Apparently this "swede" stuff has been going on for a while, but I just discovered it. Well, someone pointed me to it is more like it.
This clip has been rated PG-13 by the A2PMPAA for mild language and really, really low-budget violence. NSFW, kids.
But then, when I was watching an episode of Miami Vice, during that scene where Crockett and Tubbs are driving through the streets of Miami while In the Air Tonight is playing, she said she was sorry. Then we watched The Breakfast Club and did some coke.
Sorry, I've been having 1985 flashbacks ever since I went to Target this weekend and picked this up.
Stupid American Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity automotive ingenuity.
For that reason (and the fact that the domestic version of the cartoon sucked), I skipped over RID Prime when it first came out. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I really took notice of the figure and realized how cool it was. But a complete RID Optimus Prime was going for way more than I wanted to pay. However, when I came across this one, the price was too good for me to pass it up.
The seller said that it was only missing its gun and the four missles that go in the missile rack on the ladder, and that wasn't enough to dissuade me from buying it. However, once I got it and opened it up there was a bigger problem. The vacuum-metalized paint on the chest was worn and the white plastic looks a little yellowed. Also, you may not be able to see it, but there are some small parts missing from the red base of the ladder as well.
The yellowing is easily fixed, I think. I'm probably going to paint over it and give it a nice clear coat. Don't know how I'm going to fix the chest, though. But let's be real, this mode isn't why I got this figure in the first place.
This one is...
So pretty.
Yes, I know it's an older figure, and I know the Super Mode is basically a part-former, but I don't care. This has turned out to be one of my favorite figures in my collection. Also, if anyone has a junker RID Optimus Prime, or some of the parts I've mentioned that I'm missing and are interested in selling them, please drop me a line.
P.S. Dear EKM: GOTCHA!!
I have a crapload of LEGO Star Wars vehicles. Next to the Millennium Falcon, this one is by far my favorite.
If you know anything about AT-STs, you'll know that one of the "cheek" turrets is a twin blaster cannon and the other is a concussion grenade launcher. That is something that the original vehicle did not try to replicate. I, being a professional Star Wars nerd by the age of 2, was always bugged by this and am always happy when other AT-ST toys make note of this subtle difference.
I haven't bought much Star Wars stuff lately, but I was glad to add this one to the collection.
The Stormtrooper is a decent enough representation of the original McQuarrie painting, but just like the Darktrooper it's just only a step above a 3 3/4 inch statue. It has articulation at the hips, shoulders, neck, one wrist, and the elbows rotate left/right. The head isn't even on a ball joint. The shoulders have the same full articulation that is standard for current Star Wars figures, but since the elbows and wrists are so limited, it's really kind of wasted.
Darth Vader is by far superior in terms of articulation. It has all full articulation at the ankles, knees, wrists, shoulders, and a ball jointed head. They elbows are of the "45 degree" type, but I don't mind these because you don't have to worry about an ugly ball joint in the middle of the arm. He comes with a blue light saber and a laser pistol that fits in a hip holster (not seen because...well, dammit, Darth Vader doesn't use blasters.)
A nice bonus is that Darth Vader comes with two different heads.
However, I don't really have the inclination to try and figure out which head comes from what source. It's not that I can't...I probably have more books on McQuarrie's concept art than most fans (or more than is healthy for a normal human being to have)...it's that I just don't care.
Perceptor was one of the few TFs in my collection and, unfortunately, he did not survive the Great Garage Sale Purge. I haven't really thought about him much, despite my growing TF collection. Maybe it's because he's a G1 figure, and to be honest, I'm not much of a G1 fan when it comes to the toys. But I came across this figure a few months ago and the price was right, so I got him. He's only missing two of his three missiles and the joint on one of his shoulders is a little damaged, but other than that, he's in great condition. (And if anyone has a junker Perceptor with a good shoulder joint or a few spare Perceptor missles, drop me a line.)
Yeah, its true, he turns into a microscope...
...a microscope that could kick your ass!
Here's a shot with him holding the Megatron gun that comes with Masterpiece Optimus:
And one with his Classics and G1 little brothers:
Decepticons...ATTACK!!!
