Godzilla vs Jet Jaguar vs Gamera

 Godzilla vs Jet Jaguar vs Gamera

Bandai

Big, lumbering, man-in-suit monsters don't necessitate modern action figure articulation.  The old as dirt toy practice of rotocasting does the job just fine.  Head and arm movement is about all you need anyway, but sometimes they throw in waist, leg, and tail swivels.  

Big, dumb toys from a big, dumb concept...I like the idea of Godzilla more than his movies.  The "Mystery Science Theater 3000" Godzilla episodes are the only ones I can stomach without getting bored or falling asleep.  I'm sure there are purists out there that hate the MST3K treatment of their beloved movies, but, c'mon...Jet Jaguar?  He deserves to be "poo-pooed" by robot puppets.  

Is he worth $15?  Not at all!  He's got permanent karate chop and waist twist action, but without the action features!  And he's got no movement below the waist.  He's just dying to take a Godzilla-tail leg sweep to the floor.  Still, the robotic Jack Nicholson grin is so ridiculous, I just couldn't pass him up.  He would go on to inspire Rainbow Brite's wardrobe and the Green Goblin's mask before falling back into obscurity. 

Speaking of obscurity, I tracked down the Oreo to Godzilla's Hydrox:  the flying space turtle who is friend to all children, Gamera!  Gamera may be a knock-off, but he's way better in that I don't think anyone involved with him ever took the concept too seriously.  Kind of like how Jason Voorhies was a cash-grab on Michael Myers, but ended up being a lot of fun in his own right?

VS

I mean, his company was cool with letting MST3K celebrate his awfulness in a full-blown collector's tin, boxed set!  Godzilla on the other hand?  His handlers pulled the rights to previously released DVDs and refused to allow a few other MST3K episodes see the light of day again.  Hoity Toity, Toho!  C'mon, Universal is fine with us forever poking fun at the Metaluna Mutant...get over yourselves!

Again, not a huge fan of the Kaiju genre outside of what Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot have to offer, but I'm always going to take Gamera over the competition.  I assume he's the inspiration for my favorite Pokemon, Blastoise...who you should always choose over the boring, cliche, fire-breathing Charizard.

Tantive IV Hallway Playset

 Tantive IV Hallway Playset

Hasbro - The Vintage Collection

I've been sitting on this one for a while...over half a year. There are a couple of reasons why.  Tantive IV (the Rebel Blockade Runner) has been one of my most wanted Star Wars ships since the beginning of my collecting days.  Yes, scale would always be an issue, but Kenner/Hasbro used to be masters of adapting large concepts to maximum playability and affordability.  Even if it only fit three to five figures, like the not-too-long-ago unearthed Kenner mock-up, I wanted it.  I get that Hasbro is a money making company that likes to maximize their profits as much as the rest, but I'm never going to be convinced that the market doesn't exist for a scale between Haslab's crowdfunded behemoths (Sail Barge, Razor Crest) and "bite-sized Vintage" (aka - Mission Series).  Maybe the designers honestly feel it shouldn't be done any other way?  Choosing to go the route of playset form for the size-problematic Death Star, and not the goofy-but-fun Star Destroyer?

Any which way, after all this time, we have to settle for a hallway.  It's a nice looking hallway.  But this is nothing I could not have already had from 3D printers.  It's nothing special, but I suppose it saves one a little money ($50 for a good chunk) and time (no painting, gluing, or sanding) packaging it up this way.  You can buy multiple sets to make more hallways...or longer hallways...but that's about it.  The questionably angled design on the right end pretty much says "link four together for a square."  Wow...the possibilities are endless!

The back side isn't detailed at all, but does have these "metal" sections seen in the parts where Princess Leia gives R2-D2 the Death Star Plans and gets "stunned."  An updated escape pod would have been nice here.  Or maybe sections and seats of the conference room from Revenge of the Sith?  Hasbro: "Nah...good enuff for 'em.  They got opening and closing doors, after all."

Yoda: "In your solitude on Tattooine, 3D printing job I have for you."

The pack-in bonus is a Rebel Trooper.  Army building is great and all, but this is the exact same figure that I think has been released to the vintage series twice now?  They aren't clones...how about a different head or multiple heads?  The only change here is that they are featured in vintage packaging within the boxed set.  Why would anyone be buying this not to take it out of the box?  I suppose there are sad people out their that don't play with their toys...but can they resist opening a box to be able to display the figure inside in it's box?  Maybe that's why Hasbro went with "Rogue One" packaging on the figure....only dopes would believe anything was worth keeping pristine about that turd of a movie.  What a slap in the face to vintage collector's wanting any representation of this ship, thinking that it needs current Star Wars garbage to sell it.  Packaging is trash, just like Rogue One.

