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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Well, to really appreciate the scope of toy options available to us, one needs to consider both official lines (Hasbro's main line, i.e. currently "Age of the Primes" under the Legacy umbrella, and Studio Series, which is a slightly more premium take, or supposed to be, on characters as they appeared in various media), Takara's Missing Link line which reengineers the G1 toys to feature full articulation and improved complexity all while retaining the look of the OG toys in both modes, Takara's own lines which recreate figs from the Japanese TF shows, the MPG line( formerly Masterpiece), their own releases of Studio Series and mainline toys, oft with better paint apps than their American versions, and other independent lines like their current Wild King show/toys aimed at younger kids. Additionally, there is Robosen, who's producing high-end, sophisticated, fully motorized, self-transforming, walking, talking Transformers. They currently represent the pinnacle of technology as its applied to our favorite Robots in Disguise, even featuring phrases recorded by the original voice actors. They come at a significant price tag, but they're astounding achievements and really cool additions to one's collection. They're a bit out of my price range, but they represent everything that I oft dreamed of in a "perfect' Transformers toy. Lastly, we get to third party companies who've been serving the fandom for about two decades now with figures both faithful to source and with a range of liberties taken in virtually every scale, from legends (slightly smaller than official main line) to Masterpiece, with varying levels of complexity, detail, 'animation accuracy', etc. there are also companies like Blokees, who make non-transforming model kits of popular TF characters, companies like ThreeZero, formerly ThreeA, who make high-end incredibly detailed non-transforming TF figures. I'm likely forgetting a few, but these are the ones that occur off the top of my head. Lots of options for the intrepid Transformers fan. As for the combiner frame system, I'm of two minds: yes, it imbues the gestalt with much greater stability than the poor Combiner Wars figures, but at what point does it simply become an easy crutch to lean on in lieu of better engineering. They didn't use a frame for Devastator, which proves they can make a combiner without it. Granted, Devy has large partsforming bits to complete the gestalt, but aside from the mad all-in-one wizardry of MMC, the vast majority of combiners, official and non, have relied on partsforming bits to accomplish mashing a bunch of smaller robots into a big one. It's an acceptable concession, and one I think most of us, even the most ardent no-partsforming critics like myself, have come to accept, if grudgingly. It's simply the most practical and economical way to achieve the combining gimmick. Hasbro's frame system is a similar tactic, love it or hate it. I'd prefer they used it more sparingly, allowing the limb-bots to actually be the limbs instead of accoutrement on a frame, but I get the reasoning behind it. If there's a cheap and easy solution, Hasbro will find it, although Takara does most of the heavy design work, so it's a good bet they're more to blame for the heavy use of the frame in lieu of more creative engineering solutions. Macross, alas, is such a niche franchise, especially on this side of the Pacific, largely due to Harmony Gold's litigious shenanigans over the last nigh-40 years, damn them. The subsequent rarity of toys, especially high-end toys like Yamato/Arcadia's, cause availability and pricing to put them out of reach of many a fan. It's the sad reality of Macross fans everywhere, unfortunately. I was hoping that Big West's and Harmony Gold's agreement as well as Disney's airing of the majority of the various Macross Series would spark a renewed interest in the franchise in the West, especially a heightened desire for the toys, but that hasn't happened. Thus the anemic status quo remains. I'm thinking he will be able to pull off that pose and probably poses more dynamic than that. They're just teasing us right now. I want to see that list done, too, especially the Datsuns (I want Prowl in the worst way), the cassettes, some of whom, like Ravage, are in desperate need of a good update. FWIW Fans Toys did a pretty good job with their version of Ravage for Acoustic Wave, both of which are pretty peak. I'm really curious how they'd approach the van brothers, as the Diaclone toys just never really fit in well with the rest of the Diaclone car bots, which makes their inclusion in the TF toyline, which seemed to cherry-pick the best looking of the bunch, oddly questionable in retrospect. We have Floro Dery to thank for the much-improved bot modes in the animation. However, Missing Link is all about improving the G1 toys as they were, warts and all, and it remains to be seen how or if they'll attempt to do something with them. We definitely need Soundwave, Megatron, and the Seekers as well. I'm most curious to see how they'll improve both of the latter. I want a fully poseable G1 Megatron.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Welcome back to the fold! The toys have come a long way, and for the most part, the SS86 line has been delivering the toys that I think the majority of us have wanted from Hasbro/Takara since the 80s. I've been in the game since it all kicked off in Sept '84, and I'm thrilled that they're finally making figs of the G1 characters that are a balanced mix of toon and original toy, although they tend to skew more towards the animation aesthetic, which seems to be what most fans want. But yeah, we're eating well, as the saying goes, and while it took them about thirty years too long to get around to it, I'm glad they're doing it now while the G1 generation is still around to enjoy them. You picked a good time to come back to the hobby, as G1 fans have never been so well served. Cheers and enjoy!
