Walmart Walk 1/8/20

Just finding some stuff at Walmart:

 

Lanard (who makes the cheap knock off G.I. Joe has been getting some real licenses lately. They got Kong, Jumanji, and now Aliens! These are existing men from their other sets, as well as the 'power suit' but the aliens and the vehicle are new. It's kinda impressive but still seem pretty cheap. You can read more about my Lanard thoughts here on my Army Men reviews. 

 

Seems like Hot Wheels got cheap here. The middle wheel is not real. The design just looks sloppy. I appreciate what they were tying to do here, but it came off poorly.

 

What?! Bleccch.

Monday Thoughts

• So people are getting bent out of shape that DC Comic's Batman has picked a Muslim French dude to be his Crime Fighter in France. Hello?!?!?! This is a comic book. I'm not sure who to gripe at more, the writers for trying to make it too real or the fans/opponents who need to realize its a freaking comic book.
• There was a Alpha male cat battle outside last night. The old wild cat is out and a new one is now the master. This new one is better because he will let you pet him (I guess he is not that wild).
• My camera is goofed up and I can't export the video out. I will need to send it in for repairs I guess.
• This coming weekend is the toy show in Dallas I am setting up at. I hope I sell something.
• Have I ever told you EBay is a rip off? Sellers get triple dipped. They pay for inserting auctions, then they get a percent of the final price, then they get part of the payment because of PayPal (which EBay owns). For Selling a thirty dollar item I wind up paying about four dollars. When my profit is less than double that its hardly worth it.

Monday Thoughts

• Stocked up on Walmart 75% off Christmas stuff for next year. Those are the prices that stuff should be in the first place!
• I have been working on recovering our public access show's season 2 (that I lost last year due to hard drive failure).
• Some of the footage was totally lost (and will need to be reshot)... that sucks.
• I have now reloaded XP on both my PC at home and at work. Windows 7 is fine its just that all my programs have issues with 7, so I will stick with XP for now.
• Miguel and I have finished both our commercials for the Haunted House. They will be opened for 3 days during the Superbowl.
• I will be setting up at the upcoming JMV Toy show in Dallas selling my Japanese Models. If you are in the area, come check it out.

G.I. Joe - The Movie

Ok, I thought I must say more than a one-line blip about watching this movie so here we go.

Facts:

1.) I grew up on 80's G.I. Joe.
2.) I had no high expectations about this movie going in.


I finally got around to seeing G.I. Joe - Rise of Box Office this weekend on DVD. I enjoyed it. It was full of what you would expect from a summer blockbuster, lots of explosions.

My gripes:

1.) Plot holes so big you could drive Optimus Prime though them:

• So the team stopped the last batch of Nano machines by sending them into space then just dropping the whole thing. Hello!? They just left them out there to reek havoc on anything in the atmosphere (after hyping up the danger of the little buggers).
• How does Cobra so easily break into the SUPER HIGHTECH G.I. Joe HQ?!
• How does G.I. Joe so easily break int the SUPER HIGHTECH Cobra HQ?!
• The NeoVipers don't scream because they feel no fear or pain. But they sure screamed alot when getting blown up and stuff.

2.) Characters:

• The Baroness should have just been a bad guy and not some goodie goodie one under someone's control. She is a hot bad-guy and should have remained so.
• Duke (and this is my biggest annoyance with the movie) was a wigger.
• Cobra Commander should have been a different character, more mysterious, less dorky.

3.) Technology:

• The technology where things just form (aka the cowcatcher on the front of the cobra hummer in the Paris chase scene) sucks. I hate this effects and several moview use it. It looks too alien and 'magical'. The same effects can be seen in the 1989 Batman (the batmobile) and the newer batman. Armor that just forms out of nowhere pushes unbeliviable a little too far.
• Product placement: Cisco hologram technology.

That's pretty much it. It was a wild ride that I expected it to be. I liked the Doctor character. He was just hovering on the verge of realism and fantasy.

I must admit I am liking G.I. Joe - Rise of Sequel better than Transformers 2 (too serious).