Be ing Funky

It was kind of an impulse, I was putting up my latest photograph post, and I got an itch of sorts. While in Photography I did a lot of editing on a free online photo editor called Befunky. More often than not I just prefer unedited photos, but we just had to edit, because we had to do work, and not editing wasn't a choice, it was being lazy and not doing work. Anyway, I did get on well with Befunky, and I just gave it another shot. Here we have 2 edited versions of 2 photos that have already been uploaded to this blog; The Lioness and the dead crab. Enjoy.

more photos from the depths

Here are 4 more photos I took while in Tenby, 3 of these were taken on the coastal walk, probably the most tiring walk I've ever taken alone. Here we have a butterfly I spotted, a forest that I compared to the ice forest from Walking with Dinosaurs. Yes, did I mention while away I bought a Walking with Dinosaurs box set. A photo I took near the end of my walk of the rising tide through the trees, and yet another from Folly Farm, this one of one of the Lionesses. Enjoy.

Doctor Who series 1 Dalek reivew

Here's what you need to know; the Doctor and Rose follow a distress signal to an underground private museum in Utah, and discover that amongst the ancient space junk and alien artefacts is the most dangerous creature in the galaxy, the game is now on to save every living thing on Earth from the last of the Daleks.

This review might be a little more biased than usual, because I fucking love this episode, this episode took Doctor Who for me from a fun Saturday night TV series to the best thing on TV. I will start with what I love the most about this episode, the Dalek itself; not only is it a Dalek, but it's a Dalek that is dealing with being the last of its kind, a Dalek that is beginning to question it's very existence. While this may sound like the Dalek is treated sympathetically, hell no, the Dalek is on a constant murder spree for most of the episode, regularly getting into shoot outs with the guards and slaughtering them with ease, you really get the sense of how powerful and dangerous the Dalek is purely from the body count. And the dangerousness of the Dalek doesn't stop there, as the Doctor gives exposition regarding the Daleks' creation and propose and their relentless mission to cleanse the universe. The dialogue between the Doctor and the Dalek is extremely entertaining to watch, as the Doctor becomes more monstrous than ever, and the Dalek becomes more unstable. This episode has a less interesting story with Rose and the Dalek that in the end becomes one of my favourite things about the episode, and I will not spoil how. Dalek has a great story with the owner of the museum and his arrogance and greed leading to a higher and higher body count. I am actually ending this review now and insisting that you watch this episode as soon as possible because it's incredible, I however will return to this episode with a more analytical post, because this episode deserves that. I really have no criticisms for the episode, none at all, and yes, I've been fanboying out the entire time writing this and the entire time watching the episode before writing it, but that's because I love this episode, and you really should watch it, because there's a good chance you will too.

Thunderbirds Are Go EOS review

Here's what you need to know; a normal morning for John quickly becomes a nightmare when Thunderbird 5's computer is taken over by a rogue AI calling itself EOS, cut off from the planet below and with limited air, John becomes locked in a battle of wits and a struggle to survive against an enemy of his own making.

This is a smart episode of Thunderbirds, which is a good thing, given that if this episode wasn't smart, it would be crap. While this isn't the smartest story to do with AI, which is inevitable bearing in mind the show's target audience, it isn't dumb. and EOS is a much an interesting character as it is a villain; untrusting and paranoid, and ignorant of John's every attempt to reason with it, while also been showed sympathetically through John's understanding. Speaking of John, this is a good character episode for John, who would prefer any alternative to destroying EOS. EOS is a slower episode of Thunderbirds, but unlike other slower episodes, I don't mind because what's going on is interesting and not preachy like Crosscut or Unplugged. Still comparing it to past episodes, it's not as intense as Space Race or Runaway, nor as action packed as those 2, but the tension and the action is serviceable, but underwhelming following on from Runaway, I however find interesting things fun, so I had fun watching this episode, and serviceable doesn't mean bad, so when the episode comes to a head it's cool to watch. Criticisms I have would include EOS's sudden and complete change of character at the end, the direction they took it was fine, but the speed at which they took it was too abrupt. Sure you can't have this gradual character change in a last 2 minutes of the episode, but maybe something a bit more subtle would have worked better, like EOS a least not trying to kill John anymore,and in that sense I do think the ending of this episode is a bit too neat and tidy.

