M'Kyuun

I got Animated Waspinator last night. He's a neat update to the BW character. His transformation is pretty simple, but he looks good in both modes, is very poseable, and he has a small lever on his back that makes his wings flap. I wasn't planning on getting him, as I was more interested in finding Samurai Prowl, but my wife spotted him and "twisted my arm". I never had the original BW figure, as I wasn't crazy about it, but I've no regrets grabbing his Animated incarnation. Speaking of Animated, anyone else catch the 1.5 hours of the third season opener this past weekend. IMO, it was a great opening, resolving some issues from the end of second season, and planting the seeds for a good main plotline. My understanding is that there were originally plans to go beyond the third season, and then it was decided to canx the show after the third, so many elements that were to be introduced have either been cut or condensed. I feel a tug of remorse, as this is the first TF show since BW that I've liked, and it's being cancelled quite early into its run. I have a bad feeling that it's going to be replaced by a live-action-movie based show. If so, more's the pity for a better show lost.

Classic Space...the old blue and grey stuff was great, and remains popular. An updated version of the theme would sell well, methinks.

Interestingly enough, Playmobil made an executioner figure, but it was not released, at least not in the USA. It's a strange dichotomy that we can have human, dwarf, and troll figures with huge battle axes meant to slice and chop the enemy, but a guy in a hood with an axe sends kids all the wrong signals. On topic, I'd like to see this http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=6541 with half of this http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=43857 attached to the side. I think it'd be greatly useful. While I'm not opposed to new apparel and minifig utensil parts, if TLG did allow a few fan-based element designs, I'd want them to be as useful as possible across many, if not all, themes. There's been much clamoring over the years for ancient civilization based themes, and I think it's only a matter of time before we see them realized. So I try to focus on elements that could be useful throughout System, and thus worth TLG's while to create them. And since I've mentioned minifigs, is there anyone else like me who'd love a new System mid-sized minifig that's basically a scaled down version of the truly excellent Technic fig? While I love the minifig (who doesn't?), I think it's time the minifig caught up with current poseability trends and received an upgrade. Along with this new midi-fig, TLG could revive the old, but great, Model Team theme, with much more lifelike and poseable drivers, pilots, and operators. The hands would remain the same, allowing the use of regular minifig utensils.

Well, movies, by definition, are entertainment. I think our culture, with much more disposable income than our parents or theirs before, has raised their importance somewhat, along with other means of entertainment. Entertainment means different things to different people, and I certainly won't judge anyone b/c they like or dislike one medium or a specific genre over another. I watch what I like, and I'd expect no different from anyone else. And if someone disagrees, well, that's their prerogative as a human, but don't let it sway you from liking what you like, or sharing it here. Touching again on the comic conversation, I credit the voice actors for giving the animated characters their personalities and a voice I can associate with the character, and why reading the words on a page seems lifeless (and I have a decent imagination). In part, I think that's why G1 stands out to many older Transformer fans... the VAs created indelible personalities in their fans' minds and hearts. Scatman Crothers will always be Jazz, Peter Cullen will always be Optimus, Frank Welker will always be Megatron. Mel Blanc created a world of characters for Loony Tunes. The same can be said about anything really. Old tv shows that are remade into modern versions, although prettier, generally lack what made the original so good. Back on topic, I do enjoy the more modern comics for the artwork...there's some gorgeous art in many of today's comics, but the story doesn't grab me like an animated show.

I buy sets across most themes, but mostly Star Wars. I buy most sets for the sets themselves, esp over the last 4-5 years. I also buy additional sets for parts, like everybody else. I generally use Bricklink for parts that are out of production, or are just rare. I've always been especially fond of the various space themes, so I'm looking forward to Space Police 3.

I can think of a whole range of pieces I'd like to see designed inversely with a stud rather than a socket. The 1x1 clip would be handy with a stud, too. Also, 3, 5, and 7 stud long tiles would be handy.