  3. M'Kyuun
    I was hoping for a showcase of the articulation, which is kinda the point of this line, but I guess they're milking the anticipation for all it's worth. Anyway, the hips are now separated from the rest of the red slab and that separation is cleverly hidden behind UM's WWE belt. Moreover, there's clearly a hinge visible behind his shin plate that corresponds nicely to a knee joint. Needless to say, I'm sure Takara succeeded in imbuing the fig with at least a modicum of leg articulation and they did an excellent job of hiding the changes necessary to pull it off. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought they'd tackle this fig, at least not yet given the number of first season bots that have yet to get the ML treatment. However, this is a nice flex of their problem-solving capabilities and talents, as this guy poses more problems to be solved than the average car-bot. While I'm not yet invested in the ML line, from both a G1 fan's POV and an engineering POV, I enjoy seeing how Takara approaches each toy to give it the articulation that so many of us, like me, wish they'd had originally. Many of those old toys are going to prove challenging, like UM here, and I'm excited to see how they solve the obstacles that each toy presents while maintaining the look of the OG toys. I hope Megatron is on the to-do list. And Prowl. And Soundwave and his cassette minions, who could all do with some updated engineering since the MP fig.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I was just the opposite; the original Ultra Magnus did little for me; I like the white Prime fig, but the armor was so limited in bot mode that it never really appealed to me. Honestly, the character never really appealed that much to me. I like the all-in-one engineering of the SS86 and MP figs (I bought MP Delta Magnus instead of Ultra Magnus b/c I dig his color scheme more, too), although I'm not opposed if they make an Ultra Magnus fig in the future who splits into a white Optimus and his trailer forms armor. As to my aforementioned concessions, I don't think the cab part would need any additional engineering beyond that of Missing Link Convoy. The trailer, OTOH, simply can't transform the way the G1 toy did; it was essentially a big red slab that the white Optimus stood behind. To realize the character better and afford him the articulation that is the hallmark of Missing Link, concessions will have to be made to make the trailer become functional, wearable armor which means it will be difficult to make it look just like the unaltered G1 toy, also a hallmark of Missing Link. That's what I meant by concessions. I simply don't see how they can maintain the look of the G1 toy and impart leg articulation while making it wearable by white Prime. I'm curious to see how they approach this fig, as it poses challenges that previous figs didn't, and it'll give some indication as to how they'll approach other challenging figs in the future. I think the Zs are a no brainer, as they can squeeze four or five repaints/slight retools out of that mold and they essentially need only to articulate the legs and head. The Seekers will pose more of a challenge since the arms relied on partsforming hands and were fairly short, and the legs, as they are, are also a bit stubby proportionally, and didn't extend like many of the other G1 toys. Moreover, the wing rotation joint sits at hip level which will prove a challenge for Takara if and when they decide to tackle the design as a Missing Link entry. I'd be interested to see how they solve the various challenges.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I don't intend to get it as I'm quite satisfied with SS86 UM (one of their best efforts IMHO); however, I'm curious to see how they accomplish this given the nature of the G1 toy and their efforts to maintain the G1 toy aesthetics amidst the upgrades to articulation. I'm thinking this fig will have more concessions to affect a functional bot mode than we've previously seen in this line. I wish they'd do the Fairlady Z bros and Megatron, as I'd love an articulated form of G1 Prowl to replace the one that I tried unsuccessfully to modify as a kid, and I've always had a soft spot for G1 Megs but never owned the OG toy. ML versions of both would be welcome.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Until I'm finished with the SS86 figs (I misspoke in my earlier post as I'm waiting on both Scavenger and Mixmaster to ship from Pulse) the only other Devastator I own is ToyWorld's Constructor in the MP scale. It's a little dated now, but I think it still holds up pretty well. If I was to go in on one of the new MP Constructicon teams, I'd go with X-Transbots, although if MMC does one, I'd want to see how those turn out, too. No judgement here for fence-sitting until the right toy comes along. I pass on stuff all the time for one reason or another. If you're paying for it, you should be happy with it, or at least content.