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

[Team Jetfire]

306-2
Hasbro- Marvel Studios First 10 Years: Iron Man Mark VII



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 & 300-2 for the previous instalments.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating #6: Spiderman- Homecoming

Spiderman Homecoming had an almost insurmountable task: make the general public give a crap about a character that had already had 5 solid attempts at the plate and for the most part they really made it work. Granted, they were leaning heavily on the MCU goodwill that somehow made a talking raccoon viable, but that's not why this movie works IMO. Infact, I’m happy to say that Ironman’s involvement is my least favorite part of this movie as I feel that he wrongly overshadows whole or what Spiderman really is at the core. His moral compass is not supposed to be tied to Tony Stark, but rather the man who actually raised him. That said, I’m happy that they skipped the whole “great power, great responsibility” song and dance as it has been played out. With that said, it might make you wonder why it’s so high on this list and it’s a fairly simple answer: It's a fun movie with an enjoyable “comic” style story, likable characters who have been very well cast with a clear connection to a larger shared universe- basically everything I would want in a Marvel movie. I also have to give credit to Michael Keton for his role as The Vulture as he just killed it. That scene between he and Peter in the car when he figures out who Peter’s secret is simply fantastic and adds so much weight to the story. My only other complaint (other than Iron Man’s involvement) is casting Zendaya as MJ. Not because she’s not white or a redhead, but more so that she’s supposed to be Peter’s dream girl, not a… sociopath. I suppose this is a different take on the character, but it's such a silly misdirect for such little payoff.

Pros: I feel like I am on the threshold of a veritable tsunami of incoming Iron Man toys so I’ve created a bit of a pass/fail rating for the various Iron Man figures. For the most part if they can hold a decent pose and include some usable accessories like blast effects or better fists then I’ll be happy. The Mark VII not only has a great sculpt and looks great in a few different poses, but also has some additional accessories that really complete the figure. This one is a pass in my book.

Cons: Given that this is a special movie figure, I feel that they should have included a RDJ face.

[Team Jetfire]

307-2
Playmates / Spinmater- Classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leonardo



Has everyone seen the TMNT episode of the “Toys That Made Us” on Netflix? If not, do yourself a favor and check it out. Not only is there some amazing information about the rise of the brand and toy line, it really provides some much needed perspective on how silly little ideas can turn into massive franchises. As a pop culture enthusiast I often get wrapped up on the newest, biggest thing, but forget that for every Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, or Avengers Endgame, there are 40 independent creators, who could be two budding artists/friends working out of their living room, that are literally creating the next big thing.

Pros: It’s a re-release of the figure that I always wanted and never got so of course I love it. Decnet articulation for the tile, lots of accessories and the ability to hold his Katana blades on his back is always a welcome addition for me.

Cons: It's a bit basic by modern standards, but I can’t really hold that against it given that it was a re-releases. I also don’t recall the weapons being so flimsy.

[Team Jetfire]

Not sure how, but I messed up on the numbering of the reviews so despite my OCD regarding the numbering, some stuff is going to be out of order. Whoopsies!

Anyways back to regular 292-2
Disney Toy Box- Disney Classics: Baymax



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 for the previous instalments:

13. Up- Up has some really fantastic parts, some really sad parts and some really weird parts that almost make me think it was three separate stories mashed into one. Overall it is a decent movie but didn’t really hold up over multiple viewings. Also, how did Carl get so old, while the main adventure villain, with the dogs stay young? In fact, are we sure that the 2nd half of the movie is not just some fever dream from a helium related overdose?

Pros: Armoured Baymax could almost be the perfect toy: Great sculpting, a good amount of articulation and a lot of play value with the added adjustable wings. I even love that Toy Box opted to “scale up” the larger characters fit better with their smaller counterparts.

Cons: I would have liked if they included an additional accessory to be included; perhaps some type of arm cannon, but for a figure of this size I suppose you cannot really blame them.

[dinga]

Baymax is awesome.