Magnus is a solid figure, spot -on in both modes, and he says a couple quotes from the show. Even better, he sounds exactly like he does in the show. I have most of the Animated figs, and find them to be well made. My BB stands just fine, as do all my figs. The only fig i've had trouble with is Swindle: his right arm is defective at the shoulder ball joint and falls off easily with light handling. I've thought about beefing up the area around the socket with superglue. otherwise, he's a great fig with a decent transformation, and good aesthetics in both bot and alt modes. Of course, the toys aren't without their design flaws. Lockdown's knee articulation is very limited, and BB's "stingers" don't fold flush into the arms(there's room for them to do so, but stops were molded onto the things to prevent them ) Leader class Megs has an excellent bot mode, but his alt almost seems like an afterthought, esp the simplistic folding of his arms. Sentinel Prime is quite small and short compared to his depiction on the show. He probably should have been a voyager class toy instead of deluxe. His shoulder articulation is limited due to his transformation design. I have quite a few of the movie toys from the first movie, and I like most of them. Longarm, the tow truck, is hands down my favorite movie based toy...a very poseable fig with a good alt mode. I like voyager Ratchet, as well; he's a solid figure with a good transformation and looks good in both modes, if you can handle the greenish-yellow coloring. Brawl is, IMHO, one of the best tank transformers ever designed; his shoulder tabs are really about the only flaw. While i wasn't that jazzed about the first movie's leader Prime toy, the new retooled version has my interest. I'm looking forward to getting Sideswipe, as well...looks good in both modes. I like Skids and Mudflap, but their heads are terrible. I may just wait for a possible repaint of each with, hopefully, new head molds.

I wasn't going to say anything, but what the heck: I didn't find Bay's Megatron menacing, engaging, or otherwise interesting in any aspect. His dialog was so incredibly minimal and cliche as to make me cringe. And, to make matters worse, Hugo Weaving's voice was unrecognizeable as such; what a shame to take an actor with such a voice, and modulate it to the point where it wouldn't matter who supplied it. Add to that the fact that he in no way resembles a Transformer, and that his alt form is an absurdity born out of a poorly designed bot mode. On the flip side, despite my general disdain for Cybertronian alt modes, I bought Animated deluxe Cybertronian Prime upon reading some very positive statements on the MacrossWorld Transformer forums, where criticism flows like the River Nile through the Egyptian barrens. I have to echo the high marks. All around excellent figure. His waist to upper torso connection come apart rather easily on mine, but in all other respects, he's a great fig.

Several trailers are available on the net. While I didn't care for the third movie, aside from Kristanna Loken, the trailers have my attention for this installment. Christian Bale is a capable action star, and I think he'll do a fine job as John Connor. What draws me to this is that we'll see the evolution of the terminator as only previously described. Schwarzenegger will make a cameo appearance thanks to technology; his face will be digitally grafted onto the body of a bodybuilder, or so I've read. James Cameron, Terminator creator and director for the first two movies, has a writing credit, however, McG is directing.

Glad my topic struck a positive chord. As far as I know, not much is really known about the process of creating new elements. I 've noticed over the years that Bionicle has quite a few new molds every year, but System seems to just have a few, and often they are parts with limited usage, such as http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?P=x1435 Further on my list: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=47905 with an axle hole, and http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?P=4595 with smooth ends. I wish TLG made an assortment of bricks with similar stud placement. I'd also like a bracket with the base at the bottom, and the bracket part 1 plate wide so that the mini gap could be eliminated. Again, a variety of brackets would be useful, esp 2 stud wide barackets, one with bracket up, the other down. For SNOT building , it'd be greatly useful, I think. These ideas seem like no-brainers to me; but this is why I'm appealing to the ambassadors. TLG solicits our set ideas, why not element ideas too? I'm a subpar builder, so my ideas are simple; I'd love to see some ideas of the more talented among us.