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I've got 'em all except Mixmaster now, too, but I'm holding off combining them until I have the full team. I just think it'll be more satisfying that way. I watched EmGo's Devastator review, and I agree with his view that while there are faults to be had with both individual Constructicons and Devastator, overall, it's a pretty good set of figs and the combined form does just about everything you could ask of it. As EmGo pointed out, too, third parties will likely come up with solutions to address most of the issues. This will be my first official Devastator since I started collecting in '84 and I'm looking forward to Mixmaster's arrival so I can enjoy my Constructicons to the fullest, and maybe also kick a Dinobot or two around. Def gotta have him holding Sludge like he did in The Movie before he tossed him like a sack of potatoes. 😄 Regarding Basara Prime, I would not be proud of the ground vehicle mode in the least, but Takara seems to be celebrating it. Honestly, I don't think the fighter mode turned out to bad considering they had to fit Prime's big chest under there. It's certainly not as svelte as the actual VF-19, one of Kawamori's prettiest valk designs, but judging from so many of Takara's past jetformers, it could have been oh so much worse. For those who get a copy, hopefully it's a fun figure. I'll stick with my YamArcadia VF-19 Blazer and YF-19, as well as Bandai's VF-19 Advance.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I gave a second's thought to picking up the new multipack SS86 Perceptor at Target. I held it in my hands, and my desire to have that Ramhorn was strong, but not strong enough to coerce me into purchasing. I wasn't aware of the mold change to Preceptor's torso, but I knew about the new panel on his back to cover the hole where his head goes. Nevertheless, I wasn't 100% enthused with the original SS86 release, as I was disappointed that he didn't have the swing-down mirror and the internal focusing mechanism was no longer functional. In my view, these new toys should better the original toys in every sense, so the loss of those functions, functions that the G1 toy and even the TR figure had, is a downgrade from their predecessors. Too, the arms are supposed to form the support columns for the scope, but on this mold, they sit too far apart, and the scope just floats on its transformation armature. Again, a downgrade from both G1 and TR figures. The mold's only saving grace is its bot mode's likeness to the animation, which I realize is the driving focus of the vast majority of TF collectors. Alas, it's not mine. I prefer a good mix of both OG toy and toon where the best attributes of both are captured. Turning to Ramhorn, I think they did a pretty good job on this guy, much better than Steeljaw's Pomeranian look. It's lamentable that both require partsforming, not only to provide their weapons like the OG toys, but to actually fill out and complete the animal forms. Bit of a nasty cheat in my eyes, but the new cassettes, from their dismaying downscaling to the absence of effort to actually make them look like cassettes, and the need to add parts of the bot modes in addition to their weapons all represent downgrades from their 40+ year-old original toys. Again, the trend should be going the opposite way, where, in every measure, the toys should be improving upon what came before. I wish they would return to the original RW microcassette scale, return to ensuring, as much as possible, that the cassette looked like a real cassette with properly placed reels and cassette deco. IMHO, KFC demonstrated some really good engineering on their Ramhorn and Steeljaw, and IMHO, both are the best toys of those characters at the original scale, better by far, IMHO, than the Fanstoys versions which I found a bit underwhelming after waiting what seemed like an eternity for them. I hope KFC will produce the rest of the cassettes at that level. However, FT actually made a really good Ravage (best version at the OG scale IMHO), but I'd like to see what KFC could do. Likewise, Dr. Wu. While some of his combiner cassettes may have had their shortcomings, I really liked what he did with Overkill and Slugfest, especially the latter which captures the cassette mode, alas sans deco, better than any of his previous efforts and yet still pulls off a really well-done Slugfest at that scale. I wish his head was on a ball joint for a little more poseability, but overall, he's so reminiscent of the G1 toys while his leg solution is an improvement. I hope he gets around to doing all the main cassette characters, especially Ravage, my favorite. Ultimately, I wish Takara and Hasbro would change their approach to the cassettes and return to the original scale along with better engineering and attention to making the cassette modes more believable, but I have no faith that that will happen, as the trend seems to oppose that direction. I'm happy for the third-party options we have, but even they fall short sometimes, alas. Still, something's better than nothing at all.
