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

[Team Jetfire]

23-R
Hasbro- Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones.
Approximate Release Year: 2008



As of this writing we the new Indiana Jones film: The Dial of Destiny is set to be released in the next couple weeks and for the most part I am excited and to temper that excitement I thought It would be cool to revisit a figure from the toy line that supported the LAST Indiana Jones film that was released way back in 2008. (Over 15 years ago? that's legitimately nuts to me)

This figure line, simply called ?Indiana Jones?, was a 3 ? line that was full of characters that appeared in the original 3 classic films as well as figures from the newly released Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. At the time I was knee deep in both Transformers and GI Joe, but still made an effort to pick up all the iterations of Indiana that was released and passed on all the other characters given that there were so many ?Kingdom? characters that I really had no interest in. I?m sorry, but while I didn?t really mind the movie and Shia Labeouf's character of Mutt, I had very little interest in a figure of him. Looking back, the line was rather roustbust having a solid amount of figures available complete with a good amount of vehicles, but they really do show their age and remind me a lot of the 3 ? Star Wars figures that were released around that time with the biggest issue in my mind being the relatively cheap decision to have single-pivot hip joints (as opposed to much superior ball joints that were available on the GI Joe 25th Anniversary line that was released around that time). Thankfully the line made up for it with a solid amount of accessories and even a working holster and place to store his rolled up whip.

Pros: For the most part I really like what Hasbro was trying to do with this line and would support an updated 3 ? line of figures if they were so inclined to move away from the 6? figure size (which I also like). The sculpt is decent for the size (outside of that face), the articulation is usable and I really appreciate details like the holster for his gun and a strap for his whip.

Cons: Limited movement on the hip joint is annoying, but pretty typical for a figure of that time. Also, what was going on with that face paint job? I?m not the type of collector that will go through stacks of figures for a perfect copy, but maybe I should have looked a bit harder for a cleaner one.

[Team Jetfire]

S-52
Hasbro- G.I. Joe Classified: SGT Slaughter.






I?ve said it before and I?ll say it again: there are two types of G.I. Joe fans: 1. Those who like G.I. Joe for their connection to the actual military and 2. Those who embrace both the military aspects, but also the sci-fi aspects and even the sometimes crazy parts including introducing WWE wrestling superstars or NFL hall of fame athletes. Personally as a kid and current collector, I consider myself part of the latter given that I didn?t even bat an eye when Slaughter was introduced to the team back in the 80?s. In fact, I even HAD the original ARAH Slaughter that came with his oddly named Triple T tank and was considered one of my favorite figures of the time. Since then I?m actually happy that Sarge continues to embrace his time in the Joe universe and am thankful that the team at Hasbro made it happen in this day in time where licensing image rights is always difficult.

Pros: Not even going to bury the lead: SGT Slaughter is an amazing figure and deserves a place on your G.I. Joe shelf. I can;t say enough that we are so lucky as Joe collectors that Hasbro is putting this stuff out. Great sculpt for a ?big guy?, removable hat and sunglasses, a solid amount of articulation and a bunch more accessories include a rifle, extra hands, a pace stick (I googled that) and perhaps the best meta accessory that I have ever seen: a small Sgt Slaughter action figure in REMOVABLE PACKAGING!

Cons: Look, I?m not going to besmirch a man?s physique or clothing choices, but those pants are? tight.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

927-2
Hasbro- Star Wars Black Series: C-3P0



Is it C-3PO (as in the letter O) or C-3P0 (or ZERO)? Huh… I guess I never thought about it. Anyways, I’m going to preface this by saying, I picked him up for under $10 at Winners and I still think I paid too much. Why Hasbro thinks it is ok to release such a simple figure (that they had the mold for) for a regular price is beyond me. Sure, this was the version that we saw on screen in the Force Awakens (Did you not recognize him? He did have a new red arm after all), but they really should have done more to make it worth the cost. I suppose that is why he ended up at a place like Winners, but I digress: he sucks. For that reason I decree that from this day on C-3PO should ONLY be released in a two pack with R2-D2. Are we all good with that? Cool.