Carrying on from Runaway, this is a great improvement on the previous 3 weeks, and is without a doubt the most interesting episode of Thunderbirds Are Go yet, while the slower pace and lessened action does make this a less fun episode, it's an episode I like for different reasons, and I like the big fight with EOS at the end, which is fun. While I think the ending being too tidy does detract from the episode a bit, I like the character of EOS a lot, and that is the main reason I like this episode, and would recommend it.

Doctor Who series 1 Aliens of London and World War Three review

Here's what you need to know; after returning home a little later than expected, the Doctor and Rose get caught off guard by an alien ship crash landing in the Thames. Now humanity is on the cusp of a new age, but a conspiracy seems to be bubbling in Downing Street that threatens to end this new age before it begins.

In this review I call both these episodes this episode a lot, to compensate for series 9  and tight time, I will review 2 parters together, just a quick note, now on to my review.

Now we are back in the present, which is a refreshing change from the distant future space stations and 1869 Cardiff we've seen so far in Doctor Who, though it's admittedly a less interesting setting. Meanwhile Humanity's reaction to the presence of alien life is done in a very interesting and probably accurate manor, and this episode takes this scenario of a ship crashing into the Thames very seriously. The conspiracy is also interesting, with the villainous Slitheen infiltrating the British government and formulating their schemes. People who read my Thunderbirds reviews know  that I like tension, and this episode's climax goes for tension, fortunately, while not the most nail biting thing ever, it's enough to keep the interest. The story overall is interesting; the Slitheen pulling tricks on the humans, and a decoy alien in the possession of the army that quickly becomes the weirdest thing since the talking canvas and giant head in a fish tank. The Slitheen themselves are cool too, if a little gross, zipping themselves up in skin suits to disguise their repulsive green blobby bodies, and farting a lot, a little slither of comedy that is not overplayed, thank god for that. this applies to the episode as a whole, not just the Slitheen, but unlike the Gelth from The Unquiet Dead, who are entirely CG, and look awful by modern standards, the Slitheen are, for the most part, costume and make up, this decreased reliance on CG makes the dated CG a lot less noticeable and a lot more excusable. Characters are, as ever, important in this episode; with a drama going on with Rose and her loved ones, and the Doctor stuck with the dilemma of saving the world but risking losing Rose, and conflicted  over the danger Rose is in by traveling with him.  That said, I have a criticism with Harriet Jones, who I simply can't take seriously, I don't know it is, her insistent nature, the various dumb faces and running away from the Slitheen, I don't now what their intentions with her were, but she is certainly an interesting character, and not always in a good way. this episode also has humour, and not just fart jokes, but also chuckle worthy writing  and the Doctor's usual eccentric personality, which really lightens the mood and makes the episode fun to watch.

The first 2 part story in the series comes with a more complex story, as well as more time for development both of the story and the characters. And while Harriet Jones is a bit of a joke, the other characters are interesting, as is the story. In addition to interest, this episode has tension, which I always like, and humour, which really makes this as fun as it is interesting. All this makes this a very enjoyable watch that doesn't disappoint if you lies the last 3 episodes.

Thunderbirds Are Go Runaway review

Here's what you need to know; a train is out of control in Japan, Scott races out in Thunderbird 1 to try and stop it, only this time he has the company of Brains to help in their race to stop the runaway train from causing a runaway catastrophe.