  9. M'Kyuun
    I don't really follow the stories of the various artists that have worked with Hasbro over the years, nor the those of the comics' artists. I liked Don's work, as well as E.J. Su's, and Marcelo Matere's on the current box art. In Don's case, I can see both sides of the argument, but it's a shame that a promising professional relationship was soured, especially when Don produced such a prolific amount of interesting and appealing work that would've made for some cool toys. Perhaps Hasbro learned their lesson, as they seem more inclined to give credit to the various artists they work with currently and over the past few years. I'm always happy to hear Mark and Evan credit the Takara designers who do the heavy-lifting design-wise on Transformers toys. I've said it before and I stand by my opinion that without Takara, there are no transforming Transformers. I think Mark and Evan are talented, but I don't think they or very many American designers have the wherewithal to design transforming toys beyond something like M.A.S.K. Even in the LEGO community, which has no shortage of unfathomable talent, I very, very seldom see anyone make transforming stuff, and even then, it's usually on the microscale. I'm usually the only one bringing minifig scaled stuff to the party, which is unfortunate. Digression aside, it'd be great if Hasbro extended an olive branch to Don, seeing as how they're under new management, and perhaps court him again to use his designs with proper credit and compensation. I'm sure there'd be a lot of happy TF fans if that happened. I count myself among them. I always loved E,J. Su's more mechanically realistic approach to drawing Transformers. Instagram I still think they should have hired him to do the live-action designs. Man, my Wally's been slow getting new TF figs. They did have a couple copies of Solus Prime last weekend, the first I've seen her there. I'm not interested in getting her, but I am on the lookout for Alchemist so hopefully they'll get him at some point. As to your review, I appreciate the comparison with the OG mold. I actually have Sideways, and I thought he was a pretty cool fig back in the day, but I concur that the new fig is an upgrade at least where the bot mode is concerned. I liked the OG's cybertronic jet mode, though, and honestly, despite the changes you mentioned, the overall aesthetic hasn't changed much. While I'm not a big fan of partsforming, it's not as egregious a concession given that the wings can detach and be used as an admittedly cool looking weapon. The lack of spring-loaded key functionality is the biggest bummer, as that was the big gimmick with the OG toys. But at least the shield can be manually deployed in a similar fashion as the original. As Cybertronic air/spacecraft go, I dig Sideway's alt. I may end up picking this guy up, too, if I see him in the store. Thanks for the review, Mike! Checked Pulse after I finished posting and Alchemist is available again so I ordered him. Could've ordered Sideways, too, but having the OG fig, I'm not as concerned about getting the new one. If I see him in the store I might pick him up, but if not, I won't consider it as great a loss.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Came across this on TFSource today. It's about the size of the OG MR toy, 3.3", has a fair amount of metal parts, but it's going for $149.99. Can't see many folks dropping that kind of cash on such a small figure. Consider it BrickyRobo's version of Takara's Missing Link for the MR/Gobots toys.