Having searched, I found no similar threads, so here's my proposal: given TLG's involvement with their fans, more specifically AFOLs, would they be willing to allow us to submit ideas for new System elements, choose perhaps the two or three best based upon votes, and actually produce them? I know I have often wished for this or that piece, as I'm sure others have as well. So I'm putting this out there for the Ambassadors; would TLG be open to new element ideas from the fans? Naturally, TLG would have the final say based on playability, functionality, safety, and versatility. My two suggestions would be 1) http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32013 with the axle connector replaced by half of http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=75535b , and 2) single stud wide ball and socket joints with friction and 90-180 degrees of motion in at least 1 plane, possibly attached to plates. Tall order, I know, but the last time we had friction ball/sockets was with the arm elements: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3613 http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30082 http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3614a

Thanks for the link, Peppermint M. Good stuff for the uninitiated, such as myself. Just saw the movie. I liked it. Whatever its flaws or deviations, I enjoyed the movie. It's certainly more mature than most superhero type films. While there were various scenes of violence, only one or two stand out as "graphic", but the guys had it coming. Rohrschach was amazing...he could have a stand alone comic. Overall, this was a good ensemble movie, showcasing the variety of personalities and their differing degrees of humanity. Although the ending differs from the graphic novel, it made sense, prob more sense than the original, IMO. I leafed through a copy of the comic aftewards; much of what transpires on the page happens in the movie, including dialog. For all intents and purposes, it seems quite faithful to the source, ending notwithstanding. Most Hollywood productions based on another medium seem to pick and choose the elements they like best and discard the majority of the source in favor of "interpretation", much to the chagrin of its fans. There's a lot of material to cover from a work like The watchmen , so I tip my hat to the producers, writers, and director for tackling such a project. Perhaps I'm easy to please;On second thought, ask me about Bay's take on Transformers.

Couldn't agree more. "Major blowiness" When Michael Bay was announced as director, I didn't know who he was. The Rock was his only movie that I'd seen, and I liked it, for the most part. I'm not a big Nick Cage fan, but Connery is the man, and Ed Harris is generally great in everything he's in. Anyway, When I read that Spielberg made the trip himself to secure the rights to make the movie, I figured he was going to direct. I'm not sure how it would have turned out...then again, he let Bay use Orci's screenplay. I don't know if we'll be "jacking in" in 20 years, but I can see alot more progress in 3D, perhaps an ability to control the camera angle and zoom...very much like alot of video games. However, beyond better cameras, I don't think the core art of filmmaking will change too radically; after all, a film is the director's vision, and I doubt that many of them would want to give the viewer options. Now, I could see alternative shots being created by the director to tone down or eliminate certain scenes with mature, sexual, and violent content, available in the main menu. The viewer has the option to select the scenes he wants to view, and hits play. The movie would still flow, and edited scenes would hint at, or merely explain somehow, the events rather than graphically showing them. In effect, a director has the option to crerate an "R" rated film, but in the theatre, both versions could be shown, thereby reaching a wider audience and generating more revenue. Win, win situation. I can see the use of film going away in favor of disc technology. Of course, many filmmakers would still want to use film, but small digital media would severely cut down on the cost of transporting film canisters, and eliminate the degradation that film experiences over time. The use of film in our digital age seems to me something of an anachronism.