[Team Jetfire]

293-2
Hasbro- Black Series: Obi Wan



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 for the previous instalments:

8. Star Wars Ep 1- The Phantom Menace. The Bad:
Despite some recent revisionist history, it would be incorrect to say that EP 1 was a flawless film, far from it as a matter of fact. Many hours have been devoted to the flaws of this movie and while I’m sure I share many of them, I’ll attempt to keep this to a concise, personal opinion as to why I thought EP was bad.
Firstly, I didn’t like the casting. Jake Loyd was too young to play Anakin and came off as an unlikable twirp, Qui Gon, played by Lian Nesson, was shoehorned into a role that was expanded to leverage his star power, thereby displacing all the other characters storylines and Natile Portman just seemed disinterested 90% of the time.
Secondly, not only was the story bad (trade dispute?!?) but it felt that there were no stakes. In one scene where an officer from Naboo is requesting help from the Jedi in holographic form, he claims that the death toll is catastrophic, however the movie never shows any evidence of that. Infact, outside of a few pilots and Qui Gon, I’m not sure any humans die at all?
Lastly, and this is somewhat difficult given that it’s the basis of the entire prequel trilogy: the Jedi order was a stupid idea and does not make sense in the grand scheme of things. I’m not sure what I wanted or pictured when I first got into Star Wars, well before the prequels, but I’m not sure if it was an organized set of space wizards not unlike a modern western religion.
Pros: OH MY GOD you guys, Obi Wan Kenobi is now my favorite Black Series and /or 6” figure to date. And while this may sound hyperbolic (and actually not really true) my reasoning is simple: the designers have solved one big thing that bothers the hell out of me about modern action figures: PLASTIC TUNIC SYNDROME. I constantly see modern figures suffer from PTS and it really bothers me as it takes a figure that could be great and makes them average; especially when it hindered lower body articulation. But Hasbro did something amazing: Cloth panels between the hard plastic sections. Now while I recognize that this trend did not survive the future waves, it is nice that one or two figures were able able to pose to their full potential!
Cons: Another set of hands along with a Jedi robe would have been great additions to this already great figure.

[Team Jetfire]

294-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Giant Man



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 for the previous instalments.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: #9 Dr Strange

I’d be lying if I said that I was looking forward to, or even cared about, the release of the standalone Doctor Strange movie, but have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the end result. Sure it’s fairly derivative of any superhero origin story, but I feel that Marvel made the experience seem different. It probably helps that the world of the Sorcerer Supreme is quite unique allowing for some pretty interesting visuals throughout, but Marvel made it feel believable. I suppose that it’s a given at this point, but the MCU is not just 22 (and counting) of the same types movies: Just like the comics they all have their own distinctive genre that make them interesting, but still work together as a larger cohesive world and Doctor Strange is a prime example of how it can be done. This is further evidenced on how well Strange working is both Ragnarok and Infinity War (which incidentally solidified my feelings for Doctor Strange after that battle scene with Thanos). I will also admit that I’m a rather large fan of Benedict Cumberbatch and feel that, much like RJD was born to play Iron Man, Cumberbatch was an ideal choice for Strange. Supporting roles, including McAdams as his... girlfriend? and Benedict Wong (HA! Same first name, just realized that) were decent, but both his mentor and antagonist were somewhat forgettable. I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, but I suppose it worked well enough. I think the best scene of the movie comes down to his eternal “face off” with Dormammu at the climax and really shows the potential of the time stone. At the time of this review Doctor Strange 2 has been announced and I’m very intrigued as to where it might lead as there is a ton of potential, that said I wonder if they will continue from the post credit scene featuring Mordo, but given the direction everything went in the interim with Infinity and Endgame, I would not hold my breath.

Pros: There must be someone out there that LOVES Giant Man and was totally stoked to have him in their collection, but it’s not me. The best thing I got for this guy is that he has a somewhat unique head sculpt and came with a BAF piece; that said….

Cons: The BAF piece is part of a re-released Ultron figure that I could have picked up on sale for less than the basic POS that is Giant Man. It's a good thing that Hasbro really upped their game since this wave as I don’t think that collectors could stomach $30 figures like this for very long. Also, should he not be bigger?

