User blog:Berrybrick/2015 Rant
I got the night off and the first thing that came to mind for me to do was, "hey what about one of those blogs?" You know, instead of something productive, three people can read my thoughts and then think that they know what I'm thinking when they actually don't.
Agents
Things look okay, not as good as last year, but not monumentally worse. Okay, maybe they are mediocre now, but the helicopter is okay, and to be fair, we don't have images of the 4x4. The sets don't really tread anything new and interesting from the last wave (other than the copter). Speaking of treads though, Drillex Diamond Job (which sounds really dirty for some reason) might go on my list, just because it has a lot of them, and I like a lot of them. I'd rather pick up more sets from the last wave (or, more accurately, some because I haven't done so yet) than get these new ones.
Architecture
This isn't a theme I collect because though I admire some of the sets, they are quite costly when I could be getting colorful kiddish things. The Lincoln Memorial is kind of bland, it would have been nice if it had an interior (since, you know, you can actually see inside of the memorial :P ) but I quite like how accurately they have depicted the Flatiron Building.
BIONICLE
Wow, I could talk a lot about this one, and I already have, but it obviously isn't enough because I am going to do more and probably spend the absolute most amount of time on this section. Yay. The renders don't seem to do most of these sets justice, which is why I dislike renders, but I'm glad that we have plenty of images from comic con of the figures behind glass, some of which are decent, but oh well, it's good enough for now.
I didn't like the Jungle Protector in the prelim, mostly because transparent didn't register as transparent and the two-toned masks weren't a thing yet. He looks much better now, but isn't really a priority.
Stone Protector was my favorite, but now I think I am waiting for a review. I'm not happy that what looked like trans yellow seems to be trans yellowish green (or something like that, I don't care what the official color is). I still like the build, but it doesn't seem like he has three armor pieces, which was a big draw (I like how it looks like a short armored sleeve on the one that he clearly has). The color change might be enough to make me ignore him, but on the other hand, I will need at least one more dark orange shell for a small mod to Pohatu.... Hm, arguing with myself over LEGO. Rarely good.
Water Protector isn't really on my radar. The color blocking doesn't look too great, though again, trans blue shells.
Earth Protector is amazing, definitely my favorite now. I wish he had the new armor attachments instead of those ugly rocky ones, but it is a small con. The gattling gun chest is wonderful, as is the black and transparent purple. If I get one (which might not even happen, stuff is expensive) it would probably be him.
The Ice Protector is another one I am unsure of. I love ice characters (Kopaka, Nuju, Matoro, Kopeke....) but I'm not seeing a whole lot of potential with his parts, and he doesn't seem to have elbows. I like his mask though.
Fire Protector is pretty solid, though his weapons are probably the weakest. His torso is great, but he isn't one I am looking to get at the moment.
A word on the protectors: Word of mouth says it has been confirmed that they are not Matoran, which I guess I can be okay with as long as they do not actually all have the same masks, and Makuta technically isn't a Makuta this time around, so older characters can still be reincarnated as protectors. Because of this, unless these six get names, I'll probably refer to them as the new versions of Kongu, Hewkii, Macku, Onepu, Matoro, and Jaller because they would probably be the leaders of the Matoran without the Turaga (and we are seemingly kwithout the Turaga :P ).
Lord of Skull Spiders looks okay I guess, but I'm not interested. I would rather see what villains the Summer may bring.
I hate to start out with the Toa I feel most negatively about, but I will. I have tried to like Lewa, but I just cannot. His mask his hideous. It does look like something between Ultron and the Cybermen. I am not a big fan of a lot of the ridged masks, and this is probably the worst offender (though the only other one that does come to mind is Tahu Mistika's, one I also hate :P ) and the homage to the air intakes on the first just does not look right. The hole for a mouth that all of the Toa seem to need (except Tahu?) really feels the most forced here. Those tubes on the side seem sort of weird too, but I could look past them if the rest of the mask was decent, which it isn't. The color scheme is okay, though I wish he was green and brown, as rumored, yellowish orange works too, and silver is fine, I guess. I do like the proportions, since they do make him look lanky and acrobatic, but the "elegant" shoulder pads make him look hunched back and damage the illusion. I also hate his axes. The blades are too low and their shape and detailing is just awkward. However, I do like the way that they make his glider, though it seems that I prefer them upside down to what LEGO is advertising (I think they look better facing towards his feet than up towards his head). I could fix mot of my problems with some easy modding (or just keeping the ax heads as wings), but I just cannot make myself like that mask.
Lewa's characterization does sound good to me. He wasn't my favorite when I was younger. I liked him okay, but the way he fit into the team dynamic early on rubbed me the wrong way. I guess I might not have just understood him very well, but I don't know. I think that this new description, if it is what we can expect, will play in similarly while making him seem less rambunctious. The character design he has for the shorts looks a lot better than his sets too, so I'm looking forward to that.
