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Old 02-11-2020, 04:48 PM   #521
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

298-2
Hasbro- Transformers Generations: Warpath.



Back when this was released I recall it being quite the hot item which I might chalk up to Generations being a solid toy line if he was not really a fun Transformer.

Pros: Great figure overall with an interesting tank mode, simple yet satisfying transformation and a great looking robot mode, with lots of articulation.

Cons: A valid complaint would be that aside from the name and some minor homages this really isn’t Warpath. The tank is not the same style as his G1 counterpart and he doesn’t really fit in a Deluxe size class given that he was originally a minibot.













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Old 02-11-2020, 04:48 PM   #522
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Old 02-12-2020, 02:07 PM   #523
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299-2
Disney Toy Box- Star Wars: Chewbacca



Rating of worst to best of the Star Wars movies continued; see reviews 215-2, 218-2, 221-2, 241-2, 245-2, 247-2, 266-2, 272-2 & 293-2 for the previous instalments:

7. Solo- A Star Wars Story
Finally out of the prequels and into the better stuff and while this is really a matter of opinion, I really do feel that the prequels are at the bottom of the Star Wars pile. Not to say that they were bad, in fact I just spent a number of reviews explaining how I like a good portion of them, but it really is difficult to put into words how the entire vibe of Star Wars changed for the worse after the Prequels. To be honest, it was not unlike what happened post “The Last Jedi” in terms of fan backlash which leads me to the next movie on the List: Solo. Probably the most disappointing film based on actual box office numbers and while Disney certainly did not do itself any favors by releasing it so close to TLJ, I feel that history will be kind to Solo as I think it ages fairly well. I mean, it’s a simple heist movie set in the world of Star Wars, what's not to love? I mean, still quite a bit, but I’ll get into that over the next 3 reviews. I’ll leave it at that, but will implore you with the following: If you have not seen it you really should. Overall it’s a fun stand alone movie that adds some more depth to the Star Wars universe and feels a lot like an EU novel you really do not need to put too much stock into.
Pros: Chewbacca is one of those figures that is really made for the Toy Box. Great stylized sculpt, unhindered articulation that allows for a number of poses and 2 accessories that fit the character perfectly. If you are looking for a toy fro your desk, look no further!
Cons: His bowcaster is a but difficult to get into his hand, but that is a minor quibble.









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Old 02-13-2020, 02:31 PM   #524
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300-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Nova



Rating of worst to best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies continued; see review 207-2, 210-2, 216-2, 222-2, 228-2, 232-2, 233-2, 242-2, 244-2, 248-2, 254-2, 258-2, 259-2, 294-2 & 296-2 for the previous instalments.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating #7: Thor Ragnarok

My review in 6 words: I love this movie. The end. More? Ok, fine, but the fact remains that I do really love this movie. Why? Well to be honest it caught me by surprise. There is a reason why the first 2 Thor movies are in the bottom 5: I just didn’t really care for them. Sure, they get credit for being true to the character and the comics, but the mass appeal was lacking. I never saw it in theaters and may have even waited until it was released on Netflix, but was really impressed with how a Thor movie could be handled in the right hands. Overall I thought it had an enjoyable story, introduced some great new characters (Valkyrie, The GrandMaster and Korg) and built on Thor’s personal that leads well into his role in Infinity War. I also liked the inclusion of the Planet Hulk storyline as it connected the two Avengers together. Now I realize that it is not all love and admiration for this movie, especially from Brad; a buddy of mine who is a huge Thor fan. His complaint was that there was WAY too many jokes and otherwise silly parts throughout the movie and he wished that they maintained the more serious feel from the previous 2 movies. I don’t disagree with Brad’s assessment and wouldn’t have minded if they dialed back the jokes/humor by 20% to match Thor in Infinity War or even Endgame/ That said, it still worked for me and really worked to change my opinion on a character that was really just meh. As of this writing they have officially announced the 4th instalment and all signs point to the Lady Thor storyline. While this is an interesting concept and something I am actually somewhat familiar with, I will remain cautiously optimistic that the MCU will deliver another pleasant surprise.

Pros: I’m not really a fan of Nova as I feel he (and his Corps) are the K-Mart version of DC”s Green Lanterns, but that’s really just the impression that I get given that I have not delved into the comics at this point. That said, the figure is actually pretty nice and not the worst of the wave. He has a nice head sculpt, great articulation and an extremely striking paint job. I also appreciate the extra shoulder details that sets it apart from being just another repainted body.

Cons: In a world where McFarlan and Jazwares can include multiple accessories with all their Fortnite figures I think it would be reasonable for Hasbro to include something else to go along with a figure like Nova.








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Old 02-14-2020, 11:26 AM   #525
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Hasbro- Transformers- Combiner Wars: Blades.



So this is the third repainted version of this figure and there is really nothing much different to say about it except that Hasbro really got their money's worth for the mould. Can’t blame them though, this was an ambitious line and for the most part each figure has been pretty good. I suppose there should be extra points given to Blades as he was the only one of the 3 that either resembles his G1 counterpart, or was an actual helicopter.

Pros: Great sculpt, nice paint scheme, good transformation and a decent amount of articulation.

Cons: Another repainted figure that was released instead of a unique mould. Also as a rescue chopper i’m not sure he really needs all the artillery.














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Old 02-17-2020, 06:33 PM   #526
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Hasbro- G.I. Joe- Renegades: Scarlett



I’m continuing to review each episode of the short lived G.I. Joe Renegades show; see review 275-2 for past reviews.

