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Old 08-21-2019, 11:29 PM   #441
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

251-2
DC Collectibles- BatmanThe Animated Series: Batman.



Wow, thirteen figures in and we finally got the titular Batman from the original animated series in toy form and too be honest, not sure it was worth the wait as it feels like a repaint of the Batman from the New Adventures of Batman. I should say that I don’t believe that it is a repaint and assume it's a new mold throughout, but given the design is so similar, it’s difficult to not feel that way. Overall it’s a nice figure, but on my own omission, it was a bit anticlimactic given that the first Batman release was so much better with more accessoires. I will also say that the first Batman has a bit of a special place in my heart as it was the first figure that I started my open a toy thread with.

Pros: As with the other DC Collectibles Batman figures Batman looks really great and despite my initial misgivings as it seeming like a repaint, it’s clearly not with series specific sculpting that looks just a bit different that the Adventures of Batman/Justice League style figures. He also has a decent amount of articulation, some extra hands/fists and typical bat tools that he uses throughout the series. The figure also does not seem to suffer from the brittle plastic issues that the initial line did, so that's a plus for sure.

Cons: My only complaint (outside of those wretched stands) is that this Batman should have been the overall icon of the line, but came out later and seems inferior. I’m not certain DC Collectables thinking behind the release order, but I suppose there are many more other BTAS series figures including the BatMobile and the expression pack that have more than made up for it.










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Old 08-22-2019, 10:53 AM   #442
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

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Hasbro- Transformers Armada: Jetfire and Comettor
Approx release date: 2003
Current price and availability: $146.00
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Transformers...IAAOSwRq1c0gT~



Armada Jetfire was particularly important in my collection given that Armada Jetfire was only the second version of the character, who is also my namesake, since the Generation One figure who incidentally was my first Transformers figure all those years ago (talk about a high bar to set). So when saw that Armada was going to feature a Jetfire, it was fair to say that I was going to probably like it regardless, thankfully it turned out to be one of the better figures of the line. I kid you not, I remember the anticipation that I had for the toy and probably visited my local Toy R Us and Wal-Mart every day until its release. Now for those who don’t know, Armada followed the relatively divisive “Robots In Disguise” series and was Hasbro’s start to what Transformers has become. It certainly was an exciting time with a full court media press including a Cartoon, Comic book, PlayStation 2 video game (That was not half bad) and of course a full line up of action figures. Unfortunately Armada started off a bit weak as the cartoon was a bit of a trainwreck and the toys had a much different aesthetic then Beast Machines and RID had with a focus on a gimmick involving the newly introduced mini-cons that unlocked some action feature in each of the modes. This probably helped the playvalue for the target market, but in most cases ruined the articulation that we had become very used to. Thankfully, as the series continued the cartoon became much more interesting and some of the toys continue to be some of the most impressive transformers figures to date. Overall Armada was probably one of the least popular Transformers toys lines among collectors, but I actually like it for the risks that it took for being a bit different while moving the brand forward to what it is today.

Pros: Jetfire had a decent amount of articulation, including his legs- something that was severely lacking in many of the other figures, looks really great in both robot and shuttle modes, has a very interesting transformation and comes with a cannon and shield accessory. He also has the ability to convert into “pants” for the leader class Optimus Prime figure making a power up mode, so is a triple changer of sorts.

Cons: His minicon buddy, Cometter is neat, but seems like a bit of an afterthought as the front wheels of the shuttle. Perhaps her could have been used as a space arm or another smaller weapon. And on that note, his canon is also laughable big, however had a light effect built in so probably had to be that big to hold the battery compartment.












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Old 08-22-2019, 10:53 AM   #443
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Old 08-23-2019, 06:21 PM   #444
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

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Hasbro- Transformers- Thrilling 30: Whirl



Rating of worst to best of the Transformers movies continued; see review 208-2, 213-2, 217-2, 223-2, 226-2, 230-2, 234-2, 239-2, 243-2, 246-2 & 249-2 for previous instalments:

Transformers Movie Rating #4: Transformers: Age of Extinction: The Ugly

As I said at the start of the AOE review it does some things really well and some things really bad and it does not get any worse than Shane ‘the boyfriend’s’ impromptu ‘legal lesion’ regarding the Romeo and Juliet law that protects him from daring/sleeping with Cade’s underage daughter. Like, what the actual hell? I get that this is a real law to protect high school kids from undue prosecution for dating while close in age, but is a multi-million dollar summer blockbuster about transforming aliens, originally based on a kids toy line really the right place? really? I suppose it might go hand in hand with all the other cliche American garbage that fills this movie though. Of course it can’t be a Michael Bay movie without teenage girls in jean shorts, American flags and racial stereotypes, but thankfully they got that pandering taken care of in the first half, before they got to pandering to the Chinese audiences. And speaking of the pandering, could the product placement be any more on the nose. I get there there is a lot of money to be made, but it’s just so in your face in this movie. The Pill by beats? Budweiser? The weird Chinese milk? With all this advertising they may as well have done commercial breaks throughout the movie.