I didn't find the urinating scene funny at all...I groaned, and felt horribly dismayed. Out of the whole movie, " I ate the whole plate", and "handsome man" (Sam, placating his dad to prevent his seeing the bots), were the only two lines that made me smile. I thought the humor in Bay's movie was plain awful. I don't just blame Bay; his writers, who claim to be lifelong fans of Transformers, wrote the movie, so I heap a great deal of unspoken invective upon them, as well. Admittedly, I'm not aware of any Hollywood directors on record as die-hard fans of Transformers. Then again, I've never searched, either. My own pick, if he were to direct movies again, would be James Cameron. He was arguably one of the best sci-fi directors in Hollywood before he made Titanic and subsequently dropped out of the movie making business in favor of documentaries. I think Robert Rodriguez could make a good Transformers movie, as well. Bay would have never even entered my mind; I'm actually surprised that Spielberg didn't helm the thing himself, or try shopping it to his friend, George Lucas. I love Star Wars (OT), but I don't think I could handle Lucas' direction: Megs, to OP "I see you have taken an Earth form for disguise; your degradation is complete." OP, in reply "Megatron, join me and the Autobots, and we can end this destructive conflict. There is good in you, I have felt it within the Matrix. But be warned, Megatron, for if you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" Megs "I'll never join you, Prime! I am a Decepticon, like my maker." Prime "So be it, Decepticon." While I admire your optimism, I expect alot more action in ROTF, but the same, if less, character development due to the increased number of bots. In a 2 hr movie, it would be tough to flesh out so many new characters, and add more depth to any bots from the first movie. Action and explosions, and more frenetic dialog from Shia, in addition to more nearly indistingishable bots in blurry action shots. I'm curious if this movie will do as well as the first; I think the box office take was high due to so many fans wanting to see their beloved Autobots and Decepticons duking it out on the big screen. Alot of those fans were disillusioned by Bay's take on the franchise and may not bother with it this time around. I didn't see the first in the theatre (I was deployed at the time), and quite honestly, I wouldn't be too upset if I missed ROTF. It'll be out on DVD around Sept-Oct.

Well, I wasn't exactly looking for Dr. phil moments , but some character development on both sides would have made the movie more about the title characters. The hackers and Sector 7 were pointless, IMO, and added nothing but a sense of loathing to the movie. Design wise, Neither Megs nor Frenzy looked like a Transformer, and don't even get me started on Frenzy..in short, I hated him. Scorponok is not a Transformer; he just becomes a backpack for one. I'm aware that Megs will not deign to take an Earth based alt, but his bot mode could have been made to resemble his G1 appearance, since he's an iconic character and should be easily identifiable. I see nothing has changed for the second movie, as Megs , now a Cybertronian tank, still in no way looks like a transformer, and his tank mode is vastly unappealing, IMO. Toywise, I've never been a big fan of Cybertronian alts,; I favor a decent Earth mode, as that's their disguise. So much animation was wasted on showing the Autobots hanging out in Sam's backyard...could have been put to better use showing the Decepticons searching for Megs. BB urinating on the agent...just didn't belong..it felt inappropriate, not from a moral standpoint, but from a character standpoint; he's a robot, and he's a good guy, so why a mock display of such lowbrow human behavior? I could go on, but there's no point. It is what it is, and the franchise will continue in kind as long as Spielberg and Bay are making these movies. I know what to expect going in now; a movie by a guy who was never a fan of his subject material. To me, there's so much to despise about the first movie, and so very little to redeem it. I personally hope that Transformers will get another reimagining for the big screen a few years down the road, a la Hulk, that is very G1 and graphic novel based, albeit with an updated look to the Transformers, but without such a radical departure as Bay's bots. Too, I hope the focus of said movie is on the bots. To me, this will satisfy the folks who didn't feel like they got the movie for which they waited 20+ years. On a positive note, I liked the inclusion of the military in Bay's movie; if something like this came to Earth, we would most likely shoot first and ask questions later.

I'm not very familiar with the graphic novel (perhaps I should spend some quality time at Barnes & Noble before seeing this), but the movie looks very interesting from the trailers. I prefer dark and edgy.. so I was greatly disappointed with The Spirit, expecting it to be like Sin City, which I loved. Spirit had some quirks that I enjoyed, and I like the stylish look of the film, but I didn't like Sam Jackson's character, or at least, his portrayal of the character, and some of the movie was too cheesy. I'm not a big fan of schtick, camp, or cheesy dialog. I'm an odd fellow, as I like comic book characters, but I 'm not a fan of reading their adventures. I like to see and hear the action, drama, and dialog play out. I wish that the maturity could be put into the animation, but it'll never happen in conservative America, which is why I prefer anime. I've thumbed through Watchmen, but I never really sat down with it to understand the characters. It didn't take long to understand that it was not for kids. For fans' sakes, I hope they stay true to the source. I saw Bolt, too. Cute movie. I'd love a spin-off tv show based on his in-movie tv show where he uses his "powers" to battle the Green-eyed Man. The other best part was the "Stupid cat!" scene. Awesome. Peppermint, sorry to hear that you had a negative point in your life. However, I'm glad to see that you've found excellent therapy in LEGO and mecha anime, both of which I ,too , have found to be irreplaceable elixirs for all that is wrong in the world. Liked your "Waiting" MOC, btw.

