Titan Autobot Ark

 Titan Autobot Ark

Transformers - Hasbro

The Autobot's signature set piece, the mammoth Ark spaceship that brought them to Earth, is finally here!  Instead of just being a playset/backdrop/vehicle, the AllSpark has given life to it, resulting in another Titan Class Transformer.

It may not be Generation 1 accurate, but it's something unique and imaginative.  Transformation was relatively simple, and the bot mode is solid.  Some of the previous Titans suffer from weak joints and weight distribution problems...not Ark.  I found I could get him in some decent poses without fear of him toppling over or dropping body parts/accessories.

The paint is good, as you would expect from a large object that is primarily bright orange.  There is appropriate detailing here and there, with splashes of reds, yellows, grays, and blues.  The fading blue on the thrusters especially stands out.

If I have any complaints bout the robot, it's that his head isn't quite as "classic" as I would like (just a bit too "Cyberverse" toony) and he has zero weapons to clutch.  His hull does have tiny gun turrets still visible on the outside, but no large gun or sword or anything.  Cost saving measure?  Or did they figure he was badass enough without one?  You do get a couple of transparent blue thruster effects (that barely port into the thrusters) that would look just as good coming from the end of the weapon that he didn't come with.  I expect a third party company to come up with something suitable for him soon.

Even though I may have preferred a fold out play set over the Titan mode, you do get a key accessory built into the Ark's robo-buddy, Mainframe.  Mainframe is dispatched from the center of the ark, underneath the main bridge viewing area.  Here, you can place a super tiny Optimus Prime in command.  Neat detail, but Im not sure I needed the reminder of how one needs to overlook wonky scale issues throughout their collection.

Pulling out the bridge area leaves a decent sized cavity that can act as a cockpit for smaller Transformers.

Mainframe transformed is a bit larger than current deluxe figures, but still smaller than leader class.  He's more "classic" feeling with his blocky body.  What's more is that he transforms into the Autobot computer, Teletraan 1!  While not guns, he does have a few accessories built in.  The Sky Spy satellite camera can be dispatched from his torso, and he has a few important data discs for the Autobots to record it's findings on.

Overall, I'm quite please with this.  I'm not sure how often I will have Ark transformed into Titan mode. It's a neat feature, but I quite like having the ship mode on display with other space-related Autobots.  It looks great docked and ready for takeoff with Titan Omega Supreme's "city" mode and Commander class Sky Lynx's shuttle mode.  I know...kind of an expensive background piece, but it really brings my collection to life for me.  My Titans are complete, and I've got just a few more updated characters I would like to see in the Kingdom line before I can feel satisfied closing the book on Transformers.

Take a look back at other Transformers Titans:

Omega Supreme - https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/10/omega-supreme.html

Trypticon - https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2018/01/trypticon.html

Seinfeld: Jerry's Apartment

 Seinfeld:  Jerry's Apartment

Funko Mini Moments

Funko has finally done it!  They made a product that doesn't disgust me in any way!  While it's not surprising that Funko would go after one of the greatest sitcoms of all time in their quest to engulf and market every facet of pop culture with their soul-less, black eyed, vinyl POPS line, this entry is a total shocker.  And a most welcome one:  notable Seinfeld characters with a build-a-playset gimmick!  Giddyup!

Jerry's apartment comes in six pieces, each packaged with a minifigure.  Some sections are bigger than others, while the smaller pieces come with additional set dressing like the couch, table, chairs, coffee table.  The detail is great for as small as it is, and it should check most "must-have" boxes for die-hards:  little things like Jerry's cereal boxes, rarely-used computer station, fridge magnets...even Superman has some representation (just enough to skirt copyright laws).  They only took one liberty with the overall layout: access hallway to Jerry's bedroom is missing.  They went with a straight hall to the bathroom, but kept the bike hanging on the wall.  Oh well, Little Jerry here doesn't come with a girlfriend-of-the-week to necessitate total accuracy here. 

The figures, though simple and cartoony, capture the essence of the characters, and are way cuter that their larger POPs counterparts.  Mouths, Funko?  They work to save your plastic doppelgangers from Uncanny Valley territory.  They stand about 2-inches tall on average, Kramer getting a little more height with his hair, of course.  

Character selection works for the most part.  You get the big four plus Newman, who makes sense since he lives in the building and is commonly seen at Jerry's front door.  Uncle Leo is a bit of an oddity.  I know he must have been in Jerry's place a handful of times, but it's hard to recall.  I think of him more when it comes to stop-and-chats on the street or out and about, stopping to irk Jerry with some cousin Jeffrey news.  Though if not Uncle Leo, I'm not sure which other character would be better suited for this set...Frank Costanza (one of my favorites) or Mickey?  Both were Kramer business associates that dropped in from time to time.  Oh well, Uncle Leo is still great (if not difficult)!

"Hello, Newman..."

Funko usually tries to ruin completists' collections and fuel terrible aftermarket prices with chase variants...this line is no different.  At least they are just wardrobe variants for the main characters (surprised they didn't go super-cheap on an eyebrow-less Uncle Leo) that I can pass on without feeling my set is incomplete.  As iconic as the puffy shirt is, it's one episode.  Standard Jerry is all I need.  I did, however get lucky on the best of the bunch...Amazon delivered me the chase George, which features his red-orange style jacket (No, not the Gor-Tex one) that runs through a bulk of outdoor shots, pop-ins, and seasonal episodes.  

I would love to see this line expand to, say, Monk's Diner and have a reason to get more mini-staples of the show.  I'd even go for a Del Boca Vista wave, though I imagine this is a one-and-done.  Funko doesn't really have a great track record for seconds.  Either way, this is still one of, if not the best Funko outing ever.  Maybe there are some other classic series that deserve the full-set treatment in the works?  (*crosses fingers for "Cheers"*)

"Mary Hart's voice!  Don't you see?!"

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?