Okay, that's enough about Lewa. Pohatu. Pohatu's mask is amazing and probably the most faithful. I like his proportions too. Though he could be a little bit taller (I would still like him shorter than Lewa and Gali) I am pleased that they are keeping him small and speedy, like we runners often are. :P I like the asymmetry of his arms, though the silver one is just asking for a pauldron, and I hope to procure a pair of extra attachments to put on his feet for the extensions he used to have. The flaw with Pohatu is his color scheme. Dark orange is a pretty good choice (though I was starting to think it was a shade of nougat and I would have liked that even more) and there is more silver than I would like, but it looks pretty good. Trans yellow green doesn't have much to do with stone though, and that is really disappointing, because trans yellow would have looked good and would be close enough to a color for representing cartoony sand to me. Ah well.
Pohatu's description sounds okay, if not a little bit flatter than most of the others. I'm interested in seeing how they might depict his fear of the dark. If Makuta is still connected to Shadow, I can imagine something that might fit in with Kapura's description of him and his appearance that could be pretty cool.
Gali is my favorite of the smaller Toa. I don't like her mask as much as Pohatu, and I'm still not a fan of the ax blades, but I love her colors so much. Blue and trans blue are for blue waters, obviously, but then the silver and gunmetal also play into different shades of water, which I love. Her chest art is the best of the smaller heroes too, in my opinion.
I remember when the Legends of Chima bios first came out (and made me think that there might be interesting characters, heh...) Eris was described as not being able to tell a joke, which as far as I know, never came to fruition. The rest of Gali's bio sounds spot-on, and I can live with that, as long as it is handled smartly, which you know, it might be. I have a dry sense of humor and can't tell a joke, but people still find me funny off of the internet when they can (sometimes) tell that I'm not serious. Actually, they seem to laugh more at me when I am serious than when I'm not. Hm...moving one.
Tahu's mask looks terrible on the box art, but really good in images. The figure is pretty solid, though I don't like the proportions so much. The torso seems too short for the arms and the legs. I will be doing a bit of modding, but I'm mostly satisfied with the figure. The mask and weapons plant him firmly as my third favorite Toa, but the figure itself just seems okay.
The characterization sounds okay, I guess. Tahu was never my favorite. It doesn't sound any worse, I guess....
Kopaka is my favorite. I'm not a huge fan of the gold, because it isn't icy, but it looks good as armor and makes for a nice scheme with the transparent blue, white, and even the bit of silver is something I like. His mask is good, it kind of reminds me of the snow troopers (though not that ugly) and I like how bulky his armor seems. He kind of reminds me of a hockey player (with even larger shoulder pads). Kopaka and Gali will probably be my first purchases.
I may be the only person who likes the idea of clumsy Kopaka. It reminds me of when Pohatu caused an avalanche which buried him, except now that sort of thing would be Kopaka's fault, and I think that it brings potential for a deeper character. He won't want to rely on others, but this gives him a reason to beyond "we have to work together because children story themes demand it!"
Onua is quite good too. He has a unique build and I like the dwarfish stature. I just wish that his upper arms were trans purple like the upper legs, and that the gold were silver, but otherwise he looks like a great figure. Again, the box art doesn't seem to do his mask justice (though I'm not a big fan of the nose it seems to have).
The sleeping isn't something I am particularly sure of, but there isn't a reason that it can't be done well, and judging from a few scenes from the mini-series (Pohatu fending of skull spiders and Tahu rock climbing with the Fire Protector on his back) the tone looks more lighthearted, which I'm okay with as long as the story is still good, it reminds me of Mata Nui Online Game, and this might fit in well.
Ta-da, bonkle ramble done.
City
City is City. Some things look pretty good, but not good enough to buy. I must say that swamp police is extremely gimmicky.
Creator
The Toy and Grocery Shop might be interesting, because Creator and Friends are often better city themes than city, but with my limited funds, it'll probably be something easy to skip. Nothing else grabs me at the moment.
Disney Princesses
My entire thoughts can probably be summed up as "Frozen mini-dolls look spectacular," and "Aurora's hairpiece might be perfect for Black Canary." BFN is right that Aurora's bedroom is a pretty weird set for a subject (I cannot wait for Snow White's glass coffin). Jasmine's "palace' is pitiful, though the carpet and some of the marketplace scenery look good. I wish they would introduce a different tone for her skin, because she is Arabian, and that is the tone I would expect for Tiana. It would be awkward if she and Pocahontas match a character who is darker, but...I should probably stop speaking.
The Frozen set is okay, though I'm not a huge fan of the shaping or coloring. I don't know how much better they could have done though. Ariel's castle looks okay, though not for the price or where the build is concerned. I wish we could have gotten a Triton doll too, but alas....
Elves
Elves I am liking more. The mini-dolls are weird (the makeup and hair are turnoffs) but I generally like the sets. They are stylized and fantastical, but other than the smallest one, they don't seem overtly girly, which is good. I wish we could get minifigure action themes like that. The colors, jewels, and foliage are wonderful, and I might get Farran's set if the money is there.
