint job, cool sculpt, a neat cape (with full neck covering that may have been released with Sleepwalker), and some forearm/calf accessory flares.

Cons: Nothing really. Not sure what else they could have added to make this a better figure.

[Team Jetfire]

S-32
Hasbro- Fortnite Victory Royal Series: Mancake




Sorry not sorry to all fans of Hasbro?s Marvel Legends, Black Series and Power Ranger, but the Hasbro Fortnite toy line is better than them all and on par with the G.I. Joe Classified series and Mancake is one of the best figures that I own. It is a silly and childish design that would only appeal to immature people? Absolutely. Does a cowboy made entirely out of pancake and syrup make any sense? Not at all. Does my love of western themed action figures and breakfast foods somewhat skew my opinion about the figure right from the start? Yeah, probably, but the fact remains from a qualitative standpoint Mancake is incredible.

Pros: Let's go through it: Mancake has a really detailed sculpt from his cowboy neckerchief down to his cowboy boots. I also love how Hasbro designed the head with two different clear plastic syrup faces; really quite ingenious. Articulation is strong throughout and I?m able to get a number of cool poses. Hand accessories are both cool and abundant and include a gun/pancake skewer building tool, an assault rifle, two pistols that fit in his working holsters, a money bag backpack (filled with pancakes!?!) and a bottle of the good stuff (maple syrup). Lastly, what makes him a deluxe figure, they included his own friggin cannon. Crazy.

Cons: I love everything about this figure but would have loved some blast effects for the cannon.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

880-2
NECA- Back to the Future 2- Marty McFly




I’m not quite sure if I can call this one a win yet. Yes the pics look ok and the figure IS decent, but the first go around with the figure resulted in a broken left arm right at the elbow joint. And while I should have known that this was a potential in any NECA figures, I thought the issue was only with the first Marty figure, of which I had no issues. Thankfully TRU has a decent return policy (for the time being) and I was able to get a replacement, but let this be a warning: if there is any question as to the stickiness of a joint, heat it up with some hot water. I took no chances with the replacement and worked pretty well. Not saying that NECA should have this issue, but I hate broken toys more than anything, so I’m willing to be a bit more careful.

Pros: I love these NECA BTTF figures because NECA does such a great job with the sculpt and accessories for these characters. Of course Marty from the future would look great with the futuristic outfit and inside out pockets. And you know they had to include the hoverboard and Pepsi that he discovered during his time there. Incidentally I love how they took out Mattel from the hoverboard and replaced it with NECA. Lastly, a nice touch was the clear stand to emulate the hover abilities of the board.

Cons: No way to sugar coat it: he broke; elbow snapped right off at the peg and needed replacement. This is my biggest issue with any figure that I have and while I understand things happen, it makes me VERY nervous considering some of these figures are not easy to replace. I also feel that the hover board stand could have been more stable.

[Team Jetfire]

S-33
Diamond Select- The Muppets: Statler and Waldorf




Anyone else have a weird love for the 80?s comedy ?Trading Places?? I was a little late to the party on it, but it truly has everything you would expect from a movie of that age: two famous comedic leads (Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd), a beautified up-in-coming leading actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), a fun storyline that takes place during the holidays, some minor, yet unnecessary nudity, a lesson in financial services and economics as related to trading commodity futures, some jarring racism and of course the comeuppance of two old rich white dudes. You know, all the good stuff. Anyways, the reason why I bring this old gem up is that the two old white men that are essentially the villains in this movie named Randolph and Mortimer always remind me of Statler and Waldorf. Now, I?m not sure that was intentional and I?d like to think that our beloved Muppets are not rich dirtbags, but they are both white, rich, wear suits, brothers and are kind of mean so perhaps there is a connection there.

Pros: Statler and Waldorf are the personification of all modern fandoms: highly critical, yet will always show up, which is why they are so relatable. Both feature a great sculpt, and enough articulation for all the poses you would want. The big story of this set is the theater box seats that they come with which includes some chairs for them.

Cons: While they are made to be able to sit, it?s a bit of a challenge to get Waldorf (shorter, bald with a mustache) to fit in his chair.

[Team Jetfire]

[Robimus]

Back a couple, gotta love that Fortnight creativity