Darth Vader would like to add: "No ignited lightsabers necessary, nay, allowed on this playset!"

Even with all this negativity, I did have a good time positioning the 15 or so Rebel Troopers I have (who have been oh-so patiently awaiting their demise aboard the Star Tours speeder for many years) on this "playset".  I am enjoying it for what it is, coming to terms with this being all there is for the Tantive IV.  At least, I'm hoping that a coffee table sized Haslab behemoth isn't coming...but considering the success of the others, I wouldn't be surprised.  And I wouldn't be surprised to see Hasbro pushing that dollar sign even higher...$700?  $800?  Make it an even grand?  

The Suicide Squad and the Winter Guard

 The Suicide Squad and the Winter Guard

DC Multiverse - McFarlane Toys and Marvel Legends - Hasbro 

So, the first Suicide Squad movie sucked, but at least I got some obscure DC figures out of the mess.  Expectations for a second movie are low, but like hell I’m gonna pass on a figure of Polka-Dot Man!

I don’t dislike Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, I’m just a lil tired of that character carrying the bulk of the weight of the DC Cinematic Universe.  Having been Harley(ed) to death with figure variations since 1993, I would have passed on this one altogether had it not been for the King Shark build a figure piece.  Still, the red dress is something new, and the applications of her bonkers tattoos are clean and crisp.  There is something a bit off with the face…almost there, but not quite.  It really depends on the lighting and angle.

Same goes for John Cena’s Peacemaker.  Being a WWE fan, Ive had my fair share of better likenesses from Mattel.  It’s there, but not quite…which may be a minus for a face covered 50% by a helmet.  The costume looks great.  See, Marvel…you can do movie-ized versions of comic outfits and get away with it…if you arent secretly ashamed of the material you’re writing for.

The Idris Elba likeness is…um…nonexistent.  Yup, Todd McFarlane wants you to buy a figure with 95% reuse just so you can get an alternate head.  It’s always 1997 in Todd’s world!  Eh, I like the helmet anyway.  Has Bloodsport had an outfit or color scheme like this in current comics?  It’s a lil too “placeholder for Deathstroke” if you ask me.

Saving the best for last, Polka-Dot Man is here is all of his goofy glory!  And he has a fairly comic accurate costume!  Love the removable goggles. Not sure how they are going to explain his bizarre dot powers, but at least he comes with an appropriate weapon and blast effect.  Now, If we could only get Kite Man for SS III…

Oh, speaking of weapons…I assume the movie will explain the weird swords and staff included with these.  Apparently, Warner Brothers will approve you to make toys of your violent, not-for-kids movie, just as long as they don’t have guns.  Um, that kinda dulls the MO of two world class assassins being on the team (one having once shot Superman with a Kryptonite bullet.). Sigh…Thank goodness for Jazwares’ Fortnite figures and their plethora of ammunition.  I was able to grab a few appropriate firearms for this photo shoot.

I already have a King Shark from Mattel some years back, but this is a unique take:  chubby and deceivingly friendly looking.  From they trailers, I assume he’s the team’s big, dumb tank.  And he’s voiced by Stallone!  

Sharky may be one of the weightiest figures in some time…lottsa solid plastic.  His articulation is fair for a figure of his size, but the shorts restrict most of his knee movement.  No team running pics for this guy.  The articulated mouth makes up for it.  Nomnomnomnom!

Aside from Harley overload, this is a pretty solid wave of figures.  I know there are a ton of characters on the team this time around (though who knows who survives more than a few second of screen time), so I hope the movie is successful enough for another wave or two.  The Thinker, Ratcatcher 2, and Mongal are musts for me.  They can keep the Pete Davidson figure, though…he looks like you could catch something from him just by standing next to him, and I don’t need any of that near my action figures.

One good, wacky team deserves another, so I’m pairing the Squad with Marvel’s Soviet Super-Soldiers, the Winter Guard!  Not much to say about Marvel Legends in general…more of the reused bodies, but great articulation and head sculpts.

I’ve covered the awesome, steampunky Crimson Dynamo before, and Red Guardian came out several years ago at this point.  Darkstar and Build-a-Figure Ursa Major are new additions.  It’s hard to keep track of Legends…I think we’ve had four waves hit in one summer!

 

 

It’s the summer of shark man and bear man…how epic is that?!

Cowabunga!!!  Let’s hear it for more completed action figure teams!

Take a look back at a slimmer, scarier looking King Shark:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2017/06/king-shark-wave-dc-multiverse.html