While I'm not really a fan of Bay's movie, either, I have to say that the movie designs challenged the toy designers; consequently, the toys have become much more diverse, innovative, and complex, both in detail and transformation. I'm a huge fan of transforming toys, and they are what have sold me on Transformers since 1984, not the various media. That said... G1 is and always will be the heart of Transformers for me, because that's where it all started, and every incarnation since has drawn from that core. I'm not opposed to TFs taking a different look or direction; I think BW, BM, and TFA are all great series, and they are all departures from G1 in many ways, but they all focus on the bots, their personalities, and the ongoing struggle between the two factions. If Bay and his writers had made these three items their focus, with much less focus on Sam as a guide and friend to the bots, I think it would have been a far, far better movie. Design wise, I realize we're stuck with the current aesthetic; my chief gripe is that there is no set transformation to these things..each transformation shot is unique based upon the angle of the shot, and all rely purely on cut and paste CG magic. I realize the cartoons fudge, but with a realistic machine changing form, transformation should be consistent so that the same parts hinge and link, and otherwise travel the same way every time. I still think they'd have been much better looking had they been designed along the lines of the Alternators. Needless to say, I'm not excited for the second movie. I'll see it, with realistic expectations that it's going to have more explosions, more bots, and more Shia. I'm more interested in some of the toys coming out...challenging the toy designers to innovate is the single best thing that Bay's movie has accomplished, IMO. Thanks, Michael!

Ha! I've been on a huge and shameful LEGO buying spree since 2003 , and I've been actively collecting since 1975; I recently moved from an apartment to a house where I have a little more space. Most of my sets remain in boxes now, but I have shelves lining 2 walls in a dedicated LEGO room. My wife buys LEGO occasionally as well, and she has a couple shelves. I've never counted my sets, but I figure I have somewhere between 1000-1200, not counting my wife's collection. Add to that lots of Transformers, some Zoids, a few models, Yamato Macross toys, Star Wars and other assorted figs, and most of my storage space is already taken. I never throw away boxes, so space gets filled quickly. My problem is that the toy companies keep making more! When I retire, I plan on buying a place with a relatively large basement so I can set up my various sets, esp City and Star Wars. As for space saving, TLG often makes oversized boxes, so I'll break down the set, and place other smaller sets in that box to maximize space. Castle and alot of Star Wars sets are ideal. Just don't be like me and forget where you put them!

Eeeww! Great job, Rook! Love the overall color scheme, and fitting the official MTT, a large model in its own right, is icing on the cake. I'd love a simplified UCS model like this. Perhaps a 2-3ooo piece set, primarily a technic frame covered in panels with a bit of greebling, along with a smaller MTT which can accommodate an 8 droid carrier, would be awesome. This is one of my favorite prequel ships..it's iconic in its shape, and I don't think a 1000 piece set would do it justice. Amazing work, along with your other MOCs. I envy your talent.

Well, from reading through the posts, opinions vary on SP3. Personally, it's different than I thought it would be (I was thinking a modern update to the old blue/gray), but I like what they've done. There's definitely some creativity involved..love the K9 unit. I get a little bit of a 5th Element vibe, but without being obviously derivitive. I'm glad the aliens are alien, and not just minifigs painted to look alien, although the UFO figs are some of my all time favorites. The reason I say this is that the same energy and creativity we've seen put into Star Wars over the years should be evident, if not greater, in TLG's original themes. Since these are the first true Space sets in years, I'm glad they're coming out with something different and off-the wall, rather than just rehashing for the sake of nostalgia. I think these sets will be like Agents; gimmicky with a tongue-in-cheek style. I predict SP3 is this year's Agents; lots of discontentment at the start, and then, slowly, folks will turn a 180. Thanks TLG for another cool theme, for keeping my interest for 30+ years, and for keeping me young at heart.