Pros: I don’t know: he’s fine. The sculpt is there and articulation is decent for what you would expect from a droid, so there is that.

Cons: There is not enough value from just C-3PO to constitute a single figure release: him by himself is just not worth the money.

[Team Jetfire]

928-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Black Bolt




*Controversial opinion alert*

Phase 3 of the MCU was so good that it made “fans'' forget how hit or miss the other phases were and because of that Phase 4 and future Phases are unfairly maligned because people think that they are not as good as the initial stuff, but are actually on par with stuff from Phase 1 and 2. Does that make sense? No? Ok, let's dissect the projects:

Phase 1
Iron Man - Great movie: still holds up however had zero expectations and is a bit messy in the third act.
The Incredible Hulk- Was a fine Hulk movie, but only connective tissue is Agent Ross and either Nick Fury or Tony Stark to the other films. But Bruce Banner that we all know now is a much different character.
Iron Man 2 – A fine follow-up and introduces War Machine (who still doesn’t get that much love) and Black Widow, but is forgettable outside of that.
Thor- Is a really bad movie and only given a pass because what the character evolved into.
Captain America- The First Avenger- First 2 acts are fun as hell, but falls apart at the end. This is on par with EVERY OTHER origin MCU movie.
The Avengers- A great movie that actually stuck the landing.

Overall, of 6 films, 2.5 are good with the rest being forgettable.

To be continued…

Pros: The mute main man himself, Black Bolt is actually a pretty great figure. This is mostly due to the fantastic head sculpt, but I was still presently surprised with the figure in it’s entirety.

Cons: While he looks great in a “screaming pose” the hard plastic wings make every other pose a bit silly. I’m glad that they are not removable though.

[Eko123]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

S-52
Hasbro- G.I. Joe Classified: SGT Slaughter.

I?ve said it before and I?ll say it again: there are two types of G.I. Joe fans: 1. Those who like G.I. Joe for their connection to the actual military and 2. Those who embrace both the military aspects, but also the sci-fi aspects and even the sometimes crazy parts including introducing WWE wrestling superstars or NFL hall of fame athletes. Personally as a kid and current collector, I consider myself part of the latter given that I didn?t even bat an eye when Slaughter was introduced to the team back in the 80?s. In fact, I even HAD the original ARAH Slaughter that came with his oddly named Triple T tank and was considered one of my favorite figures of the time. Since then I?m actually happy that Sarge continues to embrace his time in the Joe universe and am thankful that the team at Hasbro made it happen in this day in time where licensing image rights is always difficult.

Pros: Not even going to bury the lead: SGT Slaughter is an amazing figure and deserves a place on your G.I. Joe shelf. I can;t say enough that we are so lucky as Joe collectors that Hasbro is putting this stuff out. Great sculpt for a ?big guy?, removable hat and sunglasses, a solid amount of articulation and a bunch more accessories include a rifle, extra hands, a pace stick (I googled that) and perhaps the best meta accessory that I have ever seen: a small Sgt Slaughter action figure in REMOVABLE PACKAGING!

Cons: Look, I?m not going to besmirch a man?s physique or clothing choices, but those pants are? tight.

For anyone who's curious, here are comparison pics between the G.I. Joe Classified Sgt. Slaughter figure and the earlier one released from Valaverse Action's Heroes line (the Hasbro version is larger).

Mattel had also released a Sgt. Slaughter as part of its WWE Ultimates line. I was only able to find pics comparing that figure to the G.I. Joe Classified Duke and Snake Eyes.

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Eko123

For anyone who's curious, here are comparison pics between the G.I. Joe Classified Sgt. Slaughter figure and the earlier one released from Valaverse Action's Heroes line (the Hasbro version is larger).

Mattel had also released a Sgt. Slaughter as part of its WWE Ultimates line. I was only able to find pics comparing that figure to the G.I. Joe Classified Duke and Snake Eyes.

Thanks for that. The Valaverse figure is actually very impressive, but predictably difficult for Canadians to get. That Mattel one is interesting too. Wonder if Sarg is the one character that has appeared most across different toy lines?

