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

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by JonoPrime

Love the toy hunting stories! Always fun to read your posts with my morning coffee. Great pictures too

Thank you! It?s actually still my favourite part of toy collecting, especially with the rise of pre-orders.

[Team Jetfire]

972-2
McFarlane Toys- DC Multiverse: Gorilla Grodd



I'm not a massive Flash fan and I never played the DC Injustice games, but I could not pass this big guy up as he showcases how great McFarlane figures can look given the detail from top to bottom is just outstanding. That said, it also exemplifies reasons why I don't actively collect McFarlane toys any longer given that he's basically a statue with joints. And while that may seem harsh given that he actually has a decent range of motion, he really only can pull off one pose with slight variations. I also think I would look more favorably on it if he could pull off the classic ?ape? pose (Standing up with front fists on the ground) but due to articulation limitations he just kind of awkwardly stands on his short legs. Ah well, at least he looks cool doing that.

Pros: Sculpt, sculpt and sculpt. Grodd has a fantastic sculpt. The paint and overall size is pretty great too.

Cons: Unfortunately on an action figure, sculpt is not everything and his articulation limitations make this figure less than what it could be.

[Team Jetfire]

973-2
Hasbro- Transformers Universal Studios exclusive: Evac



Now this is something special indeed. First off, I want to take a moment to thank fellow collector, long time board member and friend Chaingunsofdoom for gifting me this figure all the way back when there was only two live action films released, Transformers Animated was just about to hit (I actually bought an extra deluxe Animated Optimus Prime off him at the same time) and Transformers the ride just opened at Universal Studios. I think it was Universal in California as this all corresponded with the annual Transformers convention ?BOT-CON? at the time, but it could have just as easily been Orlando as they have a clone of the same ride.

***IMPORTANT EDIT****

After writing the above paragraph I did some digging as the timing did not make sense. Transformers Animated came out the same year as the first live action and well before the Universal Ride. Also, BOT-CON was held in Cincinnati the year that Animated toys were released so there is no way that EVAC would have been available at the same time. That said, I did buy an Animated Optimus from Chainguns, but must have picked up something else a few years later, but I cannot remember what. I kept this in because I think it is interesting how memories can change over time.

Either way, Transformers the RIDE is fun as hell and a must do every time we are able to hit up a Universal Studios park. If you are curious and don't care about being spoiled, you can watch a YouTube ride through here:

https://youtu.be/ARJHpBgu1vM?si=ZPcdHFLJWoQiBLkx

If it's not clear by the video (nothing would really be all that clear given that it is in 3D and you need to wear glasses) the basic premise is that you are mixed up in a fight between the Autobots and Deceptions and are rescued by a new character made for the attraction named EVAC who also serves as your conveyance though the ride. Using a mixture of screens and real set pieces and effects, he speeds you (and 11 other people) through twists, turns, ups, downs and even through the center of one massive Devastator combiner. It's fun, but also not going to make you feel sick, which is a big plus for me as I'm getting to that age where intense rides do not agree with my constitution any longer. I will also say that I enjoy the ride for being an evergreen moment in time of my life that I look back fondly on. I was in my late 20's, my kids were a fun age and while there was still static on the interwebs about movies and shows, there was still a relatively optimistic vibe about the potential of things on the horizon. Now it just seems that we've seen it all and are never happy with what is next because it's basically the same thing that we just saw over and over....

Oops, went on a tangent again. My bad. Transformers the Ride is fun and EVAC is a cool toy.

Pros: EVAC serves as the ride vehicle for The Transformers ride in both American Universal Studios parks, but the toy version takes a few liberties with the overall design (thankfully given that I figure likely does not need seating for 12 park guests) Both modes have the Bay-Verse look that we all know and love (or hate) and the overall transformation is both fun and satisfying.

Cons: He's a bit of a shellformer so there is a bit of kibble on his backpack and I wish they included some type of weapon. Also, given that he is the ride vehicle for a 3D attraction, I would have been cool to include a nod to this with 3D glasses on his face sculpt.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

75-S
Hasbro- Fortnite Victory Royal Series: Metal Mouth





I’m not going to lie, when Ross Dress for Less goes hard, it really goes hard. It’s been a very long time since a trip to the states provided such a full bounty, but with the help from the discount retailer, I was able to fill my suitcase with a few gems from that particular trip to Hawaii. Now I’m going to save you the same old boring spiel about how great these Fortnite figures are, but I implore you get them while you can. If you are a fan of cool action figures then this is the toy line for you. And there is literally no better time given that Hasbro has stopped producing them and they are on sale basically anywhere you go. In fact Amazon has a number of sets for under $25 at the moment and I assume that will only get better. Do it.

