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

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Tonestar

Merry Christmas to you as well Great Job as usual, looking forward to next year !

Thanks as always!!!

[Team Jetfire]

Christmas 2
McFarlane Toys- DC Multiverse: Santa Batman



Merry Christmas everyone! I love basically everything about the Christmas season: Getting together with friends and family, giving gifts to those I love, full shelves of new action figures to pick up and review and of course watching all the classic Christmas movies that have become essential to any holiday season. And because movies are such an important part of my Christmas traditions I wanted to make a list of my top five favorite Christmas movies and without any further adieu:

5. Home Alone- Home Alone was one of those movies that was released right at the time that I was the most impressionable and it was a huge hit among me and my friends. Now, don?t get me wrong, we were old enough at the time to know what was corny or completely far fetched, but it was fun slapstick with some legitimately funny lines that I still find myself quoting to this day. As an adult I love watching this movie for both the nostalgia it gives me, but also for the not-so-on-the-nose Christmas vibe it gives. I mean, it?s not REALLY a Christmas movie, but rather a movie set at Christmas time with all the trimmings of the moment including the Green and Red decor throughout the McCalister?s home, the various holiday undertones and activities and even a visit to a church. Its a fun time and a great way to get into the spirit.

4. Trading Places- Now this one might be a little out of left field, but go with me here. Trading Spaces is a comedy from the 80?s that takes a wealthy stock trader (played by Dan Aykroyd) and a underprivileged, streetwise beggar (played by Eddie Murphy) and switches up their lives as part of a bet made by two extremely rich old businessmen. The story takes place over a few months, but comes to a head around the holiday season where the two rich 1 percenters get their comeuppance in a fairly satisfying way. Through the lens of 2023 it?s actually a very solid commentary on how in society it isn?t divided by race, gender, culture or social standing, but rather its the oligarchs against everyone else. Quick word of warning though: there is some unfortunate black face and unnecessary nudity throughout, but what can I say: it was the 80?s.

3. A Christmas Carol- This will be a catch all for all the different presentations of Charles Dickens' classics because I kind of love them all with my favorites being Muppets, Mickey?s, and the recent Disney?s that included Jim Carry doing that creepy CGI. There?s certainly a reason why it is a classic in my mind given that I think we all have a bit of a Scrooge inside of us and it is an important yearly reminder as to our past, present and future selves. And while we all might not be rich assholes, hoarding our wealth, we all do have the ability to reachout to those friends and family around us who may be feeling down at this time of year. As a minor aside, I still get a bit scared during the Ghost of Christmas future scenes.

2. Christmas Vacation- Ok, if I?m being honest I will say that I was not the biggest fan of Christmas Vacation when it first came out. Sure I laughed at the funny, goofy parts, but really didn?t get it until I was much older. Now that I?m a man of a certain age, I can relate to Clark in a way that only a middle aged family man can and I think it?s a very sincere look at the holidays through this prism. First off, I love that it takes place over the entire month; as we know, the holiday tends to start early and last all month and this really captures all the fun activities throughout. Secondly, time with family. Oftentimes Christmas was the only time that I saw certain relatives and Clark certainly has his hands full. Thirdly, expectations. Clark had some lofty expectations from his work for a Christmas bonus and wanted to share that with his family and when it didn?t come to fruition he kind of lost it. And while I would never drive to my boss?s home to kidnap them in a rage filled tirade, I have felt that sting when something didn?t go my way. Lastly, wanting to capture the Christmas spirit of years past. There is a wonderfully touching scene where Clark is stuck in the attic and resorts to watching some old film footage of his Christmases from the past and while it?s silly, it still makes me think of my previous Christmases and how special they all seemed to be.

Honorable Mentions (as I had a really difficult time picking just 5 favorites)

- How the Grinch Stole Christmas: A little long and overproduced, but still a fun movie to watch.
- Christmas with the Kranks: Ridiculous and silly, but has a nice message and is fun to watch.
- Die Hard: Yes, it?s now on the list. I had never seen it, but finally watched it a few years back and now ?get it?. I still don?t think it?s a Christmas movie per se, but I will watch it every year around the season.