  11. M'Kyuun
    OK, yeah, I'm thinking of Don Figueroa's concept art. I wouldn't mind having this as a figure.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I'm not really into HoS, as most of the alts don't do much for me. However, I'd love to have Grimlock as a Mark V tank. If you're gonna give Grimlock a vehicle alt, that's about as good as any. Funny Guidi chose Grimlock and not the more fitting Warpath., but whatever. Too, odd that he chose to make Megatron a field cannon instead of a tank.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Well, you're not wrong. 😄 I was just thinking that the hybrids, given their heightened durability and abilities relative to the average human would stand a far greater chance of facing down a Xenomorph. I'm sure acid will do a number on them, too, but they definitely have an advantage. Too, it seems like Weyland-Yutani already had a weapon that could subdue the Alien, if only for a short time. Morrow, a cyborg, seems to know what he's doing from experience and has thus far demonstrated greater success at non-lethally subduing an Alien than ever depicted in the franchise, AFAIK anyway. Since the Colonial Marines were neither hybrids nor cyborgs and didn't have Morrow's fancy bug-zapper/webber-upper, I'm thinking all were shelved and buried prior to Aliens, or at least that's the story they'll tell for continuity's sake. The Xenomorphs are equal opportunity killers.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Considering that this show is a prequel of sorts to Alien, I'm hoping that continuity is at the forefront of the writers' minds as they plot it out. Little rankles more in a franchise than mussing up continuity and I hope Hawley and crew are cognizant of it every step. I am curious, however, if it's going to be revealed at some point that the Maginot collected their Xenomorph specimens on LV426, hence Weyland-Yutani's interest in sending the Nostromo crew there to investigate, with Ash acting on their behalf to ensure new specimens are collected and brought back. I'm assuming that the Xenomorph currently causing all the havoc in Prodigy City will eventually be exterminated, and likely too, the Maginot's W-Y cyborg security officer, Morrow, unless he somehow changes his allegiance, or feigns doing so. Too, the eggs and facehuggers will likely all be destroyed and all knowledge of them erased, meaning our intrepid hybrids will be mindwiped or just executed to prevent their spilling the beans. Morrow is really a wildcard in this series, and IMHO, the most interesting character given his knowledge of the Xeno, especially his knowledge of how to fight/subdue it, and his steadfast loyalty to Yutani. Since the rest of Maginot's crew are dead, Morrow's the only one who can tell W-Y about the Alien, so it remains to be seen what happens. I'm spitballing, but it seems that, based on the comments made in Aliens by the Company execs, nobody's ever heard of what Ripley describes to them. Either that info truly isn't known to W-Y, or it's known only to a select few and closely guarded.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I'm not at all into metal, so the soundtrack was lost on me entirely; it was more background noise to me than anything else. Glad you enjoyed it, though. I suppose, for the genre and the events taking place, the music was apropos. I didn't really pick up on that many of the characters being quirky, a few sure, but in hindsight, yeah, I guess there are more than I realized. Despite a few eyerolling moments, the show demonstrates promise; I hope they fulfill it satisfyingly without breaking established continuity and with a building story that beggars more seasons.