"See you back at the base" pose I ripped off from Robot Heroes Starscream:
Die, Autobot SCUM!
October 30, 2007 -Masterpiece Starscream Arrives at Wal-Mart!
Thus it began. A three month long obsession to obtain my most desired bot since Beast Wars lured me back into this plastic orgy lo, so many years ago. With one exception, Starscream is my favorite Decepticon. Since that one exception, Blitzwing, only has one figure to speak of (which I have), I’m on Starscream figures like Michael Jackson on a preschooler...or Michael Bay on a poorly contrived yet flashy action sequence. Not just any shoddy "transforms into a jet and is named Starscream" figure, mind you (this monstrosity comes to mind) but ones that more or less bear at least a passing resemblance to the evil, backstabbing, power-mad, coward Starscream we had circa 1984.
And so with great enthusiasm I undertook my greatest adventure. Okay, so it wasn't really an "adventure" so much as it was a 3 month long guilt-ridden, anger-fueled search that threatened to end just like Boogie Nights...with me on the couch of a semi-naked man, plotting to rob him for crack money before it all goes downhill and I find myself being chased down the street by said semi-naked man (bearing a striking resemblance to a skinny Alfred Molina) with a shotgun. Where was I? Oh, yes. Over the following months, Wal-Mart Exclusive Masterpiece Starscream would become my El Dorado, my Lost Ark, my Holy Grail...my White Whale.
I began what most crackheads collectors call "the hunt." I refer to
it by another four letter word, but I try to keep this thing at least PG-13, so…
My office is about a mile from a Wal-Mart and I usually have time to head down
to the Happiest Place on Earth on my lunch break to see what stuff got unpacked
the previous night before scalpers, collectors, parents, children and various
other life forms with which I have no sympathy have a chance to clean out the
racks/pegs/shelves. You may think that borders on obsession, but it works. And I
readily admit to anyone that it absolutely is an obsession (hence the name of my
little corner of the intarwebs.)
So I hit Wal-Mart. Two to three times a week. Every week. For two solid months. I went so often that the greeters began to recognize me. When someone whose lone job function is basically to stare at the floor and mutter in a barely audible tone "Hello" whenever they sense human presence begins to recognize you...you might be going to that person's place of employment too much. I'm just sayin'. When that didn't work, I started going to other Wal-Marts. There are something like 2,547 Wal-Marts in the greater Baton Rouge area and I'm betting I went to each one at least once. I had my operatives in other cities checking their Wal-Marts. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch. No Joy. When I say "nothing," I don't just mean that thousands of Wal-Mart Exclusive Masterpiece Starscreams appeared in Wal-Marts throughout Louisiana and I just missed them, I mean that I don't believe it ever even appeared in Louisiana, period. I never even saw shelf space or a price sticker dedicated to it.
On Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at around 2:00pm, I received a phone call from my little brother who lives in Tennessee. He was very giddy (like a little girl, he gets like that) and began his phone call by saying, "Guess what I have in my hands RIGHT NOW!" "What?="” I asked. "Masterpiece Starscream!" "Really?" "Guess what I paid for it?" "What?" I asked. "30 BUCKS! It was on clearance!" I hung up on my brother and have not spoken to him since. Smarmy little...
And yet his call filled me with a tiny bit of hope. This happened once before, back when I was searching for a GI Joe 25th Anniversary Firefly figure. At first I couldn’t find one even though reports were going out on message boards that the figure was appearing in stores everywhere. My brother called and told me that he had obtained one, and two short weeks later I finally found one. I figured the pattern would simply repeat. Except it didn't. I muddled through the rest of December, never finding a Wal-Mart Exclusive Masterpiece Starscream in stores.
It was shortly after my brother’s phone call that I hit upon the idea to check and see if Wal-Mart was offering the figure online. I checked every day. Religiously. Nothing. Not even a listing at first. Eventually the figure was posted on their website, but listed as "Out of Stock" or "In Stores Only" or some sort other euphemism that translated to "Screw you, fanboy, these are out of your reach!" They could be bought at various other websites online (including that last refuge of desperate addicts, ebay), but only if you were willing to part with your firstborn child, or at least a substantial amount of cash. So I simply bided my time, hoping that I would one day walk into Wal-Mart and walk out happier and $50 bucks poorer. Patience, as they say, is a virtue (except it isn't.)