1. A Christmas Story- Any surprise here? I get that not everyone had a ?Christmas Story? childhood and certainly does not capture everyone?s experience, but it spoke to me in a way that no other Christmas movie has. I have experienced the wonder, the anticipation, the excitement and even the let down that Ralphe goes through and just think it?s done in such an innocent and compelling way. It also gets extra points given its surge of popularity when I was in my early 20?s that reminds me of a more carefree time. I had seen it years prior, but for whatever reason, in the late 90?s, early 2000?s it blew WAY up to the point where television channels were showing it 24/7 for a week straight. How's that for impact? As a side note, there has been a handful of terrible sequels to the original Christmas Story, but have always failed to capture the same magic, until last year that is when ?A Christmas Story Christmas? was released and featured a now grown Ralphy trying to make a special Christmas of his own. I was VERY skeptical at first, but found it to be very charming and funny in its own right and certainly a worthy sequel.

Ok, that?s it for me. Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Pros: Don;t ask me why, but I just loved these holiday versions of action figures that we have been getting over the last few years and I could not have been more smitten when I saw that McFarlane was throwing his (Santa) hat into the ring. And while I know that this is just an elaborate re-tool of an existing release with standard articulation and feel of a McFarlane figure, I have to applaud the ingenuity and cleverness of this release. Also, the sack with presents is a nice touch.

Cons: Three minor things: 1. I think they could have included something more in the way of accessories (I gave him an extra gold Bat-A-Rang from the Nolan Batman release). 2. They could have added a strap to the sack so he could carry it around (I added some twine to mine). 3. Stop with the extra stands or holders for cards/cardboard: they take up space and could have been spared for extra accessories.

[Team Jetfire]

Christmas 3
Hasbro- Star Wars Black Series: Holiday Biker Scout Trooper




Well, it’s officially Boxing day and Christmas is done. I bet you are all sick of Christmas music at this point, but that’s TOO DAMN BAD because that is what we are talking about today. If I lived through MULTIPLE retail Christmas seasons listening to the same damn songs on a 1 hour loop over and over and over for 3 months, you can bear with me on one extra day. (Seriously, I was working at Sport Check and they made us listen to the same “Sport Chek TV” video until the middle of February. I personally hate Faith Hill’s “Where are you Christmas” for this very reason.)

Now, in line with yesterday’s topic of my favorite Christmas Movies. I wanted to count down my Top Five favorite Christmas songs.

5. Mele Kalikimaka- Bing Crosby https://youtu.be/MHvWFdFqG2g?si=E7mSthX9XFwbbuBa

Hawaii is a very important place to our family and as my Daughter currently calls the Island chain her home, I feel this song is perfectly apt to start the list. It has a very classic vibe and blends the sounds of Hawaii with the spirit of the season. Plus you can’t beat Bing Crosby.

4. Carol of the Bells- John Williams https://youtu.be/RGqVS6ONO4Y?si=u45j5yg9PJT6tF6s

There is something about a chore of children singing what can only be described as a very serious song. This is a perfect accompaniment to a quiet snow night watching the snow falling. It’s also remarkably short.

3. Christmas Canon (Rock)- Trans-Siberian Orchestra https://youtu.be/wQNirj6lbGY?si=fA_v8v-N63D6HnN3

I picked the “rock” version of this to differentiate it from Carol of the Bells, but also because this was the favorite track of an old boss (and current good friend) of mine who used to play this song on repeat in the office. I think he had a bit of a crush on the singers, but that is beside the point as it was clear that they could really sing. This is one of those Christmas songs that feels like a bit of a cheat given that it is wholesome, but it also rocks. Never fails to give me chills when turned up loud.