EP - 1: Descent Part 1: Basic premise: Starts off with that type of storytelling that involves all hell breaking loose and then some type of voice over saying: “you’re probably wondering how I got into this mess?” or even something simple like “6 hours eairlyer”. I’m not sure what that is called, but I always have liked it, even though it does not take very long to resolve at all. The Joes infiltrate the Cobra facility to find intel on illegal activity that Cobra is involved in. They find that Mindbender has created BioVipers for Cobra to use in combat (I guess) and the Joes fight their way out and eventually blow up the place.

Thoughts: I like the “Cobra as a legitimate business schtick” but wish they went a little less on the nose as Cobra industry just sounds evil. There is a better option that my Brother came up with years ago, but I’ll share it on the next review. I’m fine that the team instantly comes together, but the hamfisted way that everyone picks up a nickname is annoying. Mindbender is really stupid in this show: think Jesse Esinberg Lex Luthor stupid. Oh wow, first EP on and they killed off Ripcord. I recall that he comes back, but dang…

Pros: Much like the other figures in this series, Scarlett maintains that nice mix of ARAH and cartoon aesthetics. A good amount of articulation for the size, a really great sculpt and has a good amount of usable accessories that fits the character.

Cons: Would have been nice if they included a backpack to store her weapons.









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Old 02-18-2020, 05:20 PM   #527
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DC Collectibles- Batman The Animated Series: The Riddler



Continuing my quest to re-watch all the DC Animated features to date and give some thoughts regarding 3 key touchpoints: Animation Style, Voice Acting & Story. These are really just rough notes as I watched the movie and might not make a whole lot of sense unless you have recently watched it. See 290-2 for my previous instalment.

Justice League - The New Frontier 2008
Animation Style- Fantastic stylized version that matches the Comic very well.
Voice Acting- Works well enough for the cast- Surprised to see Neil Patrick Harris in there as The Flash and Lucy Lawless is fitting as Wonder Woman.
Story- I Really loved loved the origin stories for each of the heros. Including The Flash sequence and Batman's appearance and subsequent change to a more friendly version. As this story lives in its own universe, it has a nice overall feel, but would also be hard to build off of to something different. This story has also been featured a number of other DC cartoons, so it really seemed a bit redundant, even if it was the original.

Pros: As with the other DC Collectibles figure The Riddler has a fantastic sculpt that looks like he came right out of the cartoon. Also he has a good amount of articulation and key accessories from the “Riddler's Reform” Episode. As a little extra trivia nugget, The Riddler did not make his BTAS debut until episode 40?!? That seems crazy right? The friggin clock king beat him for goodness sake.

Cons: Of the 3 Episodes that we was featured in “Riddler’s Reform” was easily the least memorable so i’m wondering why DC Collectibles should have included the big old plastic toy shelf and while it is really well made, it seems like a wasted opportunity.









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Old 02-19-2020, 11:15 AM   #528
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Hasbro- Transformers- Thrilling 30: Brainstorm



So I picked Brainstorm up way back in 2015 during a trip to Kalispell Montana for a Soccer tournament that my son was competing at. If I recall correctly, he was a Target exclusive that never made it to Canada, so I was quite happy when I saw him on the shelves. It’s funny how many things have changed since that time. Not only is my son old enough to now vote, but Transformers is no longer the focus of my collection. I will say that I loved that Hasbro released a Head Master as part of this line, but could not help be disappointed with their choice of character as Brainstorm was never my go to as a kid. Thankfully for us, Hasbro doubled down since then and have given us not only another Brainstorm, but a good portion of other Head Masters that are superior to their G1 counterparts; that is except one key figure from my youth: Snap Dragon.

Pros: Overall Brainstorm is a nice looking figure in both modes and I really appreciate the larger size class. The vehicle mode is a nice updated G1 looking Cybertron Jet with a great overall robot mode complete with a nice articulation scheme and fancy ankle tilts.

Cons: I’m really not a fan of his Headmaster counterpart and feel that Hasbro could have done a bit more to plus up the figure much like they did with the current Headmasters, or even like they did with the original G1 figures.














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Old 02-20-2020, 01:54 PM   #529
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Disney Toy Box- Pixar: Frozone.



Rating of worst to best of the a the Pixar movies continued; see review 205-2, 219-2, 231-2, 240-2, 264-2, 270-2, 285-2, 292-2 & 297-2 for the previous instalments:

11. Cars 2- Probably the least popular Pixar film to date, but honestly I love it because it’s just so fun. Sure, the story makes zero sense, and the racing, something that the franchise was built on, takes a back set to a crazy spy caper. Sure, a story centered around Mater tripping through life is crazy, but what can I say; I like it.

Pros: Ever since Spiderman and his Amazing friends I have always loved an “ice” character that was able to create tracks to slide on; there is just something so fun looking about it. I suppose that is why I gravitated towards Frozone right from his first appearance in the Incredibles as Bob’s best “super friend” and loved seeing him back, in a bigger role no less, in the Incredibles 2. Much like the other Toy Box figures, Frozone is sculpted with slightly animated features, includes a good amount of articulation and his ice disk to curse around on.

Cons: As much as I like the Ice sled I’m thinking that perhaps a better add in would have been an Ice blast effect as he really does not stand on the disk very well.










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Old 02-21-2020, 04:14 PM   #530
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308-2 Gnaw
Hasbro- Transformers- Titans Returns: (Sharkticons) Gnaw



Look, I don’t hate Gnaw, I just hate the idea of Gnaw; or to be more specific, I hate that someone at Hasbro decided that making an army of mindless Sharkicons (or Seekers, or Sweeps, or whatever) was a better idea that taking some time and creating individual personalities and identities for the Decepticons. Not only do we lose out of cool, individual characters like Ramjet, Dirge and Thrust, but the amount of Autobot figures released far outnumbers the Decpticons as they're all just the same.

Pros: A fun little homage to a G1 figure with an interesting transformation and little mace weapon.

Cons: Aside from having no personality and the need to army build , these little guys are pretty great.














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