After a 3 week downward streak of less than brilliant episodes in my opinion, this episode is refreshing, and it's a really enjoyable episode. Something that raises this episode above the previous 3 is tension, just like Space Race, there is a very present feeling of tension as the train continues to speed up and Scott, John and Brains start running out of time. This episode also has a decent amount of Thunderbirds action, and what is here is really fun. Things do get tense towards the end when they really do run out of time. Runaway also has a really amusing scene with Brains, and this is a good  character episode for Brains, as he is forced into a high pressure situation that is way out of his comfort zone, and relies on Scott and John just as much as they end up relying on him. There are a few things I question, like celebrity alligator wrestling, I think I understand why it's in there, to show how close they came to not stopping a disaster, but it was absurd. Also, it's a  recurring joke throughout the series so far, Grandma Tracy being a bad cook, while not entirely unfunny, it isn't gut busting funny, and it gets old. But these are minor criticisms, I think this is the best episode of Thunderbirds Are Go yet, certainly better than the last 3 weeks, and certainly fun to watch.

Things things things things

Having just put up a review, and putting up 4 more in the next 2 days, I think I should again attempt to break the monotony with some idiocy, and with my chest of drawers now in a completely different state to before, I will now display the display once more.

Lets start with what hasn't changed; the giant classic Thunderbird 2, the host of tiny Thunderbirds Tracy Island toys, the Hot Wheels Batmobiles, the Halo and Red vs Blue mini figures, and the Mater Chief, Cortana, Dalek, Nathan Hale and Gandalf figures, who are now much tighter together in the middle. But what has moved? the mega bloks Halo vehicles, FAB 1, Elizabeth, though only because I can't get her to stand up, Batman and giant lego Joker, the 2 old Thunderbird 1and 3 toys, the Prophet of Truth and the Knight, and, though he wasn't in the last photo, Didact has also been moved. New stuff includes the new line of Thunderbirds Are Go toys I've reviewed on this blog. It's not exactly a side by side but here you can see the classic Vivid TB2 and the new Vivid giant TB2 together, as well as both the accompanying TB4s, the older of which I got in Tenby on a car boot for £1, good deal if you ask me. Speaking of car boots and good deals, in there among the Halo figures in the middle is a rare and exciting beast, that was also only £1; a figure of the Future Predator from Primeval. I think when I wrap up my Thunderbirds weekly reviews I might replace them with weekly Primeval reviews, but what you need to know about the Future Predator for now is that it's a predator from the future, and it is by a mile the coolest and most spine chilling monster in Primeval, and I love it. technically 1 new addition is a pair of Justice League figures I got in Tenby, Batman and Joker, the Batman figure is cool but nothing amazing, and they're both statues, so were it not for Joker I'd probably still have the Bale Batman figure there. The Joker figure though, holy shit, he is beautiful, I love everything about him, the sculpt, the paint, the pose he's in, the grin, it all looks amazing. He's no highlight, he not the 2 foot NECA Godzilla or the 2 giant TB2s, but he's cool, very cool. I could say more on Joker and the Future Predator, but I could go on for ages, they deserve their own 'legends' posts. Admittedly this has become more of a Thunderbirds display than a materialistic representation of me, but that is still in there, the only thing really missing is Elizabeth, and I haven't given up trying to stand her up yet. This is a less detailed 'tour' than the last post, but like I said, I can ramble for ages, and as hard a I'm sure it is to believe, I try to keep my posts readable. More weekly reviews coming very soon and 2 negative reviews coming in I am not making promises again, but don't worry, they're coming.

Doctor Who series 1 The Unquiet Dead review

Here's what you need to know; the Doctor and Rose travel back to Cardiff in 1869, where they unearth strange goings on in a funeral home, and the dead roaming the streets. Having run across none other than Charles Dickens, the unlikely team must do battle against the strange force that is waking the dead.