2. Boney M - Christmas Album. https://youtu.be/TMU23mC85mE?si=S69NgB8dneST-p5c

Look I know that everyone has their own family traditions and the Boney M Christmas Album was ours. It wasn’t much later until I realized that they were just singing cover songs, much in the same way modern singers release Christmas albums, but these are the versions that I remember and love. As far as I’m concerned, it’s not Christmas until i’ve heard some Boney M


1. Fairytale of New York- The Pogues https://youtu.be/j9jbdgZidu8?si=5mI4jPflS2n8XDYM

Regardless of the fact that Shane MacGowen, lead singer of the Pogues recently passed away, this would still be at the top of my charts. I discovered this song when another band No Use For a Name (who’s lead singer died young) covered it and instantly loved it. And while it is certainly not a standard Chrstmas song, I feel that it captures the spirit of the season for a lot of folks who may be going through a tough time and are hopeful for a better time ahead. Since then I’ve ensured that it is featured on all my Chrstmas playlists.

What are your favorites?

Pros: I love these Black Series Holiday figures and even though they are completely ridiculous, I will continue picking them up (as they go on sale) and hopefully reviewing them for holidays yet to come. Personally I think this Scout fella is pretty adorable in his Grogu sweater and love that he comes complete with the little guy in his pouch.

Cons: I don’t know what it is, but the regular price on these guys is obscene. $45!?! Give your head a shake Hasbro. Lucky for me, not everyone likes these, so I can get them on sale.

[Team Jetfire]

New Years 1
Hasbro- Star Wars Black Series: Light Side Darth Vader.




If you wanted a list of my personal best action figures of 2023 I’m afraid that you are out of luck. Because I open so many toys throughout the year that are from years past, it is hard for me to recall what was released when. That said, it IS getting a bit easier given that I have started to open newer figures to both combat the chance of getting screwed over by plastic-less packaging swappers (spoiler alert- I did get screwed) but also to take part in the hype that surrounds the new and amazing current figures. That said, I still have a massive backlog that I’ll be working on for years to come, so instead of a best of list, I figured I would go with a list of action figures “Lows and Highs” for the year.

Lows: Plastic Packaging- Understanding that this may have been rolled out in 2022, it certainly hit full saturation in 2023 and it was a massive bust. I tend to give some MISB a hard time for their “collection” style because I am an opener and appreciate the figure for the figure, not how it looks in the box, but I get it: people collect the way that they want to collect. That said, Hasbro made it all but impossible for MISB collectors to enjoy collecting given that an expensive figure in a box is no better than a picture of a toy sitting on a shelf or hanging on the wall. Hasbro’s failure to understand their collector base in order to “green wash” their (plastic made) products was truly a bad move and I’m glad that they are taking steps to fix it.
High: NECA Gargoyles- The NECA Gargoyles line started up a few years back, but they really have taken off in the last 12 months. I have a number of upcoming reviews for them, so you’ll eventually see what I’m talking about, but NECA really hit it out of the park with this franchise that was all but dead back in the 90’s. And even though I’m not a huge Gargoyles Fan, I can really appreciate the time and care that went into crafting each one of these figures. Yes they are more expensive than your average Marvel Legend figure, but they are also 100% more worth it. I just wish they were easier to get.

Low: Marvel Legends- SPEAKING of Marvel legends I hate to say it, but I think they have plateaued and made be on the downswing going forward. It was a very good run and includes literally hundreds of amazing figures, but the reality is that there is only so much shelf space for another Spider-Man, another Captain America and another Ironman. Couple that with some lackluster MCU projects and releases and you got a toy line without spark. It’s not all bad though, as I’ve picked up a number of really great figures in the last year that will be included on everyone’s top 5 lists, but the ratio of great to mediocre is just too vast. Perhaps they can be the comeback kids of 2024.