Christmas came and went. My parents gave me a $100 check, telling me "We could never find that Mastercraft Star Cream thing you wanted but we saw that this was about how much they were selling for online and figured that you’d be better at getting a good deal, so here you go." I should have been happy and I suppose I was at least grateful, but it was the principle of the thing. Double the retail price! The very idea!
I guess the kicker, the thing that pushed me over the very edge, came on January 2, 2008. By this time I was checking Walmart.com multiple times per day to see if it was in stock and getting the same result, listed but not "in stock." I went home from work on New Year’s Eve, finally resigned to the fact that I would never own Wal-Mart Exclusive Masterpiece Starscream. I didn't even look at my computer on January 1st. My wife, unbeknownst to me, checked Walmart.com that day just to see if it was in stock so I'd quit whining about it (it was not and I did not). The next day I was counting on a slow work day, so instead of going through my normal routine (checking e-mail, voice messages, etc.) I logged on to the geek-o-sphere that is the tfans.com message boards. There it was, a thread titled "Wal-Mart Exclusive Starscream in stock at walmart.com." By this time I had the page for Starscream bookmarked, so I just called it up. "Out of Stock. DAMN! Somehow, between the time my wife checked walmart.com the night before (around 6pm) and 8am the next day, it was gone. Still, I held out hope. Maybe there’s something wrong with my cache, maybe there’s gremlins in my computer, maybe the page I'm looking at isn't refreshing for some reason, THROW ME A BONE HERE! I clicked "refresh" on that page at least 3,000 times over the next four hours. I did it one last time, right before I went to lunch.
"In Stock"
I rubbed my eyes, stared in disbelief. I asked myself, "Is this really happening? After months of fruitless searching, restless nights, uneaten meals, heartburn, nausea, indigestion, upset stomach, diarr..." "SHUT THE HELL UP AND ORDER THE DAMN THING ALREADY!" a voice snapped in my head. I did. I'm not what you would call and optimist, so I wouldn't let myself relax until I got the order confirmation e-mail from Wal-Mart, which I did a few hours later. I went to bed that night and slept for the first time in what felt like years. And it all came unraveled the next day. In my inbox the next morning was an email from Wal-Mart informing me that my order was on backorder. After replacing the monitor and keyboard I just threw across the room, I decided that was enough. I had 100 bucks with which to purchase a Wal-Mart Exclusive Masterpiece Starscream and, by God, I was going to use it.
The best deal I could find was 77 bucks shipped, which I guess wasn't too bad. This was at Amazon Marketplace. While checking out I also got a sweet little offer where if I signed up for an Amazon credit card, I would get a $30 credit towards my purchase. $47 total for an item that has caused me such grief over the last few months? Yes, please. Order placed, order confirmed, shipping confirmed, Heavyarms happy. It was all over but the waiting. Or so I thought.
My package arrived and when I lifted it up, I could hear something rattling around inside. I tried to remain positive, maybe its just something that came loose, it CAN'T be broken. I willed it not to be broken. I ate supper figuring my patience would, somehow, cure the terrible affliction my newly arrived item was suffering. I took Starscream's box out of the package and saw the loose bit, but couldn't figure out where it could have come from. "Maybe its an extra part, like you get with a LEGO set sometimes." Desperate times, desperate thoughts. I picked up the box and immediately noticed that the factory-applied tape had been cut and the package had been re-taped with that tell-tale packing tape that says "Someone returned this to Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart just stuck it back on the shelf because Wal-Mart don't give a damn." After taking Starscream out of the package, he was missing a part. The loose part that was in the package was the opposite part from the other side of the figure. I felt like Ralphie after he just shot his eye out with his brand new Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-Shot Range-Model Air Rifle. Near as I can figure, someone bought a Starscream, lost a part, purchased a second figure. Not being bright enough to figure out which one he/she needed, they took both parts out of that box, put back the one they didn’t need, and returned the second Starscream to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, not giving a crap that the box has been opened, re-taped it and stuck it back on the shelf. Another person walks into Wal-Mart, sees it sitting on the shelf and decides to sell it online and make a tidy little profit. The planets align just so and the messed up figure falls into my lap. I contacted Hasbro about the possibility of obtaining a replacement for the missing part and was told that since it is a "Store Exclusive," they couldn't help get a replacement part. I decided to return the figure to the seller and get a refund, which the seller was happy to do. I won't give you my exact feelings on the person that returned that figure to Wal-Mart sans part, but I will say I hope their future holds in store an accident involving his or her genitals and a bottle of Super Glue.