Pros: Overall I love that they released an updated version of these G1 characters as they are extremely unique to the line. I’m not going into the history too much as there are so many better resources for that, but as a high level, the G1 Transformers were an amalgamation of 3 or 4 existing different Japanese toy lines rebranded for the North American audience hence the overall different look of all the different toys. Netflix’s “The Toys That Made Us” has a pretty decent episode on this If you have not seen it already. As for Whirl (and the forthcoming Roadbuster) it’s my understanding that the G1 figures were originally made by Takatoku Toys (now Bandai) and had a very unique look that I liked a lot. This new updated figure certainly pays homage to the original figure with a Blue Cobra style helicopter, skinny body type and one eyed head sculpt that reminds me of the Iron Drone army that Iron Man battles in Iron Man 2. Extra points from the Macross style GERWALK mode that the OTHER Bandai figure (Jetfire) is probably better known for

Cons: I have wonderful childhood memories of sitting around the christmas tree, basking in the afterglow of an 80’s action figure haul, working diligently on opening my new toys assembling what came in pieces and HAPPILY applying stickers to the figures and I LOVED every minute of it. Fast forward 30 years and while I love opening and assembling my new toys I absolutely HATE applying stickers. Call it my shaky old man hands or my terrible old man sight, but it's just not enjoyable for me. Am I in the minority here? Outside of the “work” needed on this figure, its overall pretty great so limited overall cons.












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Old 08-23-2019, 06:22 PM   #445
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Old 08-26-2019, 11:01 PM   #446
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

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Disney- Toy Box- Pixar: Violet and Monster Jack Jack.



Way back on review 201 for Mr Incredible I started reviewing Incredibles 2 with a positive thing that I felt about the film and later followed that up with Mrs Incredible on review 227-2 with a disappointing thing I felt about the movie and will continue food and bad until all the Incredibles cast are opened.

So, with that said another thing I liked about the film was the Elastigirl train stopping sequence. Sure it’s a touch cliche for a hero to stop a train, but I thought it was cool how they showcased her superpowers what with the 2 part motorcycle and the rubber band slingshots; such a great idea. I also thought the interruptions from Dash on the phone was a nice touch given how lots of working parents could relate.

Pros: Nice overall sculpt with decent articulation. Monster JackJack is probably my favourite of the bunch.

Cons. Overall the joints are loose/fragile and limits the overall possibility. Also given that I snapped the leg off my Toybox Black Panther figure I’m feeling the play value and quality of these figures are in question.









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Old 08-28-2019, 01:55 PM   #447
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

254-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: The Red Skull / Hydra Soldiers.






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 for the previous instalments.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: #12. The Avengers

My impression of the Avengers when I first came out of the theater was that it could have possibly been my favorite movie of all time and it now did not even crack my MCU top ten, what the heck is wrong with me? This is not to say that this is a bad movie, in fact it is extremely far from it, it’s just that Avengers has not really been in my “go to” selection to play in the background when I am working, so it goes by the wayside in my mental rankings. I will say that it is a brilliant end of the initial phase of the MCU (I know that technically IM 3 is the official end of phase 1 but I don’t care), blending all the characters once featured in their respective first run movies into something that feels like the equivalent of a comic book Giant Sized Annual; no easy task indeed. I also really like Loki as the main villains as he plays well off all the characters and of course any fan would have to be super excited at the introduction of Thanos to the MCU. I think what I find lacking and this is not really the fault of The Avengers per se, but I think I’m growing tired of the alien battle in major city finali. I realize that those are the biggest stakes that you could have in a move, but i’ve seen this hundreds of times in all sorts of movies and to me it's just kind of lazy. Lastly, and this is more of a personal preference, I like the phase 2 additions to the character line up and will typically enjoy newer characters over old ones that I have seen over and over; call it character burnout but at this point I would rather see something new than Iron Man yet another movie; there are so many more heroes to work with.
So overall, I love this movie; they accomplished an amazing feat that really set up the MCU for years to come. But with all the new characters that have taken over the MCU, and this will make me sound like a spoiled fan boy, I just can’t help but be board with it.

Pros: Overall a really nice sculpt on a figure that was long overdue. I also like the multiple head sculpts, body armour and Hydra rifles for troop builders.