High: G.I. Joe- Even though it is only 2023, My vote for best toyline of the decade (and maybe of the century) easily goes to G.I. Joe Classified. High praise right? But worth every accolade that they get. Yes there have been some miss-steps and QC issues, but it is clear to me that the folks at Hasbro REALLY give a crap about this line and it shows in the end product. As fans, we have been ridiculously lucky to enjoy this ride with over 100 releases and counting, with an unbelievable roster filled with all sorts of characters that we loved as kids. And while there are still some sizable gaps, it is clear that there are no real signs of stopping any time soon and I’m sure they will get to them eventually. My only concern is that the number crunchers and penny pinchers will start to eat at this line in search of more profits. It will start small with a missing accessory here and a slight mold change there, but will be in full repaint territory soon enough and planned projects will suddenly just be a forgotten render of a figure that never came to be. And I’m speaking from experience given that is what happened to the infamous Sigma Six line. Anyways, enough of that doom and gloom and lets refocus on the positives: The figures are great, the line up is fantastic, the future is bright and hopefully the line will continue to be strong for years to come. (quick rant- I hate the HASLAB model and do not like the trend whatsoever. I will not be elaborating further at this time)

Low: Prices- Wouldn’t be a proper LOWS and HIGHS without talking about the biggest obstacle to getting more toys. Prices are BANANAS now and represent the single biggest impact to my collecting habits going forward. How much is too much? Well for me it seems that unless I REALLY want a Marvel Legend or a Black Series: the limit is currently $25. For G.I. Joe it’s retail and for other figures produced by the likes of NECA and Bandai (Gundam) it's certainly more. Fact is that I’m just not interested in shelling out $40 for something that A. Just doesn’t appeal to me or B. That is already on my shelf. I do worry though that the impact of these prices and changing of buying habits will kill the industry, as we know it, eventually. Oh well, nothing lasts forever I suppose.

High: Dungeons and Dragons- For me personally this was a bright spot in the year, but it is a bit bizarre that 2023 will be the year that D&D both came and went from the popular lexicon. I am a bit of an outsider to D&D, but also have great admiration for the franchise so when the opportunity came to consume D&D pop culture in the way that I liked (via movies and action figures) I was certainly not disappointed. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Honor Among Thieves was a great movie and a bit of a travesty in that it failed to land with general audiences. Perhaps it suffered from the same thing that D&D has been suffering for years: (implied) high barrier to entry. It is not easy to get into D&D and maybe potential audiences thought the same thing. At any rate, if you have not seen it, I HIGHLY recommend watching it. It’s a lot of fun and requires NO homework, NO previous knowledge and NO pen and paper to understand the plot. Also, and it needs to be said, the NECA Dungeons and Dragons line has perhaps the best figures on the market at the moment with Warduke being one of my favorite figures of ALL TIME.

Low: Media in General- This is a tough one as 2023 was the first full year since the pandemic and by all accounts, should have been an amazing year for both movies and television, but that just didn’t happen. Sure there were a lot of great things produced and released, but nothing really stood out as being exceptional to me. Transformers, Indiana Jones, a few Marvel films, DC films and it was all just fine. The big outlier for me was Spiderman- Across the Spider-verse, but even then it was great, but not life changing. Coupled with all the new mediocre Disney Plus content on streaming I just can't seem to put my finger on why it went so wrong, but will concede that it's likely a group effort involving studios, producers, shareholders and fans. Time will tell how we get out of this slump and it will be interesting to see what is the next big thing, but I guess that is for next year.

Low/high: Indiana Jones- This was a wild one. Much like D&D, 2023 saw the full circle life of Indiana Jones and it was a bit of a whirlwind. As a lifelong fan, I love to see new Indy figures available for the collection, but also recognize that Indy, as they are willing to give to us now, is a lot different from the one that we grew up with. Basically what I’m trying to say is that our collective unwillingness to move on from Harrison Ford as the titular character is holding the franchise back. Consider if Sean Connery was the ONLY James Bond; how many good Bond movies would we have lost out on if we tied the character to the actor in a way that made any change out of the question? Much like the treasure that he “liberates”, Indy is a relic of his time and only really works in a period of discovery, but because Harrison Ford is getting older, Indy is forced to get older which takes him out of the time period that best suits him. Anyways, I could rant for hours about these decisions (And will over the next few months as the reviews for the toys come out) but I will end this on a high note by saying: I love the Hasbro Adventure Series and am VERY sad that the toy line did not include some very key characters.