But this story is not a sad story, dear reader. You see, right after this all went down I got an e-mail from Wal-Mart telling me my order had been shipped. About 8 days later I got an e-mail telling me my order was ready to be picked up (I used Site-to-Store to save on the shipping charges) and so, dutifully reported to my local Wal-Mart to pick up my Wal-Mart Exclusive Masterpiece Starscream. The gentleman helping me retrieve my order "from the back" was very pleasant. Upon opening the box to verify its contents, he eyed it thoughtfully for a moment. I thought this was going to be another one of those "Man, I remember these! I had them all! Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron! All three of them! Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is this for a child?" I said, "Nope, it’s for me." I was beaming like I was going to hold my newborn son for the first time. The gentleman looked at me, if only for a split second, like I had just told him I was going to eat his mother for dinner and his pet poodle for desert. Then, in a manner similar to the hushed tone I imagine someone would use to say "Hey, I’m an alcoholic, too" upon meeting a a fellow alcoholic, Mr. Helpful replies "Yeah, I collect some stuff, too. Mostly NASCAR stuff." As if walking down to the toy aisle and grabbing one of the hundreds, hell, THOUSANDS of readily available $3 die-cast cars is even comparable to the robophilia Transformers collectors like myself suffer. However, I didn’t want to hurt the guy’s feelings, so I just gave him one of those nods that say "I know where you’re comin’ from, bro."
Back? Good. So, I didn't really care for the Voyager-size Blackout figure. The movie characters, to me at least, look like giant bugs, walking clumps of auto parts, or giant wads of aluminum foil. Part of what appealed to me with G1 Transformers (and most characters from subsequent lines) was the fact that, though they were alien robots, they were very human in their appearance. I think these two figures return to that original aura the Transformers I've come to know had. Or at least they come close.
The toy representation of Blackout's whirling blade weapon thingy didn't really work for Blackout. But it does work for Evac. I don't know why, but it does. Don't argue, just go with it. Evac is love, plain and simple. Pure, plastic love.
So, when I walked in to Wal-Mart and saw Incinerator sitting on the shelf I had to put him in the basket. Reading Lamezoid's blog, plus a few others, I noticed a few who were expressing reservations about some of his shortcomings. Namely, the fact that he don't got no hands.
Normally, I'm really put off by Transformers that are missing body parts. Hands, feet, personalities, what have you. But for some reason, maybe it's the sweet alt-mode, maybe its the fact that he has a smirk on his face, I really don't mind it so much on Incinerator. I'm really glad I got him, and that's not something I can say for some of the other Movie toys I own.
A word of caution, though. Be careful when transforming him. There are two pieces you have to transform in the knee area, and one is attached to the other by a very small peg. If you don't do these parts in the correct order, you are going to break that peg. I did on one leg. It isn't something that really affects the figure, or is even noticeable, but it is something to be aware of.
I have to admit, even though I'm not crazy (read: HATE) the Bayformer aesthetic, I do dig this toy. His vehicle mode is really awesome and it makes me want to run out and buy a Kenworth and paint it just like this and drive around, giving all 10 year old boys a hearty thumbs up and blast from the airhorn and all 31 year old, overweight Comic Book Guy look alikes heart attacks.
While I refuse to grant Baytimus Prime and his toy incarnations admittance to the Studio 54 that is my toy robot room, the bouncer will wave this version right on in.
I'm really proud of this little set of plastic minions, they only set me back about $35 bucks total. I've just now gotten to a point where I can really concentrate on these and begin their "rehabilitation" process. First up will be removal all their chromed pieces for shipping to a friend of mine for reconditioning (it's good to be friends with car modeling enthusiasts). After that will be a good sanding and buffing of all the black and yellow plastic. Finally will be some brand new stickers courtesy of Reprolabels.
