Whats with Destro's Gloves?

I keep asking this, why did they put Mickey Mouse cartoon gloves on this Destro?

I know, I know, what a boring post! I had to squeak in this last post for June, as my overall post goal this year is at least ten posts per month. I better drink more Mountain Dew for July. Although, I have an upcoming Spiderman experiment for July that should burn at least five posts!

Baroness this!

Geek Orthodox had a good post on the various failed Baroness's Hasbro has made over the years. I think this version was missed in the list, she came with those neat classic 3 figure packs with the comic book from the Valor vs. Venom times (that or she is a repaint of a different time?). The packs were a neat chance to get old Joe's with slight adjustments (brighter colors, different head sculpts, and new rubber band innards (which didn't help one of the Dreadnoks Ripper)).

Actually not a bad figure compared to some of those other Baroni.


And how about those glasses!


Wait for it...

Wait for it...

They are removable! I don't think they really work though, they are a bit foggy.


Still, they make for an interesting predicament when Destro steps on them.


Speaking of Destro, did they overdo his collar or what!

Transformers RotF review, Incoherent like the movie.

To start if this blog has any weight with Hasbro people in deciding future movies, PLEASE NEVER LET MICHAEL BAY DIRECT OR BE INVOLVED WITH ANOTHER TRANSFORMERS MOVIE. The same goes to you Mr. great producer Steven Spielberg.

oh lots of Spoilers...

I don't know where to start with this new movie. I actually liked the first one. I liked it a lot. It had great characters, heart, and treated the Transfomers pretty good. I accepted the part that the Transformers are expensive CGI creations, and that they do have to be limited to save money. It also makes sense, if this is a live action movie, actors have to be involved and they need screen time to fulfill their contracts. So the story has to be Man vs. Machine, not Machine vs Machine. If they want to continue Machine vs. Machine, the whole movie can just be CG without actors at all. The first movies story was a little weird, but it worked and I was happy. Also, the Decepticons were scary with the great repeating chanting theme they had. When they started to group up, it was really erie. Also remember Josh Duhamel's character's situation with his wife and kid? Also remember Jon Voight's stand out performance? Also remember Bonecrusher and Blackout dying? I will stop there.

SO this new movie gets made. I was excited. I actually like most Michael Bay movies, they are summer movies, they usually have pretty good characters, and great action. This movie was no where near his usual charm. It had plot holes, confusing scene treatments, characters that died and came back in the same movie, racist characters, One dimensional characters (that government guy), the Fallen, and Autobots that did not function as a team at all. There was no heart at all, it got stomped on somewhere when they were brutally hunting down Decepticons who were just hiding. The Devestator scene was useless, could have made a good five minute short on YouTube. Jetfire, just because you are an old robot doesn't mean you have to have a beard and cane. I hated the fact that there was the Fallen bad guys and the Decepticon bad guys. I would have been just fine with Decepticons. What was so special about the Decepticon hood ornament on the dump truck, it was like the damn ring in the Lords of the Rings. Why were their Decepticons part of Devestator and part individual robots running around??? The whole Egypt second half of the movie. Why didn't Optimus wait for back up in a three way fight? Oh because he dies, he always dies over and over again. The movie should have just ended there, Transformers fans are used to it. Bumblebee is only there when you not need him. I wanted at least one scene with Ratchet, Iron Hide, Prime, that new guy who replaced Jazz, and Bumblebee talking a plan over (the decepticons got to plan things, why not the Autobots). Where was the cool Decepticon music from the first movie!!! The darn camera moving has to stop! Don't tell me, it would look fake if slowed down, the slow motion scenes are incredible. I guess thats the evil plan, move the camera, make it hard to see, so fans have to see it ten times!

Okay-okay, I vented and feel better. Uh-oh here it comes again...

I also hate the fact that Michael Bay is all smug that this movie made lots of money. Well it should, Transformers are cool, its simple as that. It has nothing to do with Bay's talents. Remember people can't get refunds from a movie if they don't like it. The only good out of this is it made money, and sequels will continue to be made possibly by a different director. Maybe Bay will probably return to destroy it one more time, but hopefully someone else will get to try and make a good movie ten years from now.

Okay-okay, things I liked...

Great special effects (aside from being hard to determine who was who sometimes). Demolisher was amazingly designed. Soundwave hanging out in orbit and just staying there. Sam's silly parents. Megatron as a tank (but he was nothing compared to the all powerful figure of the first movie). I guess thats about it.

Okay, on an unrelated note, I am off to join the military.


Well, no I'm not, I am just saying that a large part of this movie felt like a recruitment show.