Dishonorable mentions: Action figure breakage- Seems that every figure has some issue from a minor bend in the plastic to a major breakage. It’s sad that I need to warm up nearly every single figure before posing them. Distribution- Still a tough one to get right and very annoying to see discount retailers getting hundreds of figures that never saw the light on normal retail shelves. McFarlane/DC continued ban on guns and focus on extra plastic stands instead of more accessories- Killed the line for me and have zero interest in supporting any further outside of one off figures.

Honorable Mentions: Bandai’s Gundam figures- 2023 was the year that I fell back in love with Gundam; just an absolute delight. Diamond Select Lord of the Rings- Slow and steady, but I greatly appreciate this line continuing on as it has. NECA in general- over the last few years I have really been smitten with NECA releases and feel that they are producing some of the best figures on the market.

As always, thanks for reading and I look forward to providing you all more rambling reviews with mediocre pictures in 2024.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Pros: I picked this figure for my New Years post because I think it’s a nice metaphor for the new year and new beginnings, plus I think it’s completely hilarious. If you aren’t familiar, check out the package for why this “white” Vader was featured in the comics. People give Disney a lot of flack for their handling of Star Wars, but forget that parts of the EU were absolutely insane. Anyways, this is just your basic Vader figure, but in all white and for the record I don’t hate it. That could be because he has a proper cloth skirt and cape, but the fact is that this Vader mold is simply fantastic. I also like this figure because I bought it on Facebook Marketplace for a mere $10.

Cons: Not a thing; I love its uniqueness.

[Robimus]

Scout Trooper is the best Star Wars holiday figure just due to the sweater. Jawa and crumb are kinda quirky and cute.

Overall I don't get the line. Take characters that often ended up on clearance, repaint, raise price and wait for clearance again

At least there was finally a Holiday Special Chewie......which I'm waiting for a clearance on, lol

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Robimus

Scout Trooper is the best Star Wars holiday figure just due to the sweater. Jawa and crumb are kinda quirky and cute.

Overall I don't get the line. Take characters that often ended up on clearance, repaint, raise price and wait for clearance again

At least there was finally a Holiday Special Chewie......which I'm waiting for a clearance on, lol

Yeah, I thought the sweater and Grogu combo were pretty fantastic. Personally I?m a fan due to the uniqueness, but wish maybe there was more to them (kind of like the Santa Batman). In any case I?ll keep getting them if the price is right.

It is also odd that the lifeday chewy never got a normal release.

[Team Jetfire]

986-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Avengers Endgame: Thor.




Look, I’m a fan of marvel movies and can do a lot good with the new phase of movies and TV shows that have failed to capture the love from general audiences like the previous MCU phases, but I highly doubt that we will EVER see anything as EPIC as the last 30 min of Endgame. I still get chills when I watch it on my little laptop screen and am reminded how amazing it was to see on the big screen. I was even spoiled for that “worthy” Captain America scene and I legitimately almost welled up with how ridiculously poetic it was. Hell, one of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling down is to watch the “fan reaction” footage from inside the theater when that scene plays out as it will never not bring a smile to my face. Anyway, that was my favorite part of the MCU and I wanted Thor as a tribute to it.

Pros: After collecting Hasbro Marvel Legends for any amount of time, you start to notice similarities between the various releases and while I understand the need for re-paints, there is a time where it can get a bit tiresome. With that said, any time a unique figure is released, I get a bit more excited and am drawn to it almost as an oddity and Fat Thor is a great example. Yes I have MANY other cool Thor’s, but are they all that different from one another? Not really. That said, I really like this beefier version of the God of Thunder and as an aging man, can really appreciate the physique that he has been blessed with. Plus the epic head sculpt, lightning effects and both Mjolnir and StormBreaker accessories are pretty amazing.

Cons: Not a thing. Thor is perfect for what I wanted in a figure.