  16. M'Kyuun
    I like the overall premise and execution of the show despite my niggles. I think having this take place pre-Alien is interesting, but also presents a fine line for preserving continuity, a narrative responsibility I hope they observe with the greatest respect. That said, I'm curious to see where they take the story and characters.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I also watched both eps and enjoyed them. Like @Hikuro, I have to wonder at the purpose of showing future flashes without any context- the story's chugging along and suddenly-flashes- and then back to story. It's just a bit jarring, and without any causal effects, it seems more of an odd interruption than any meaningful furtherance of the narrative. Unless- I just had a thought- they're the product of the cyborg security officer's mind. That might explain some things. Anyway, there's enough going on to maintain interest and anticipation for the next episode. I hope it captures a wide audience.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Funny. I have Chinese neighbors, and in my attempt to learn a little Mandarin, I discovered that food is pretty central to Chinese culture- even their greetings have to do with eating. I'm not a car guy, but I do like the way any number of them look, and I appreciate a good-looking car alt mode. I've also been collecting the LEGO Speed Champions sets since the line began, so I get cool cars from both of my hobbies. Enjoyed the review, Mike. I POed this guy as I really like the bot mode and the jet mode, although I wish they'd found a more elegant solution for the feet. Anyway, being a Cybertronian jet, I'm not going to judge it as harshly as I would a real world jet alt. I will point out the old Takara staple of arms just hanging out along the sides with no attempt to even hide the hands. So lazy and careless. On the whole, though, especially from the front or a forward three-quarter view, it's not a bad looking jet. It could've been better, but at the deluxe budget, I'm inclined to agree with you in that it looks pretty good in both modes, niggles aside. Thus far, Starscream and Arcee are the only two TFOne toys I'm getting (waiting on Pulse to release them); However, Airachnid has my interest piqued. I thought she was one of the most interesting characters from the film, I dig her flight mode, and I'm curious to see what the final toy looks like.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I abhor the Bayverse films and I make no bones about it. However, I like a good Transformers toy, I like a cool alt mode, and sometimes a robot mode just looks cool to me. Check all three with this figure. While Takara can be hit or miss on some of these SS figs, in this case I think they did a pretty good job taking a bit of concept art, a beautiful car that apparently was in a single scene (haven't seen the film), and married the two into a figure that, IMHO, looks good and turned out at least standard relative to other figs in the line. I really like the reuse of the Vehicon's roof and windshield folding technique, one of Takara's best for compressing a lot of car into a compact kibble-less form. I can't stress enough how much I love the integrated weapon storage, a feature that, at this point in the franchise's history, should be standard practice. I like how the front fenders form her shoulders, and finally, the 12C is indeed a lovely car, and despite my feelings about the live action films, Bay and Co have an excellent eye for beautiful or interesting vehicles to use as alt modes and Has/Tak do the line proud by securing the licenses in most cases. Fortunately, they do far more justice with the cars than with jets. I've got a PO in for this fig. I don't buy many Bayverse figs anymore, but every now and again, one strikes my fancy for one reason or another. If nothing else, I can always leave them in car mode, but I seldom do. Appreciate the comprehensive look, Mike.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I agree with that approach. Individual rooms would make it far more accessible to both kids and adults and the stackability would give long-term collectors a nice goal of completing the entire ring. As is, price tag notwithstanding, it is a nice set for what it offers, but I still prefer my original spherical Death Star playest, which I have on permanent display on my desk. I dig the mini-Imperial Shuttle. I made my own years ago, but LEGO's version looks pretty good. It could be its own set and I'd certainly buy it, the Lambda Shuttle being my favorite SW ship design. I wish they'd do a line of ships at that scale and with that level of detail, as the Microfighters just aren't as fulfilling.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Recently got the new BeastDrive mold from 52Toys, Fickle Step. Love messing with this thing. 1). Maximum uploads of 3 pictures of a toy even if you bought two. That means if you bought DC Batman you can post a combination of boxed and opened pics of up to three here. Anymore than three will get the post deleted. If you bought another copy of the same DC Batman toy that does not constitute as a different toy and does not earn you three new photos. The moderation team considers that spamming and will be deleted. Text link to an external photo gallery if you have more than three pictures to share. 