Right away this is a creepier episode than Rose and The End of the World, with a dead old lady literally bursting out of her coffin and taking to the streets, shambling like a zombie and wailing like a banshee. This episode does however retain the humour of the previous 2 episodes, with is very good. Now let's get to what I really like in this episode; the ghosts. This episode takes a fun and fascinating look at ghosts, how history has seen them and what they are in reality, at least in this episode. This episode also explores the rift, a very important part of Doctor Who, which is essentially a hole in time and space beneath Cardiff that, in this episode, allows body stealing gas creatures to venture though from their world to Cardiff. Despite having a Doctor Whoy reason for all the spooky happenings, The Unquiet Dead doesn't venture too far from it's supernatural themes, if you haven't seen my profile, the paranormal is a little interest of mine. The Unquiet Dead goes into Rose's history too, in a scene where her and Gwyneth talk about Rose's father briefly. The history of the Doctor gets some development here too, with the Gelth being casualties of the Time War. It also has some fun with Charles Dickens, who, in his life of scepticism, has suddenly been thrown into a frightening new world that he struggles to deal with. Now for some negative, I felt that the Doctor was bit too trusting of the Gelth, and the reveal of their true nature is somewhat abrupt, and while predictable, goes unexplained. And, while dated effects rarely get in the way of enjoyment, at least for me, at least when there's substance to what I'm watching, in this episode the ghosts are blue, ethereal CG effects that look terrible, and it really detracts from the spookiness towards the end when the Gelth reveal their true nature.

Aside from the goofy and un spooky CG towards the end that really shows it's age, and a few nit picks I have with the story, I do like this episode of Doctor Who, it's funny, clever, and spooky, and provides a peek at the history of the 2 main characters, as well as having fun with a past time and place and a famous writer. All in all another good episode of Doctor Who.

Halo Wars 2 trailer thoughts

And There I was saying I had nothing to put under the opinions tag, a new Halo game was just announced, fuck me. And it isn't some crappy little twin-stick either, it's an actual Halo game, even more fuck me.

The game in question is a game called Halo wars 2, the existence of which has been rumoured for some time now. I personally had my doubts, since the first Halo Wars was developed by Ensemble Studios, a company that is no more. But never mind that, Total War developer Creative Assembly is at the helm, and the game is coming out sometime next year for Xbox One.

Something that's obvious is this trailer is dark, and not just in the mature, dark sense, literally, it's hard to see what's going on, but I think I can see something that's going on, bear in mind I know nothing about this game that isn't in the trailer. This trailer has red team in it, so they're returning from Halo Wars, but in this trailer they are in a bad way, presumably getting their arses kicked by the big ugly Brute at the end of the trailer, who I assume to be the replacement for Ripa 'Moramee if not the game's main villain, who ever he is he appears to be fucking red team up, and given how they fucked up 'Moramee's elites in the first game, this brute must be serious business. From this trailer I can guess this game takes place after the first Halo Wars, I know that sounds obvious, but it's important, because that gives the game a 20 year window for happening. As for the dark element, I don't know anything about the game's plot, but it looks like it's going to be darker than the first, I mean, the first wasn't really dark, and no halo game has been very 'dark' aside from Halo 4, since 343 took over though, the entire franchise has taken a darker turn in terms of tone, and it looks like that's carrying over to Halo Wars 2. Also; this is a tiny thing I thought, but the Magnum seen in this trailer is very Halo 5y, so I think this game will tie into the halo universe more than the first one did, again, something that has been happening more since 343 took over, what with books and web series' and that TV series that may possibly just might be happening still. That said, it still has the look of an older model of pistol, like Forge's from Halo Wars, further making me think this game takes place in the 20 years between Halo Wars and Halo Reach. Or maybe I'm overthinking. Speaking of overthinking, what the brute says; "yes, run little demons" and "Hunt them down," this brute obviously has extreme contempt for humanity, but Demon has always been a label given to the Master Chief, so does it apply to all Spartans, and is little just a reference to their powerlessness against him or does Master Chief have some kind of relevance to the plot. It's probably the first one if it's either of those 2. It's one thing I thought when I first saw the brute, is it Tartarus? I know that's somewhat out there, but he's a huge Brute, with a mean looking grav hammer, and if this game is pre Halo Reach, that also makes it pre Halo 2, meaning Tartarus would still be alive. After 'Moramee's death, it would make sense that there would be a power vacuum in the Covenant, maybe this game will tell how Tartarus filled that vacuum. Or maybe I'm dead wrong and this is a new villain entirely, it's just a thought.

