Happy Halloween!

"Hey, guys.  Do you notice anything odd about April?"

"I'll say! She forgot the pizzas!"

3.75" Doctor Who Wave 3 Photos & Review

Here are some photos of the new wave 3 Doctor Who figures that came out within the last month:

The Tenth Doctor with Trenchcoat: The sculpt looks like it's based on Tennant's appearance in "Day of the Doctor." The sculpting around the collar and tie look a little underwhelming. I think that's partially because there's not enough paint on the tie's knot, and there should be paint on the part of the tie going around his neck.

The 11th Doctor in Tweed (revised): The one on the left is from wave 2 and the one on the right is from wave 3.  Besides the different jacket opening in the front, I noticed that the newer version's jacket is a lighter color that is a little closer to the actual jacket color.  Also, the face on the newer one is a lot nicer, maybe by luck, and the skin tone is a lot more flesh tone and a lot less yellowish.    

What I did in the end was pop off the hands and head from the new figure, and swapped them for the Purple Coat 11, and now I have a much nicer Purple Coat figure.

And then there's the Gold Supreme Dalek. He's , um, gold.

Damning Faint Praises Leads to Success for Latest "Ninja Turtles" Movie

The Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made a $65 million debut this weekend, thanks in part to the critics.

It would be a easier to find a hard working senator than it would be to find a positive review for the latest Ninja Turtles movie, but this hasn't stopped moviegoers from flocking to this movie. In fact, the movie's success can be attributed to one key phrase that seemed to be repeated in many of the early reviews:

"It's not as bad as Michael Bay's Transformers."

That is not to say that all reviews are redundant.  I was quite impressed with a few of them:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/08/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-what-the-shell/375777/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/08/07/review-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-is-a-cowabummer/

But it comes down to why people went to see this movie.  To rekindle some old nostalgia? Sure. To indoctrinate a newer generation? You betcha.  Due to lowering literacy standards, no one reads reviews any more? Possibly. There's nothing good on Saturday nights? Okay. Because it's better than that piece of $#!+ Transformers franchise? Nail-on-the-head correct.

And I'm not preaching from the mound either. I plan on seeing Ninja Turtles sooner rather than later. In part because I grew up during the original craze, but mostly because it's not going be as bad as Transformers.



I hope.

TMNT Puzzle Erasers - Leo & Raph

I recently found these at my local Target.  I didn't notice that they were erasers, or I probably wouldn't have got them. Available in little poly bags, these are not so much puzzles as they are just rubber models that need assembled.  Each bag is labelled so you know which figure you are buying.

I bought Leo and Raph.  Each figure has their own stance, and their weapons are made of plastic not rubber. So, if you really did use them as erasers, then you'd have their weapons leftover to remember them by. Leo and Raph also have different skin tones, similar to what Playmates does with the regular figures.






Now for the bad.  The overall detailing and paint are pretty generic.  There is a separate piece for Leo's scabbards, so they're not totally lacking.  The paint, though, is pretty sloppy and look like they were applied by, well, me.

But these are erasers after all, and only $2 a piece. For what they are, they aren't bad. I certainly had fun putting them together.

Ultra Hero 500 Series Ultraman Nexus Anphans Mode Review

I was very happy to see Ultraman return to television, albeit briefly, in the form of Ultraman Ginga.  A follow-up series is already on the way, along with yet another new Ultraman. Ginga introduced the toyetic gimmick of Spark Dolls, basically all the Ultramen and Ultra Monsters have been turned into action figures that you can collect. The Ultra Hero and Ultra Kaiju series are Spark Dolls that you can buy.

Before we begin, there are a few things you need to know about the Ultra Hero 500 series:

1. It's made in a 5" scale, smaller than the previous 6" scale that Bandai's been using since, well, ever.

2. This is an economical series, possibly one of the reasons for the scale down, and painting apps are sparse. In Japan, you can buy one of these for the equivalent of $5.00, half of what the 6" figures would cost.  In USA, they are sold up to $12.99, but I won't recommend spending that much unless you're really desperate.

3.  There have been a lot of different Ultramen and Ultra Kaijus released, and despite the scale difference, it's a cheap and easy way to fill in the gaps in your collection.

That being said, we are looking at the new Ultra Hero series version of Ultraman Nexus (Anphanis Mode). Looking at the sculpt, there are a lot of details here.  It's possible that it is actually the older, larger model from 2003, but scaled down. Unfortunately, there is a lot of paint missing to bring out those details. To go over all the missing paint would take much too long, so the pictures are all comparison shots to the older vinyl figure.



The one thing I like about this figure over the old one is that Bandai used a wonderful metallic red paint for Nexus's v-shaped color timer. It looks so beautiful, and my picture did not do it justice.

You can move the arms and the waist, just enough articulation to keep the five-year-old who's playing with it happy. There's isn't much else to talk about.

So, in review, if you're looking for a smaller inexpensive version of Nexus, here it is. If you're wanting a larger, better painted figure, search eBay for the 6" version. If you want one with articulation, contact your local Bandai representative and tell them that their Ultra-Act series needs to get their, er, act together.