Hammock Saturdays

I Hate the Joker and here is 101 reasons why

I hate the Joker. Mainly because he is way over used as a Batman villain. Again with the Joker and his 'Ha-Ha!' and his gas, and his silly schemes. I wish Batman would just bat up and kill him right off the bat. I only had to purchase this one just for the stupid fact that when I eventually get more 3 3/4" villains, I will have to have him in the line up, but he's standing in the back row I tells ya. So you think I am being to harsh? Let me show you some other reasons why I hate him...

#54- He ties my shoes together all the time! I hate it when I fall down.


#17- He interrupts the freezing process of my precious summer popsicles!


#82- He screws with my over the air digital transmissions, Pixelating reruns of Batman!


#5- He scalds me when I am washing my hands.


I warn you to stay away from this toy!

RotF Skids Transformation

Awe Skids. I got him transformed to robot fairly easy. Robot back to car not so good. It took one episode of Seinfeld (the belt-less trench coat episode) and 20 minutes of the New 90210 to get him back. Paneling nightmare mainly his roof, along with getting his knees bent right were what killed me. Now that I have figured him out, I think I can do it in ten, and then maybe down to five. The problem is, he will soon end up on a shelf, or storage bin, or Devastators stomach, and when I find him in five years, I won't remember a darn thing on how he works. Check out his guts! Good grief thats a lot of pivots.


Looks like Rampage wants more camera time.


Uh-oh.


Skids gots some guts.


Me likes the punching fist effect. Nice to have something different than the boring missile shot.

RotF Rampage Transformation

I got the courage to transform Rampage today, here is how it unfolded...


I wish Hasbro's instructions were by photo instead of line drawing. Step one okay, flip the cab around, pull out the shovel sides. Kind of sticky.


Okay, loosen up the treads. Pretty easy, scared to try and rewind that step. Also worried about that tread plastic, I bet it will start melting in ten years or so. Or at least get really sticky.


Rampage doing Yoga.


I had a tough time with this step. Mainly because the shovel kept snapping off at a hinge. When it snapped off the first time and fell to the floor, it took me a while to remember which direction it reattached. Then I missed the step where you where supposed to fold the shovel into itself.


So far this is way easier than thought, but I know getting it back to Vehicle will be trickier.


Rampage's front legs are really stuck together with a robust peg! I had to really yank, wedge, and scream (that didn't sound right). And there is no way I am getting him into Jackhammer mode. (I don't see how it works without breaking some pegs)


Holy Crap! I did it!


By far he is the best looking Deluxe class out of wave one. I really dig the four legged action. Overall pretty solid too. His back legs like to unpeg from the back, and slide back, but I can live with that.

Now to get the courage to Transform him back.

RotF Rampage and Skids Transformers

No wonder GM failed, their 'small fuel efficient' car is the size of a bulldozer! Or wait, maybe Caterpillar failed, their bulldozer is the size of a small fuel efficient car. All jokes aside America is still an F-150 nation, and human caused global warming is a made up issue by political statists that want to run ever little detail of our lives (geez Dan, lay of the Talk radio while on part time), but its true. We all know what Transformer I will be looking for next.

I don't even want to begin to learn to transform these too. It looks next to impossible just holding them. I hear Skids is a nightmare of panel flapping. Rampage's treads scare me more than the Thundertanks. Maybe in a few months I can show off their robot forms. I like how Hasbro is continuing to make action figures of these robots too, admitting that yes, they are a pain in the ass to transform. Oh-well, there are still way more fun to play with than electrical sockets.

Ransack Attack!

When new Transformers movie toys are discussed often the comment is; "I will pass on most of the movie line, as it is not my favorite Transformer style, but that Biplane I will definitely pick up." He is finally now showing up at stores and doing well on the toy blog circuit. I hope he sells well, and maybe more Industrial Revolution Transformers will show up some day. We had perfect cloud weather this week in Boise, so I took advantage and shot Ransack outside where he belongs. I just hope he comes back, once I cut his string he didn't look back.












I wondered why that last photo didn't focus right! Watch out Ransack!!!

Fantastic Four Mega Bloks

What Bart really wanted me to do was take out my Fantastic Four Mega Bloks when he was in the closet the other day. Not a bad set for Mega Bloks. The figures are a little strange, but they come complete. The tin container really sales the whole set. I won't be mixing these up with anything.


Lots of fun things to do at the Lab, like trying to confine Dr. Doom.


Smashing through brick walls with the Thing.


Then doing concussion testing on the Thing.


yeah, this set is a keeper for rainy days.