This is a 1 minute trailer that gives us next to no information at all, and like the other trailer breakdowns I've done, I like to pull things apart, I don't know what else to pull from this trailer. There's no gameplay, and with a new developer and for a different console, I don't know how it will play, really I can only pull story, and even then it's all speculation. This trailer has me interested for what they do with Halo Wars 2, and I think with this kind of tiny, secretive announcement trailer, that is what's important, and the game's release is over a year away, so I'm sure we'll learn plenty more before it launches. And in the end, I'm glad to see Halo dabbling in RTS again, since first time round it went well. Now we Wait.

Into the depths

Into the depths of the photos I took while on holiday, here we have a photo of the Giraffes at Folly farm, a photo of a very dead looking crab I found on a rock on the beach, and 2 photos taken on my coastal walk; 1 in a forest and 1 overlooking the sea. There are literally hundreds more photos to go through, but here are a few from the library. I hope you like.

Vivid toy group Ltd. Thunderbirds Are Go supersize Thunderbird 2 set review

Vivid brings us yet another Thunderbirds toy, a giant Thunderbird 2 based on the new ITV series Thunderbirds Are Go, this set includes a giant Thunderbird 2, a giant Thunderbird 4, and 2 mini figures; Virgil and Gordon, and will rob you £39.99.

Something that is front and centre with this brute is it's size, Thunderbird 2 comes in at 40cm long, 19cm tall with the landing struts deployed, and 30cm from wingtip to wingtip, while the obviously smaller Thunderbird 4 sits at 12cm long, 4cm tall and 5cm wide. So if you felt the other Vivid TB2 they've released is a bit too small, here is your replacement. However, speaking of the smaller one, in a few aspects this toy is just an up scaled version of the smaller one, one of them is sculpt, the supersize Thunderbird 2 isn't exactly a giant leap from the smaller one with sculpt, in fact it's not even a small step. I don't see this as a bad thing, given that they both get the look of Thunderbird 2 in the show right, an they are both decently sculpted individually for what they are. For the most part he same can the said for paint, one crucial difference though is stickers; the supersize Thunderbird 2 has lots of stickers, about 70 to be more exact. While this is better than nothing, and applying the stickers really brings it to life, it begs the question of why some smaller details are painted on and others are stickers, and why some details are even stickers at all, like the stickers on Thunderbird 4's underside view port. That said, I haven't had a sticker peeling off yet, so the stickers appear to be decent quality, and with the exception of the Thunderbird 2 cockpit, they were reasonably easy to apply, so I can't really complain. Something pretty weak in paint and sculpt is the mini figures, they're supposed to the Virgil and Gordon, but you wouldn't be able to tell if they didn't wear different colours, since they don't really have faces, and while the detail of the bodies is serviceable, it's not particularly great either, this can the put down to their size, but it's worth mentioning.

This set has a lot of playability. First off by pushing a button Thunderbird 2 can deploy it's transport module with thunderbird 4 inside. Thunderbird 4 can be locked inside the module and fired from it by hitting 2 mechanisms on the outside of the module, I think this is a cool little feature; launching Thunderbird 4, but it is hampered, at least on mine, by how stubborn the module door is about opening. Thunderbird 4 has various little things too, the Cockpit can be opened up and has enough room for 1 mini figure, the back hatch can be opened up, though it doesn't really lead to anything inside, and the 2 dry tubes can be removed, something I find to be awesome. Back to Thunderbird 2, the cockpit can also be opened up and has seating for 3 inside, as well as a hatch on the roof of the cockpit that can also be opened. all 4 of Thunderbird 2's VTOL jets can be posed individually, which is also god damn awesome. And it does have sounds, but it didn't come with batteries and I'd have taken them out anyway if it did, so I don't know how good the sound feature is. There is 1 thing I've left for last, because it is pretty much my only serious criticism of this toy, it is however a very serious criticism. By folding up the wings, you can lower the landing struts, something very important to any Thunderbird 2 toy really. But I'd have preferred a simple button to lower the legs like on the smaller toy and the original Vivid TB2, because not only is there my paranoia of moving parts going wrong to deal with, but there is a very serous risk of damage over time. I noticed it immediately, and apparently this is a problem with all of these toys, but stress marks have already started to appear on the wings from folding them in and out. I really hate stress marks on toys, and that they have already started to appear on this toy makes me very concerned for how long it will last.