[Team Jetfire]

987-2
Hasbro- Black Series: Darth Revan




I consider myself to be a massive fan of Star Wars, but I came to terms a long time ago, that I know so very little about the franchise and not sure if I really care to learn. I mean yes, I have the ability to look up who Darth Revan is and where he (or she) comes from (Knights of the Old Republic game if you were wondering), but a simple scan of the Wikipedia leads the reader to a multi-page tirade about the history of a multi-part game that was initially released back in 2003. 2003!??! Revenge of the Sith hadn’t even come out yet and Lucasfilm is just building out a brand new world that has a complete life of its own and somehow a Star Wars fan is just supposed to know about it? Like, I didn’t even have a computer at that time to connect to the internet, let alone play a video game at that time. And this is just one of the many game franchises, think of all the other stuff I’m missing with all the games that I have passed on since then. I guess it is cool that my way in can be the toys (which has always been the case for me anyways), but it would be nice if a cool character like Darth Revan can get a bit more attention in popular media.

Pros: The only things I know about Darth Revan is that, using context clues, is that they are part of the Sith order and that they may be tied to the Mandalorians. That said, I also know that, despite some very mediocre pictures, the figure rocks and has a lot of features that I just look in a solid figure including, soft goods clothing (where needed), a nice sculpt, usable articulation and nice accessories.

Cons: Like I said, for whatever reason, Darth Revan just does not photograph very well. I may have something to do with the cloth cloak, but perhaps it’s more to do with the fact that most Sith (excluding Darth Maul) never really look that great in action poses.

[Team Jetfire]

38-R
Toybiz- Spider-Man Classics: Man-Spider



Ladies and gentlemen I present one of the PROTO ?Marvel Legends?. That?s right y?all, before the countless Hasbro Releases, before the 3.75 inch figures and even before the ultra articulated, massive jointed Toybix Marvel Legends toys there was this series of Spider-Man figures made up of a few different versions of the main man himself, a crazy looking venom, a Rhino and this monstrous fella right here any by all accounts, I do not believe that as of this writing is still the ONLY modern ?Man-Spider'' released to date, which seems like a missed opportunity right? Anyways, these figures were pretty crazy for me given I really only collected Star Wars and McFarlane figures at the time and certainly opened up a new world for me given that they were such a massive improvement over the original ToyBiz Figures. Unfortunately (or fortunately given how difficult they were to find) these figures did not lead me to the Toybiz Marvel Legends that were released right after, but certainly opened my eyes to the potential Marvel figures had for my collection. Also, look at that ?collector base? that was included. I swear that toy manufacturers were just pulling out all the stops back then.

Pros: Really fantastically detailed sculpt and paint on this guy and captures his mutation into a monster nicely. Six different arms is also a difficult feat to pull off, but for the most part it works given the time that it was released. Also, as important as the figure itself, that base, complete with fake water, is outstanding. Hasbro would charge $20 alone for such an upgrade. VERY COOL.

Cons: Toybiz had not uncovered the secret to full articulation with this yet. For the most part his upper body is fine, but could have used some better hip joints/knee/ankle joints.

[Team Jetfire]

85-2
Mattel- The Masters of the Universe New Eternia Masterverse: Stratos





Boy-o-boy Mattel is really squandering this IP once again and I say that as a Canadian who seemingly can only find these Masterverse figures at comic/specialty toys stores lately. And if I’m being honest, it’s a damn shame given that these newly designed “New Eternia” figures are really great and much better than the overstocked Revelation figures that are still clogging shelves. I guess this is just Mattel doing Mattel things. I do hope that I’m able to track down a few more of these over time, but I’m not trying to pay an arm and a leg for figures that are not part of my “primary” collection.

Pros: For whatever reason there seemed to be some hype for this Stratos figure and for the most part he delivers. The sculpt has a lot of fur and feathers everywhere, the accessories are nice (jetpack, wings, a scepter and a really cool, removable oxygen mask) and the articulation rivals any current line of the market. Cool stuff.

Cons: Unfortunately the demand for him garners a bit of a premium price and while he is a cool figure, for me he’s really nothing more or less special than any other Masterverse release. Also, as a flying character, his neck really should have the ability to look all the way up.