Pros: Not quite a stand in for G.I. Joe’s Firefly, but also not far off. If you are looking for some background figures for your cobra ranks, Metal Mouth would be a good choice. He has a nice sculpt with a lot of nice little molded details, fantastic articulation free of any constraints and some nice accessories including a kick ass rifle, a handgun (with working holster) and some melee weapons.

Cons: Really nothing: Metal mouth is a fantastic figure.

[Team Jetfire]

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Mattel- Pixar Featured Favorite: A Bugs Life: Flik and Dot






In the pantheon of Pixar movies, A Bugs Life does not typically reach the top of everyone's favorites, but I don?t think that is a fair assessment. Keep in mind that it was only the second Pixar film and was marketed during a time before Pixar was considered adult fair, so it was written off as a kids movie. And while at the root is it a movie geared to children, there is a very good story underneath it all. Personally I?m also sad that the Disney Parks division have also made the decision to write the series off by demolishing and re-theming a good chunk of their Disney California Adventure park that was dedicated to the movie. For those who never got to experience it, A Bug Land was a sizable area in the park where guests were ?shrunk? down to the size of a bug and put in the middle of a green space that was filled with BUG activity. Basically there was a ton of larger than life theming that surrounded a number of rides geared to younger kids. These rides were typically to small for my family when we were making regular visits, but the area was cute as hell and had some amazing theming and I think it is a bit of a travesty that they took it out to create a VERY homogenized and uninspired ?Marvel? themed land that looks like the courtyard of business center versus a theme park. We literally when from massive colorful lights and huge shade providing clovers to the Google campus. Yawn. Thankfully they are still showing the extremely fun ?Tough to be a Bug? 4-D show at Disney World, but it?s still not the same. Check it out while you can!

Pros: For the price I paid, these Pixar figures are really fun. Nice detail and some cool, fitting accessories make me wish that more were produced.

Cons: Given his Ant style legs and big body, making Flik stand up is a bit of a challenge, but at least it is possible, unlike his little friend Dot that can not stand up with out the support of the included ?leaf stand?.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

77-S
Hasbro Transformers Kingdom: Pipes




I believe this is the last of my “Hawaii Ross Dress for Less” pickups, and I’m actually really impressed. I’ve been on a bit of a Transformers downslide given the lack of diversity to the released characters (oh look, another Optimus and Bumblebee, yay), but a figure like Pipes is a perfect example of how great a good Transformer can be. I suppose it helps that I only paid $10 for him, but I digress. Will this lead me to open up my wallet again for Transformers? Potentially, but only if I am A. In Hawaii or B. They are on sale.

Pros: Going off of nothing but memory and assumptions, I believe Pipes to be a repaint of Huffer who was already previously released, so I get that Pipes may not be as popular as a pick, hence the availability as Ross Dress for Less. Either way, I love the colors, both modes and the transformation. Now I know that Transformers are getting a bit of a bad rap for feeling cheap and hollow, but Pipes felt pretty solid to me.

Cons: Nothing that I can think of outside of the original retail price, which I didn’t even pay.

[Team Jetfire]

[DanM]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

Personally I?m also sad that the Disney Parks division have also made the decision to write the series off by demolishing and re-theming a good chunk of their Disney California Adventure park that was dedicated to the movie. For those who never got to experience it, A Bug Land was a sizable area in the park where guests were ?shrunk? down to the size of a bug and put in the middle of a green space that was filled with BUG activity. Basically there was a ton of larger than life theming that surrounded a number of rides geared to younger kids. These rides were typically to small for my family when we were making regular visits, but the area was cute as hell and had some amazing theming and I think it is a bit of a travesty that they took it out to create a VERY homogenized and uninspired ?Marvel? themed land that looks like the courtyard of business center versus a theme park. We literally when from massive colorful lights and huge shade providing clovers to the Google campus.

Was down in Anaheim last month and I agree with everything you have written. While I'm more of a Marvel fan than a Pixar fan, I'd say the Avengers Campus is a huge downgrade from Bug's Land. It feels more like an excuse to sell more Marvel crap than to make a fun experience. The Radiator Springs and Pixar Pier areas are way more fun (with the notable exception of the GotG Mission Breakout, which they could have left as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror).

Also hit Ross when I was there. $6 Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black figures? Yes please!