[Team Jetfire]

929-2
NECA- The Boys: Starlight




Should ?The Boys:'' have only been a classic mini-series in the way that most British shows are? I mean it is difficult to say given that the last season hasn?t been released yet and it could be really good, but as a big fan of the series, that the writers will lose steam from what was a very compelling look at the typical superhero genre of film. I suppose they did open a rather wide door with the season finale that will take some time to close appropriately, but I could see the show feeling a lot different considering various COVID protocol issues that affect the budget of most shows.

Pros: NECA has done a predictably amazing job on the overall sculpt and look of Starlight and really captures her original, iconic look very well. Articulation is NECA standard, but works well enough for most poses and the cloth cap is a very nice touch.

Cons: I?m disappointed with the lack of blast or energy effect. I know it is somewhat difficult to mold a ?blast? of light, but she really just looks like a scene from the show, before they added VFX.

[Team Jetfire]

24-R
Playmates- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello
Approximate Release Year: 2014



The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are responsible for a lot of changes in pop culture, but also responsible for a big change in my life as a collector. See way back in 2014 I was still actively collecting, but did not have my toy room constructed yet which basically made me hold off on opening figures given that I had no place to put them. Eventually, after almost 4 years, I decided it was time to start cracking this collection open or potentially become a ***GASP*** MISB collector and display them in a makeshift toy room set up in the unfinished basement. As I started opening the figures, I found myself becoming increasingly bored with each new figure and it wasn’t because the toy was bad, but rather that I was not taking my time to appreciate each new figure. It was only after I quickly opened all four of the turtles that my friend (and boss at the time) picked up from Wal-Mart for me that I decided that I needed to change my ways. Yes, they were cool to get and opening them all at the same time was a joy, but after fiddling with them for a min or two and a posed placement on a shelf, the fun was gone and I needed to find a way to actually force myself to enjoy these figures. And that is where I eventually landed on the idea of taking pictures and writing reviews for each one I open as it makes me draw out the enjoyment of each figure and gives me a bit of a hobby (photography and writing) that has kept me busy for almost ten years. Are there times that I wish I did not feel the need to document a figure? Yes. Do I wish that my picture taking skills were better? Absolutely. Do I wish more people read and enjoyed my reviews despite poor grammar and very general reviews? Yup. But do I look back on almost 1300 entries to this diary of sorts and have some sense of pride for sticking with it this long? No question.

Pros: I remember initially passing on this set of figures given that I never much cared for the live action Turtles movie, but my Boss was kind enough to gift the set of four to me so as free figures go, they are not that bad. A decent enough sculpt for a relatively basic figure, a lot of detail on his (stupid) tech that was part of his (dumb) design and of course his trademark bo staff weapon.

Cons: Despite historically being my favoriteTurtle I HATE what they did to his design. Stupid glasses, stupid tech and dumb geek cliches and what is worse is that this new design scheme seems to have stuck to the point that he has glasses in all new iterations. LAZY! OUtside of that, the articulation is rather limited for a Ninja and I do not like that there is no place to store his bo staff.

[Team Jetfire]

930-2
Bandai- Gundam Universe: RX-0 Unicorn Gundam



Gundam is for me now, how comics were for me when I was a kid: I have little understanding as to what is going on, but everything looks awesome, so I love it. Well, that isn’t totally fair given that I know the general beats of most Gundam series and I have watched a number of Gundam Unicorn eps that were available on Netflix, but it just never stuck with me to see it through to the end, but that is typically of most series these days.

Pros: The Bandai Gundam Universe line is what North American collectors expect from Hasbro in terms of design and overall quality of product from Transformers, Marvel Legends and Black Series, but will never actually get it. Sure, these Gundam figures have their share of issues, but for the price I concede that they are some of the best action figures on the market (if you can find them, that is, given that distribution has become a bit of an issue). Gundam Unicorn features the powered up look (hence the red lines throughout his body) and the iconic Gundam head spires splayed out (in the series, when he is powered down the two pointy bits on the head come together making it look like a horn, hence the name: Unicorn Gundam. Lots of accessories and ability to pose round out this sleek looking figure.

Cons: Slight issue with the articulation, but that is less about the figure and more about the design.