[Team Jetfire]

295-2
Hasbro- Transformers Prime: Rumble.



Does this really count as Rumble? I suppose there are similar hallmarks to the G1 figure, but does this character even have a connection to Soundwave? I’ve said this before, but I really should watch Transformers Prime.

Pros: While it's clear this ain’t your Dad's Rumble, it is still a pretty cool design that has some elements of a cassette tape minion. Firstly his vehicle mode resembles a little compact blue sports car, secondly his chest somewhat resembles a cassette tape with two holes on his chest and lastly he comes with 2 guns that can sort of act as the pile drivers that Rumble is so well known for.

Cons: Overall he feels a bit basic for a deluxe figure and while I'm not really a stickler for it, there is a lot of sections that could have been painted for extra detail.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

296-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends Series: Captain America




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 for the previous instalments.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating # 8: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

We are into the top 8 and I should mention that all of these MCU films are almost interchangeably enjoyable for me, so it really just came down how I was feeling when I made this list. Winter Soldier was the Russo Bros 1st flick in the MCI and really solidified their abilities as big budget action movie directors no doubt leading them to both Infinity War and Endgame. I’ll admit that I’m a bit biased of their talent given that they had directed some key episodes of the Dan Harmon show “Community” of which I was a massive fan, but I think this movie speaks for itself: it’s really well made. Not being much of a Captain America comic fan, I was unaware of the Winter Soldier storyline so I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw it. Of course it’s the perfect setup for this movie and works remarkably well for future MCU stories; almost like they planned it that way. I also feel that while doing well to introduce Sam as Falcon and Bucky as the Winter Soldier, this movie did more for Black Widow than any other MCU film, until her upcoming standalone movie of course. It was also nice to see how the pieces of the Hydra/shield puzzle, set from other movies that preceded it, came together for this movie. For example, did you know that Jasper Sitwell, SHIELD / HYDRA agent, played by Maximiliano Hernandez was in both the Avengers and Thor? Sure, he was in a supporting role for both of those movies, but played a rather large part as a Hydra agent (until his death) in Winter Soldier. These movies were spaced out over a few years so this was either planned out really well or very fortuitous; either way it’s a nice detail. Outside of that I really enjoyed the covert spy storyline, loved the amazing action sequences and really appreciate the caliber of actors featured (Robert Redford in a comic movie and the main antagonist?!?). Truthfully, there is just so much great stuff with this movie that I am questioning how low it is on my rankings, so I’ll just cut it here with this last point: Winter Soldier is both a good live action comic and entertaining movie and a great example to legitimise the comic genre that is so very popular with audiences.

Pros: I’m honestly at a bit of a loss at what to say about this figure. I mean, its… fine. He has a very detailed sculpt that looks to be based on a mixed design from the comics and the MCU, has a good amount of articulation and a decent amount of accessories. I did get him on sale so that is certainly a plus.

Cons: His shield doesn’t really stay on the arm straps very well. Also, I am not a fan of the head sculpt.

[Team Jetfire]

297-2
Disney Infinity 3.0- Time



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 for the previous instalments:

12. Toy Story 3- Probably the most popular Pixar movie to date and I enjoyed it just fine, but thought it hit on some other issues that the previous movies already covered well enough so to see it again was less enjoyable for me. That said, the story was really fun and as compared to the first 2; the animation was leaps above what was already considered top notch.

Pros: Time is the only Disney Infinity figure to date that I have no knowledge of. Sure, I understand that he is from the second live action Alic movie and I know that he is played by the amazing and wonderful Sasha Baron Cohan, but that's it. Is he good? Is he bad? Seriously who the heck knows!

Cons: I am dumbfounded that they chose to invest money into a Time figure before making a Goofy. What an absolutely ridiculous decision on their part.

**IMPORTANT EDIT** Since this review I have actually watched Alice through the Looking Glass and it’s not a bad movie and TIme is a pretty decent character.