S.H. MonsterArts Heisei Mothra Review and Gallery

Even though I'm a big fan of Bandai's S.H. Figuarts and Ultra-Act sub-line, I haven't gotten too excited about their MonsterArts line that focuses on kaiju mainly from the Godzilla movies.  Part of it is the price tag on these suckers, and the other is that currently most of the figures are from the Heisei era of Godzilla films, including this one.

Mothra ("Mosura") was introduced to Japanese audiences in 1961 in the eponymous Toho movie.  When King Kong Vs Godzilla became a huge success, Toho decided to face Godzilla off against one of their own creations, spawning 1964's Mothra Vs Godzilla, a personal favorite of mine. Since then, Mothra has been in many of Godzilla's films, including a brief nod in the newest American one.

This figure is based off the design from 1992's Godzilla Vs Mothra, apparently my sister's favorite Mothra movie. The detailing on this figure is nothing short of breathtaking.  Bandai did a very good job with capturing the color and look of Mothra's body and wings.



The main thing I tried to capture in my photos was the immense size of the figure, even comparing it to the 2011 Revoltech Mothra, which was based on the original 1961 design.  I suppose I was expecting the figure to be closer in size to the Revoltech figure, but its wingspan matches the length of the box it comes in. In other words, it's huge!


On the plus side, there is a lot of articulation.  Mothra's head has a lot of movement. The wings have hinges for you to move them up and down.  Almost everything on Mothra's face is poseable to a certain extent, including the antenna and mandibles.  The legs have multiple joints, and you can even curl Mothra's abdomen, i.e. its butt.  Unfortunately, all of it feels very fragile, and you should handle the figure with utmost care.  The figure does come with a stand.



I had seen pictures of the figure online, but it was only when I broke down and got it, did I realize how great this figure is. Part of me wished I held out in case they make one based on an older design, but it's probably the best representation of Heisei Mothra you'll find available.

Hey! Where's Mothra? I'm supposed to get my picture with her!

To further give you an idea of scale, here are some pictures of the queens of Japanese tokusatsu: Mothra and Mother of Ultra!

Sayonara, Mosura-chan!

My Letter to Mr. Del Toro

Dear Mr Guillermo del Toro,

First of all, I wanted to say that even I have not watched many of your films, for horror is not my favorite genre, those that I have watched are both visually and emotional vibrant.

Second, and the reason I'm writing this, is to apologize for not having more faith in your film, Pacific Rim.  Being a nod to kaiju and mecha shows from my youth, I was interested in seeing the film, but seemingly endless negative reviews dulled my interest.

Now, a year later, I have finally seen it and throughly enjoyed it. I daresay even more than the recent Garth Edwards Godzilla reboot/remake/whatever. That is because of the human element.  Whether it's because of your direction or the exceptional cast put together for Pacific Rim, the characters were much more relatable than the cardboard stand-ins from Godzilla 2014.

My one objection is that there is not much time with Charlie Day's and Burn Gorman's characters together. They have a great Ham/Monk relationship, and don't worry if you don't know what I'm talking about. I'd be happy to introduce you to the Doc Savage series as well.

In the DVD extras, you said that kaiju fights were a lot like wrestling matches, and wrestling matches aren't anything without personality. Pacific Rim, in my opinion, has personality to spare.

Thank you for your time and good luck in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

John M Emmons

Natalie Merchant: Better Late Than Never

In many ways, it's like Natalie Merchant never took a seven year absence.  In her new album, she still produces intelligent lyrics with lush instrumentation coupled with her elegant voice that just seems to get better with time. Her new album feels like the natural successor to 2001's "Motherland" despite the long gulf of years between the two albums.

The self-titled album's main theme shares much in common with her old song "Life Is Sweet."  Many of the songs point to the hardships of life and the importance of enjoying what little happiness we can find and ignoring the bitterness. As things stand now, our hardships seem evident and increasing, and there is nothing that will alleviate it anytime soon.  "It's A-Coming" promises change but only after much suffering and upheaval.

Among my favorites are the glorious "Go Down Moses" and the bold "Giving Up Everything."  This album is very dense, layers upon layers, and it will not likely win you over at first listen, but it is a very rewarding experience for repeat listenings.  It will at least lend you some comfort and, perhaps, a little hope.

Natalie Merchant's New "Natalie Merchant" Album: Now With More Natalie Merchant Music

Silly title aside, I've been meaning to dust off the old blog for some random writing exercises, and what better way than to celebrate Natalie's Merchant's newest album. I'm going to avoid a few superficial disagreements I have with the album and not even mention the whole gap between albums thing.

Point of fact, Natalie's back, and her voluptuous voice is as stunning as ever. The fusion of orchestra and more traditional band sounds makes for a heady combination, but make no mistake. This is not another "Leave Your Sleep."  Its tone and themes are much more sombre this time around.

These songs were cultivated during that long interim, her first foray into motherhood.

Natalie, promise us it won't be another four years until you grace us with your lyrical genius.