While we're at it, here's a look at the box that came with my Kickback. I bought this Kickback on ebay for about 10 bucks and, to be honest, the fact that the box was included wasn't a real big selling point for me. This box didn't even come with an insert or anything. If you look closely, you can see that the window is falling out. I never really understood why people keep boxes. It's one thing if you're a total tool and keep all your stuff MISP or MIB or whatever-the-hell. But when the box is all beat up and dented...I don't get it. Yet, strangely, I've had Kickback for about 5 months and I have yet to get rid of this crappy box.
You can't see it, but there's even yellowed tape on the back of the box, which is an especially nice touch. I'm thinking of sending this one to Evil King Macrocranios over at Please Save Me Robots. Looks like he has some sort of fetish compulsion for this sort of thing.
One shall stand...one shall fall!
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Mirage is a clear version of the 2-pack version and, truth be told, I'd have paid 10 bucks for this figure alone. He's just plain awesome.
I saw this guy sitting on the pegs at Wal-Mart. I like the Darktrooper design, and I guess this goes back to the days when I used to sit hunched over my old Win 95 PC and wasted time playing Dark Forces. Whatever the reason, I snatched this figure up and ripped him open when I got home. I really have mixed feelings about the figure, though. On the one hand, it is a very striking design; bulky, larger than the av-er-age bear, and sort of gives you the impression of a 'roided out Stormtrooper (and not "'roided out" in a bad way like the figures from the late '90's POTF2 action figures.) On the other hand, it has the same poseability as the Star Wars figures we all grew up with in the 80's. It has a whopping five points of articulation, the neck, the shoulders, and the hips. For this reason, the Darktrooper can hold extremely exciting, striking poses like this one...
...and...well, that's about it. Visions of putting him in sweet, Battlefront II mid-jump poses quickly evaporated. The sad thing is, the thing is big enough to have put some elbow, knee, and ankle joints. It's a nice four inch tall statue and that's about it. Actually, now that I think about it, my old Stormtroopers from the 80's don't have neck joints, so the Darktrooper is one up on them. SCORE!
This thing is pure plastic joy. And it comes with just about anything you could want for a VF-1, including its very own little Revoltech-y FAST pack. The only shortcoming is that it doesn't transform, but that's not what Revoltech figures are about in the first place. If you want a cool transforming Valkyrie that won't set you back 90 bucks, check out Toynami's offerings. If you want a Valkyrie figure that will get into just about any iconic Robotech pose you can think of, this one is for you.
Revoltech has yet to disappoint me. Sure, I have to whip out the Dremel every now and then to get every joint perfect, but that's a minor quibble when the figures are so much fun to play with. I spent about an hour just putting my VF-1 into any pose I could think of and I only quit because my wife and kids were giving me funny looks. This may just replace my Toynami Valk as my favorite Robotech toy.
Unfortunately, any sweetness points Jazz gets for his awesome alt-mode are completely lost because of this monstrosity...
While I don't like the movie designs, I thought Jazz was actually kind of sleek and athletic looking in the film. Unfortunately, the toy's bot mode is stocky and, like one of my old high school girlfriends he's got thunder-thighs. What the hell is up with his hands? He doesn't even hold his "sword" (as the packaging describes his weapon, even though it is painfully obvious this is a sniper-rifle)(albeit, assembled with an upside down barrel) in his hand, it attaches to a hole on the inside of the forearm. I'm really leaning toward getting Takara/Tomy's Encore Jazz that will be released later this year/early next year (I forget) just to make up for this...thing. Jazz gets an "A+" for alt-mode, and "F-" for bot-mode. I doubt I'll ever take him out of alt-mode again.
Words can't describe how awesome this figure is. It's not the most advanced figure ever, nor the most detailed, but as far as play factor and the ability to hold kick-ass poses, I'd rank him right up there with Classics Mirage and my Toynami VF-1A Valkyrie (pictures of that one to come). So here Firefly is in all his awesome, saboteur-ish badassedness.