Cons: 4 heads and you can’t give the leader of Hygra a frickin handgun? Seriously??!?










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Old 10-07-2019, 01:02 PM   #448
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

Hey all. Sorry about the lack of posting over the last month and a bit, but I just had eye surgery and a took a bit longer to get back into the pics and reviews. Hope you enjoy!
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Old 10-07-2019, 01:03 PM   #449
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Playmates/Spin Master- Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Baby Leonardo and Donatello




Nothing much to say about these cute little guys that I have not already said, but I thought I would give a quick review on the recent Batman & the TMNT movie that was recently released on demand.

In short it was FANTASTIC. I was really worked as it could have been super silly and geared towards kids (like the new TMNT series) but there were some legitimate badass scenes that would make any old fan swoon for a more gritty version of the characters while still maintaining the comedic sense that the turtles are known for. I Guess this was based on the recent comic series, but as I never read it I can't really comment on any changes to the story, however I felt it to be overall interesting and overall a fun watch. The only downside to the story was the odd realization that in this Batman universe the City of New York is a thing and the Turtles live there. Thankfully the multiverse is a thing and I can easily get my mind around a world where both Batman and the Turtles exist at the same time. I won’t spoil anything more as I really think it’s worth a watch for any Batman or TMNT fan, but will mention one part that actually made me laugh out loud. Long story short, there was a scene where the heroes were running away, up a flight of stairs, from one of Batman’s rogues and Michalangelo literally falls UP the stairs, gets up and continues running. Its such a stupid little thing, but I appreacated that they added it. Overall 5 starts, 2 thumbs up, and certified fresh from me.

Pros: Unique color and sculpt that maintains their “teenage” features, some poseability and included little (hopefully training) weapons.

Cons: These are basic figures that are cuter than anything. If you are expecting anything more, that’s on you







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Old 10-08-2019, 12:00 PM   #450
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Re: I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

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Hasbro- Transformers- Power of the Primes: Blurr



Rating of worst to best of the Transformers movies continued; see review 208-2, 213-2, 217-2, 223-2, 226-2, 230-2, 234-2, 239-2, 243-2, 246-2, 249-2 & 252-2 for previous instalments:

Transformers Movie Rating #3: Transformers The Movie

Regardless of how you feel about Transformers the Movie was a bit of a touchstone for the franchise as it’s released changed everything for the brand; for better or worse. I actually remember the subsequent release and backlash of the initial designs and was not in the “Michael Bay rapped my Childhood” camp, but was somewhat cautiously optimistic. Thankfully for me (and the franchise in general) it stuck the landing for the most part and its success had a massive effect the landscape for the Transformers franchise for years in the future..

The Good:
I feel very strongly that opening scene with Blackout at the military base was and still remains to be one of the best cinematic ACTION moments in recent history and I’m not even kidding; its pure Transformers goodness. If you forget, go back and check it out; it will give you goosebumps on how cool that revel and eventual destruction was. I will also give some credit to the human cast including the lead, Shia Labouf who I felt did a good job, Megan Fox (I forgot how young she was), played the female lead well enough and the other decent supporting cast including Josh Duhamel, John Turturro and rest of the computer crew. Watching back though, I found some appreciation for the late Bernie Mac's character: Bobby Bolivia (like the country except for the runs) that left and odd, but lasting memory on me when he sold Sam BumbleBee. Lastly I’ll say that this initial movie was able to get the balance of action and comedy right. Yes there were some lowbrow parts, but also some legitimately funny scenes that worked to lighten the story. The standout scene for me was when the military guys were being attacked by Scopinok in the village and Josh Duhamel’s character was trying to call in backup from the pentagon. The phrase “no I don’t want a premium package” while bullets are whizzing past and explosions are happening in the foreground still makes me chuckle. Unfortunately they took some humor to an undesirable level in future instalments, but for this movie, they seemed to have gotten it right. .

Pros:Blurr is almost a perfect representation of both everything that is good and bad with present day transformers. To begin with, he is a great representation of the G1 character having a very familiar vehicle mode, robot sculpt and color scheme. Additionally the articulation is a G1 collectors dream allowing for a full range of motion and a number of great poses and I’ll even give Hasbro extra credit for sticking the landing on the Headmaster gimmick, on a figure that was originally part of the Targetmaster club.

Cons: Perhaps this is due to the old adage “familiarity breeds contempt”, but for all the good there is about this figure, there’s just nothing special about it. I suppose it doesn’t help that it has a really cheap feel to it; a very typical issue with these new modern figures, but maybe I’m wanting something that Hasbro is unwilling to provide: something new and exciting to the Transformers mythos.













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