If only for it's size, this supersize Thunderbird 2 set is better than the smaller super set Thunderbird 2, and if you are a toy collector with a love of Thunderbirds, this thing is a must buy. I know that if I was 7 years old again this set would be on my Christmas list, because it's an awesome toy. But just like the smaller toys, I'd be mindful of why you buy it and or who for, only more so since this toy is enormous and more expensive than all the smaller ones put together, and it has a design flaw in it's wings that has me very worried for it's future. I'd say the same of this toy as I did for the super set, go pick them up, but proceed with caution.

Archie the Parrot toy review

 

Archie the Parrot came from the gift shop at Folly Farm at the extortionate price of £10.
While the toy lacks any kind of articulation, he has very cute detail in the face, and is covered in adorably fluffy material, this is most notable on the tail and wings, with really soft fluffy material covering them.
He is also very nicely detailed in colour, with the majority of the body being yellow and blue, with grey detailing on the feet and beak, white and black detailing in the face and yellow and black button eyes.
I would strongly recommend you invest in Archie the Parrot, he's just so darn fluffy, though, being serious for 1 second, £10 is extortionate. what can you expect from a gift shop though, everything's unreasonably expensive in a gift shop.

So yeah, if you couldn't tell, I have returned from my holiday, and have I returned with content; the trip to Folly Farm, the walking up to 5 hours a day along coastal paths, the walks around old army forts and islands inhabited only by Monks, and of course the photos, some 2000 of them. So that's Photography and Idiocy covered, I got some content for Reviews too, positive, negative, honest. There's a new Deadpool trailer, but it's not really a 'new' one if you saw the bootleg from comic con, it's pretty much the same trailer, though that Xmen Origins jab they made was pretty funny. So at least I ticked the other 3 boxes, who knows, I might do another 'interesting' or 'sci fi legends' to fill the gap. But first I need to catch up on weekly content and power through one of the worst games ever made and get my review of it up before I give it to a friend as a present, as cruel as it sounds, he has Garbage pail kids on video, so I'm sure he'll like it.

Thunderbirds Are Go Unplugged review

Here's what you need to know; While en route to London, Thunderbird 2 gets hit and crippled by an EMP that wipes out all power in London, now grounded with no equipment, Virgil must save the day alone while Penelope and Parker hunt down the source of the EMP.

This episode, like Crosscut, doesn't have much Thunderbirds action, instead focusing more on Virgil and grandma Tracy and Penelope and Parker, while this is an interesting approach, it ultimately isn't as entertaining as it could be, mainly because of the episode's somewhat preachy nature, that peachiness comes in form of the episode's insistent message that you can still be a hero without all the fancy gear that the Thunderbirds use. I hate it when children's shows force in these messages, because they often compromise the story. And the lack of Thunderbirds, while interesting in this context, is a bit lacking. Something that is more interesting is the Penelope and Parker story as they unravel another sinister plan involving the Hood, and a more ridiculous plan with the Technology hating Luddites cutting the power to London, and it allows for some funny Parker moments. Also, an issue I have with the story is that the episode deals with a city wide power out, something that would have consequences, consequences that are not explored, while this isn't as big a plot hole as the same hole in Ring of Fire, it is worse in this episode because of the episode's focus on the EMP, I understand that these consequences wouldn't be addressed in a children's show, but consequences is something that is very important. And finally, one little question I have is how did Virgil manage to crash land Thunderbird 2 in the centre of London without causing any damage at all, no crushed cars, no damage to infrastructure, nothing, that is impossible. This episode carry's on a trend that Crosscut seems to have started, with less interesting, les fun episodes that lack the energy and excitement of pervious episodes, and I am not terribly fond of this episode, I want to see more Thunderbirds in this show called Thunderbirds.