Friends
Friends is disappointing this year. The lighthouse and hot air balloon look good, but otherwise the sets are lacking or retreads, which is unfortunate. I was looking forward to the pizzeria, and I'm disappointed that it is so small. I thought that with Friends' rounded corners and such it could look pretty cool. Again, oh well. \_O_/ Maybe the summer will bring something more worthwhile.
Legends of Chima
The minifigures in that Lion battle pack are really appealing. Two lionesses and then a male with cool facial hair? Lennox is the only lion I have right now, but I wouldn't mind adding him to these and having a small battalion. The others don't interest me too much (the crocs all look like Crawley, the polar bears are kind of bland, and the sabre-tooths are especially specialized for special armies), but that one has lovely figures. :P The other sets don't interest me as much (though something about flying fire gorillas is oddly close to home...) but that is okay.
Ninjago
I'm liking about half of the sets. The Titanium Dragon and snake things are looking very good to my eye, but the ninja vehicles are just becoming odder and odder. I would like to get a few sets, since the snake cultists are wonderful minifigures and something right up my storytelling ally (cultists are something I always seem to like adding into my own stories...I don't know why) so maybe I will get a set or two, which will be the first Ninjago sets in a while. The ninjas' new costumes, at least the sleeveless ones, look useful too, which is a nice change of pace from their usual attire (though the ones from the stone army wave are still the best).
I am also glad to see that they are recruiting another ninja, and I hope that it is a she. More ladies, please. :P
Pirates
To be blunt, the sets are not that great. The smallest one is pretty good for a small set, but the others are pretty bare bones. Do you know what are lovely though? The minifigures. I adore how they based them off of older characters and figures from the previous Pirates lines. The most obvious are the updated versions of Captain Redbeard and Bo'Sun Will in the ship. It's too bad that I don't like the sets I guess, but saving money, living better, Wal*Mart are good, I guess. \_O_?
(See? My shrug has a hook hand!)
Speed Champions
I'm not a car person, so I don't really care. That was easy.
Star Wars
Wow, it seems like every time there is a Star Wars set that I like, it is too expensive the consider. The Azure Angel is unique and includes a couple of cool figures (mini-series Anakin and Asajj Ventress) yet it'll undoubtedly cost a lot....
Rebels stuff doesn't interest me. Maybe that will change once I see the pilot, but I'm generally good about detaching my care for characters from wanting toys of them, which is how I have ended up without a single Star Wars set (I do have slave Leia though).
Super Heroes
"Generally good" doesn't mean always good. I wanna collect all of the Justice Leaguers and villains. At least all of them we are getting, because they have been so few and far between. I could have done without Man-Bat or racing Riddler though....
Green Lantern set is just okay. Sinestro needs a better hair piece, but really, that is one of the few issues I actually take with this wave. Not much else to say about the Green Lantern vs Sinestro set than what the title states clear as light.
The Gorilla Grodd set isn't so impressive as a set either. I almost like the Invisible Jet, but the nose is weird. However, the minifigures are amazing. Grodd as a big fig in a $40 set, for one, plus a Flash repeat (which really makes me wish I didn't get the Riddler Chase), New 52 Batman with a new cowl, Captain Cold, a fantastic Wonder Woman (pants!), and a driver with a sought after hairpiece. Even if the builds are sub-par, those minifigures make the price extremely reasonable, and I will be keeping the jet together....
The Black Manta set isn't as spectacular. It has Black Manta...and that's about it. The subs are decent, as is the scenery, but Aquaman and Batman repeats, plus Robin instead of a new character? Robin is probably the only fault in the minifigure lineup, since someone like Mera, Ocean Master, or Aqualad would have really bumped up the value, and especially considering that this is supposedly the same price as the Grodd set, it doesn't seem like a lot of bang for the sand dollar. I'll still get it, but probably last.
The Javelin is easily one of the best builds we have gotten in this line in a long time, if not ever. The shaping is excellent, and I only hope that it can hold a decent amount of Leaguers. I even like Darkseid's hovercraft thingy. It isn't too bad as far as filler goes. It is a little disappointing that Superman is in his classic costume (though hopefully the DCnU one is in the other set) but Darkseid looks fantastic to me. And B- and C-Listers, oh my! Cyborg, Green Arrow, and my favorite of the three, Hawkman. Wonderful, just wonderful. :P This set is an easy buy, and the supposed price of $60 sounds pretty reasonable, too. Just reuse those wings for Hawkgirl next year, okay?
I should wait for finalized images of the Brainiac set to judge, but I hope that we do not get crotch-clamp Supergirl. That is all. No crotch-clamp Supergirl! They didn't give Wonder Woman "shorts" this time around, and a crotch shell is like 10x worse....
The LEGO Movie
Small set is okay, but I don't really want it for anything other than the Skeletron, silver spikes, and black studs with holes.
The medium set is pretty good with variants of most of the main characters at a pretty low price. It should make a good gift for casual fans of the movie, I'm not sure if I want it for myself though.
The Bad Cop set has a good Wyldstyle variant and a good build, but it is police, so ew.
Conclusion
Proofreading: Ain't nobody got time for that.
(I told you I couldn't tell a joke.)
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