Funny, i was driving in downtown Spokane and I saw a tractor with dual rear whels and a front end loader (used to remove snow, I'm guessing). Made me smile and think of this set. While most of you have voiced desires for a farmhouse, my wish is for more farm accessories for the tractor. A hay baler , a disc, and a plow would be nice in addition to the aforementioned manure spreader. :) The last link shows some good clear pics of a 3 point hitch, and the PTO shaft. If you scroll down, there's a tractor with 3 wheels mounted on each side. That said, I'd love an 8 wheeled heavy duty farm tractor with split middle steering, similar to the front end loader set, but with attachments for farm equipment, maybe in green (a nice wink to John Deere). http://www.harvestsalvage.ca/8850_John_Deere_Tractor.JPG http://jddealer.deere.com/sunsouth/DealerF...undBaler449.jpg http://infinitymfg.com/images/main%20image...isc_harrows.jpg http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...en%26safe%3Doff http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...%3Doff%26sa%3DG http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...en%26safe%3Doff

A farm house would have been nice, but would have raised the price of the set significantly and would have added marginal playability for kids; since this set is a foray into a new subtheme, TLG prob wanted to pack as many play features into the set, hence the silo. Fences aren't very playable, but driving your wagon under the grain silo and loading up is, well, fun. And if any spills, the front end loader will come in handy for cleanup. I 'd imagine more farm animals may come if the set sells well, which I think it will, at least in North America where there is a plethora of agriculture and a strong "country" culture. For me, the tractor is the centerpiece of this set. Someone mentioned it looks like a classic tractor; I respectfully disagree, as it looks very modern to me. I don't see a PTO, which would look like a drive axle, but the arm represents the top portion of a 3-point hitch, along with the two technic pieces with the bar running across, used as attchment points for equipment, allowing them to be raised and lowered via hydraulics, or good ole muscle power on classic tractors. Most modern tractors have fully enclosed air conditioned cockpits, dual rear wheels, and rounded bonnets (hoods, for US folks) I think the addition of the drill press and oxy-acetylene tanks , very handy on the farm, is excellent, although I see no sign of a torch or hoses. The riding lawnmower is the oddest part of the set to me, and could have been replaced by farming equipment attachable to the tractor (make use of that hitch!) A manure spreader would be LOL inducing awesomeness, dispensing brown carrots and small brown radar dishes (cow patties!) I also think it odd that the cows are in a stable instead of in the barn, but whatever. Overall, I think the set captures the feel of a farm. A standalone farmhouse set with a chicken coop and tool shed ( and the riding lawnmower) would have made a nice companion set, and maybe we 'll still get it down the road. I hope to see some expansion on the theme, as it definitely has an appeal.

Looks like more of the same; I'm not really a big fan of the first, for various reasons. I'm hoping the tone of this movie is darker, that the bots are more fleshed out as actual characters, that Sam's role is diminished greatly, that Sector 7 no longer exists, that the Autobot/Decepticon war is the movie's primary focus, that there are no more urinating robot scenes, and that the Decepticons are more than just cannon fodder. The Constructicon featured looks odd as a unicycle. I believe his toy has legs, IIRC.

Glad to hear you scored the 6209 Slave 1. IMO, it's the best of the three LEGO releases of the ship. The Jango version is a nice set with some nice colors and features, but the model is indeed a bit fragile. TLG used everything that was done well with Jango's and upgraded the model to make it sturdier. I've never really been a big fan of the Slave 1, but I loved putting Boba's newly redesigned ride together...just a great build.

Cool. Different than I expected, but cool nonetheless. Can't wait to see the rest.