Vivid toy group Ltd. Thunderbirds Are Go vehicle super set review

Bearing the mantle once again, Vivid brings us toy versions of the new machines from Thunderbirds Are Go, and I just went and bought them, and now I will subject you to my thoughts on them. Because they are also sold separately, I will review them individually, and I promise I will be honest.

Thunderbird 1 looks really cool as a toy, the toy gets the look of the redesigned machine very right, this is notable in the paint and sculpt. Where the sculpt is best is on the engines and underneath, the back of the craft has a very good amount of detail in it's main engine, 8 boosters, and the various pipes that go into them, all in a very nice in my opinion dark grey colour, with blue accenting and the white TB1 symbols. I can't go without mentioning the brilliant hexagonal pattern sculpted in the blue bit I don't know the name of, this is a little detail in the show that I didn't expect in the toy, and I really like that. Sculpted into the underside of Thunderbird 1 is the viewing port on the nose and the doors, though these are not functional, obviously, it's a cool little sculpted detail. Something missing in the sculpt is Thunderbird 1's VTOL jets, they are admittedly a tiny  detail, but they are still a detail that is absent. Paint is very high standard for a children's toy, with a mainly light grey and dark grey body with red, yellow, black, white and of course blue detailing, though I personally think a bit more of a shine wouldn't have gone amiss on the light grey body, it's something I won't complain about. additional playability come with sound effects activated with a button on the blue bit, and extendable wings that are extended by rotating the engines, though not the biggest quality control concern I have with this set, I do think that this has potential to be an issue in the future, say for instance if the mechanism was damaged. but overall, I do like Thunderbird 1, the little worry I have about the mechanism aside, it's a very nice little thing.

Thunderbird 2 is the coolest looking of the 4 in the set, and in terms of sculpt, puts Thunderbird 1 to shame; the whole body is covered in little grooves and panels, with sculpt highlights in the engines and air intakes ,the view ports are also very nice little details, and the sculpt hides the various function buttons well enough so they don't compromise the look. And unlike Thunderbird 1, Thunderbird 2 has it's VTOL jets, though they don't move like they do in the show. Paint is also extremely nice, with the body being a dark green with white, red, yellow, black and grey detailing. Playability incudes sound effects activated with a button on the top of the cockpit, deployable landing struts activated with buttons on either side of the transport module, wings that can be folded up like they do in the show, and of course the deployable transport module, activated with a button just behind the module. The module can be opened up and used to store the tiny little Thunderbird 4, Which, while devoid of functionality, is easily he most detailed of the 4 vehicles, with sculpted grooves similar to Thunderbird 2, and paint detail including blue view ports and back hatch, grey on the engines and even on the dry tubes, and red accents throughout the body. Unfortunately though I do have quality control issues with Thunderbird 2. Firstly, I'm worried about how loose the folding wings are, and the struts; again I'm fearful of the mechanism but what's more worrying is mine came out of the box with some noticeable stress marks on one of the struts, and I'm worried about how easily broken they might be, and more so about why it was damaged like this in it's box.

Unfortunately Thunderbird 3 actually had a broken mechanism in the box; by pushing a button on the main engine you can deploy the grasping arms, something new to the new series, but one of the arms doesn't deploy on mine, which is no doubt the cause of my fear about broken mechanisms with these toys, and it is very disappointing. Other than that though Thunderbird 3 is solid, red being my favourite colour, I love the red colour of the body, and additional detail includes white, yellow, grey, and black. Sculpt is nearly on the same level as Thunderbird 2, with very nice sculpting around the engines, on the grasping arm and on the nose, and finally the sculpting on the view port is really cool too. As well as the grasping arms, the toy also has sounds activated by turning the centre.