2). Image size: Height maximum per toy will now be set to 2400pixels for 3 pictures combined. That means one high resolution picture at 2400pixels or three decent resolution picture of 800pixels each. Choose your picture(s), less is more.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Looks like I'm the only one keeping this thread alive. After waiting all last year for it to release, 52Toys finally released the BeastDrive cat-cum-car and it's nigh purrrr-fect! This is Fickle Step. I'm not too crazy about the dark orange or the brownish decals, but I love the mold itself. I wish they'd reversed the colors, making the body panels orange, and the cat's paws, tail tip, and muzzle white. But, it's a fun kit, a little more complex than their previous releases to transform but still fairly intuitive. I daresay I think this is better than anything Takara would produce if they were tasked with turning a car into a cat. Oh wait, they did that already! Remember Alternators Ravage and Hatchet, the dreadlocked cat-like thing from Bayverse? Alternators Ravage Hatchet
  23. M'Kyuun
    I like cassettes, so I'm a little biased, but I dig these guys. I really like the cassette bots that actually look like cassettes, a fleeting reality these days since Hasbro introduced the smaller scale, so Brutality, AKA Slugfest, hits a certain sweet spot for me. His bot mode is adorable- I particularly love the way his legs store within the tape mode. He's simple by comparison with most of Wu's previous cassettes, all of which had to do double duty as combiners, but he has his charm. Slaughter, AKA Overkill, eschews any pretense of looking like a real cassette, but as Mike mentioned, he makes up for it in spades with an impressive amount of articulation in a very small package. I wish his head was on a ball joint for more expressive poses, but as he is, he's a fun little dino-bot. Speaking of little dino-bot cassettes, Wu's previous releases, Explosion, AKA Noizu and Supersonic, AKA Gurafi, did not make the most convincing of cassettes either, although their rectangular wafer modes aren't far off- neither have reel details which would've helped sell the notion. Where they fall apart, literally, is in their combination, which relies solely on Explosion's two hinged flaps, which do not have a much-needed "thoop" point for solidarity, closing over two small tabs on either side of Supersonic's robot torso. The connection is tenuous at best, relying on the merest friction and a prayer. It doesn't help that said un-thooped flaps host the hip/shoulder ball joints, which means you have to press in on the shoulders while manipulating the arms in combined mode (Impact Wave AKA Decibel). For something that should have been designed out of the gate to combine, of the three combining cassette teams that Wu has released, this one is the most poorly executed due to there being no other manner of solidifying the combination. It's disappointing, especially since the combined mode looks really good, has great articulation, nice paint apps, and convenient but wholly inaccurate weapon placements. And, with the merest breeze or vibration, it falls apart into robotic bits that become two pretty decent mini dino-bots (Supersonic's wings are a bit on the thicc side, but at this scale, it's ok). Handling it while typing this, I still can't believe Wu didn't create a stronger connection, especially when the combination was the big selling point. Unfortunately, it's nicer to look at than to play with, at least in combined mode.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Another sad loss of an Apollo era astronaut. It's a shame he never got the chance to walk on the moon. Granted, he got to see it in a way very few humans have, but it's not quite the same thing, is it? However, after an explosion and rapid O2 and power loss, he led his crew successfully by virtue of his intelligence, strength, courage, and optimism to keep themselves alive and their ships viable enough to return home, an extraordinary accomplishment for which he'll be forever remembered. RIP Commander Lovell
  25. M'Kyuun
    Connery's Egyptian-cum-Spaniard with the obvious Scottish accent asking his French costar playing a Scotsman about haggis was such tongue-in-cheek comedy gold. "How revolting!" I have to wonder what a laugh they had making that scene. As to a reboot- why? The original movie was unique and pretty well done for its time. It had some notable performances by the leads, cool music (Queen!), swordfights, immortals, and a neat story. MacLeod won the prize. No more needs to be said or done. I didn't even like the tv show. Highlander 2 doesn't exist. I wasn't aware of the third film. I may have seen it back in the day, but it left so little impression on me that I forgot it completely. I don't think I've seen Endgame or The Source. Why can't Hollywood create anything new? Unwanted, unneeded reboots suck. Just look at the RoboCop reboot. Forgot about it? Exactly. Oh, and James MacAvoy would make a good Highlander- he's actually Scottish, not a huge guy, and adept enough to learn swordplay if he hasn't already done so. Ewan MacGregor and Gerard Butler, also Scotsmen, would have made nice cameos as other Immortals, as both are no strangers to swordplay and both can carry a movie on their own.
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