I do have a problem with this set, and that is quality control, which isn't to say the toys are poorly made, but it does mean that they may be subject to damage in time, other than that though I really like these Thunderbirds toys, they're nicely sculpted and painted, and have a decent amount of functionality and playability between them. I got them because I'm a collector and I love Thunderbirds, but I know these things will make for a very nice Christmas present, and if I'm honest, I might just do that, assuming they're not sold out, which they will be. So I'd say pick them up, just be warned; know why you're buying them or who for, because they might not last.

Sci fi Legends

I tried to find a picture of him that wasn't from 1954 or 2014, but I just couldn't help it. First dropping in Japan in 1954, just 9 years after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his name was forged from a combination of Gorira; Japanese for gorilla, and Kujira; Japanese for whale, and with a roar that is in fact a Violin. It is Godzilla. My love for the big lizard has been a part of me for my entire life, I don't know exactly when it started, but I am told that it began when I was a baby, and I saw Godzilla vs Hedorah on TV, as unsure as I am of this myself, I have proof that it is probably true, since I still have the shitty video my mum and dad taped for me of the film from the TV, and the first Godzilla film I remember watching is indeed Godzilla vs Hedorah. Since then I have had frequent phases of being obsessed with Godzilla, and each time I have been more and more in love with him.

Godzilla is a fascinating creature, there are many different versions of events in which he was or could have been created. But the one that is most generally accepted is that he was an ancient prehistoric sea monster that was awoken by the American nuclear tests in the 1950's. Something that was brought up in 1954 and I hope will be brought up in the 2018 film is that to some, Godzilla is a god; the Godzilla franchise isn't shy of the idea of gods, after all, one of his greatest allies/enemies is literally a god. But it's interesting to look at the big lizard in the same way, given his age, size, power, etc, it wouldn't be surprising that, just like in the 54 film, talk of a giant sea monster had been passed from father to son for generations, and had spawned a legend, or that the people of the small fishing community that worships Godzilla have always worshiped him, even to the point of performing ritual sacrifice to keep his rage and hunger for mankind at bay.

What Godzilla actually is is an interesting subject. He is considered to be a metaphor for the destruction caused during the atomic bombings on Japan, and Japan's fear of atomic power, which is why his timing of only 9 years after the bombings is so relevant. He is an embodiment of the fear that gripped Japan after the bombings. But in the 2014 film he became more than that; director Gareth Edwards wanted Godzilla to be as grounded as possible, and he tried his hardest to portray Godzilla not as a monster that can be fought ad killed, but as a force of nature. Like what Charlie Hunnam said in Pacific Rim; "There are things you can't fight, acts of god, you see a hurricane coming, you get out of the way." Godzilla is the act of god, and there are no Jeagers to fight him, until they make that Godzilla Pacific Rim crossover, please please please.

Godzilla is appealing for several notable reasons. The first and most basic is people like watching things get destroyed and that is what Godzilla does, people like seeing giant monsters going head to head, and I do like seeing that too. But there are more complex reasons for the appeal. For example; Godzilla is a metaphor, as I said in the previous paragraph, it's possible that some of his appeal comes from what he stands for; which is unimaginable destruction and a nation gripped with fear. We can keep going with this, he may be a metaphor for the arrogance of man; with the American nuclear tests, not giving a thought to what kind of effect their scientific advancements could have, and how big of a threat said effect could pose, this is something the 2014 movie dabbles with a lot. Finally there is the appearance, he's enormous, which is both awe inspiring and terrifying; going back to my fearfully interesting post, monsters can be many things, and giants are one of those things, the fear of something that could squish us like ants is a very natural fear, as it's something we cannot fight or escape from, an "act of god". Alternatively, he's a dinosaur, and dinosaurs are cool.

I've called this post sci fi legends because I want to do this regularly, single out something I like from Science fiction and  talk about what I find cool about it and whatever deeper meanings can be squeezed from it if any. I hope this post was at least kind of interesting, as ever, apologies if you were bored by it.