Jedi Speaks - Should you get a Hot Toys Mark 1 ver 2.0?

A new Hot Toys Mark 1 is here! And it has got a brand new face sculpt! Worth spending your hard-earned RM500-RM700 for this one? Me thinks so!

So Hot Toys finally revealed how the updated, 'version 2.0' of the Mark 1 Iron Man from the first Iron Man movie is gonna look like. My thoughts?

Firstly, the opinions of Hot Toys fans on this release are divided into two camps -

1. Those who laud it, for now being able to get their own unit of the Mark 1, first launched almost three years ago but now are being sold crazily expensive- Now are able to do so with a cheaper price.

2. Those who are shitting in their pants, pissed off at Hot Toys for re-releasing the figure, now with obviously better parts and most importantly, better head sculpt of Robert Downey Jr a.k.a Tony Stark. Also, those who hog these stuff in hope of selling theirs in the secondary market, looking for profit. Assholes.

Me? From a toy lover's POV, sweet! But obviously, if i'm a secondary seller, and hogs these units for its future value, I'd be pissed off too. Come on Hot Toys. Last time you said it was 'Limited Edition'. You Lied.

Anyway, how different can the sculpt be? Ok. Here's the original sculpt of the Mark 1, first to hit the market in 2009.

Looked too Chinese-y methinks.

And this is the 'ver 2.0' headsculpt, now improved with 'better' likeness of the shellhead.

What do you think?

I, personally dig the new headsculpt, as I put a high importance on the accuracy of it. Doesnt come with the moveable eye-ball thinggy but then again, it's not like you'll be posing him with his mask on anyway.

So will you be posing it with the mask on or off? The parts of the suit looks awesome, but hardly distinguishable.

The smart money will be for new fans to grab the 2.0 version - cheaper, better sculpt and seriously - teach these hoggers and secondary sellers a lesson. Then again, you might end up in the same situation, if in case Hot Toys, being Hot Toys, releases a Version 3.0 three years down the road, with even better sculpt, rolling eyeballs, and brush-like goatee!

Not much on the props, by the way, with a pair of extra hands, the detachable flame, and the standard Hot Toys stand and nameplate.

Price? TBA. But I'm guessing it will be selling for approx RM 550- 650. Pre-orders should be in any time now.

Read More

10:37 PM | 0 comments

The Jedi Speaks - The great Batman vs Superman debate 2011

NOT ANOTHER BATMAN POST!

okok. Sorry about that. Just purely coincidental.

Supes? Better than Bats? Seriously? You gotta be kiddin me.

Saw a friend standing up for the big blue boy scout today through her blog (read it here) and I just had to say something about it.

Why do I think Batman is way better than Superman?

1. Despite being a billionaire in Bruce Wayne, Batman is a working class hero. He doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. He gets the job done. He beats the crap out of people who he thinks deserve getting the crap beaten out of them - with no hesitation in crossing the thin line that separates dishing out the right amount of pain, from going that extra mile in dishing another dose of ass whupping to those who deserve being whupped.

2. Sacrifice. Bruce Wayne could have lived the good life being a billionaire. But no. He took upon him to correct things that is often overlooked by the law. Money and power can only solve so much hence the batsuit. His motivations are clear - so that no other citizen have to go through what he did.

3. Batman is human. More human than the son of Krypton will ever be. Strip Superman off his powers and give him all of Wayne's billions and will you get a hero? heck no. Probably a media mogul. Just that. Wait. Clark Kent isnt that clever to begin with!

4. Batman is a thinking man's hero. Sure he uses fear to his advantage but that's what a smart man will do - use your surroundings to your advantage. Supes? Meh. Screw tactics. I'm invincible. I'm unstoppable. SLAP BANG! Barge in just like that.

5. I prefer heroes whose decisions are based on his own set of morals and creed. Batman has that. The ability to separate right from wrong regardless who is the perp. Superman, despite all his powers, is a blind servitude to the uniform, and organized power. Be it the cops, the government or anything that the public considers 'right'. The inability of Superman to think beyond what lies in front of him makes him a good guy just because he saves the furniture, rather than stopping the house from burning down completely.

So there you have it. Despite his many flaws in terms of super powers compared to Superman (no subsonic speed, no bulletproof body, laser sight, super strength), Batman will always be a much better super hero than that big blue boy scout. Simple reason - he uses his brains (with a bit of help from cool bone crunching moves too)

"Yes". You always say "Yes" to anyone wearing a badge ...or a flag. No good.

Read More

7:35 PM | 0 comments

Malaysia football on the up? MEH.

As I write this, Malaysia just defeated Indonesia in a SEA Games football group match, which means they have booked a place in the semis. Just another step to defend their title I'd say. Another step to wait for it...... World Cup - most of Malaysian fans would reply.

Malaysia fans, being err.... Malaysians, are having a good time, taking a piss at our neighbors who prior to the match, weren't much of a sport anyway.

Come on. Calling us Malingsia? Not cool. Anyway, I'm here not to talk about Indonesians (who are actually totally sore losers). I only know a few personally and they are a nice lot (pretty girls too!). Probably because they don't give much shit into football.

I'm here to talk about Malaysian football team and its fans, and how, to a certain extent, we are not much different than the English when it comes to supporting our national team.

I read somewhere on Twitter where a friend compared the Malaysia-Indonesia rivalry to the English-German thing in Europe, with Malaysia being, due to high influence of the colonial times and exposure to the BPL, England. Correct comparison? Possibly yes. Then our rivalry with Singapore should be like between England-Scotland and the one with Thailand is akin to the one the English have against the French perhaps.

You know why we are like the English? It's because Malaysian fans walk on a very fine line when it comes to the support for national team. A fine line that divides them to die-hard (so called ultra) supporters one second then a very pessimistic observer the next (moi)

Every win is greeted with "This is the change of fortune we need. We can only go up from here. This is our year. Hello WORLD CUP! (In England's case, winning it. In our case, qualifying past the second round).

Surely nothing is wrong with being a little optimistic. Heck, us football fans are all like that. Hey, I know that. This is Liverpool's year, i tell you! But what shits me is how high expectations are set, even when the foundations are so bloody wobbly at best.

Instead of taking it one game at a time, they're already setting targets - next, Asia Cup, then Olympics, THEN, World Cup! Seriously? With the quality you saw on the field? We only got through because the Indonesians took a leaf from Luis Suarez' book on how to miss sitters.

I was at FAM a couple weeks ago and to quote a friend who share the same feeling about the place - it is a shithole. Dilapidated state. You know how bad? Remember that abandoned block in secondary school where the school stashed all the broken chairs, tables and where the smoking kids go to take a puff but during recess, you kinda missed the whole thing because you happen to look the other way? That's how it was.

The only 'high-tech' thing I could point at FAM was the artificial pitch. Apparently they've had it for a while now. Really cool. Balls travel much more evenly, you don't get weird bounces and hardly hurt yourself if you fall on it.

Hold on. Weren't we complaining about the artificial pitch in the Jalan Besar stadium when we lost to Singapore? Kenapa dah tau, tak pulak training awal-awal?? Ah. Malaysians and their excuses.

It doesn't matter. Old story. The team is playing 'well' now.

Confidence is so stupidly high, that the commentators were like "Why are they giving chance to Cambodia in the second half?" during the 3-1 win a few days back. Hello! All goals, except for the third one, which was a beauty but in stoppage, were flukes, aite. They were running around like headless chickens and wayward passes that makes me question - budak-budak ni ada training basics of passing and trapping the ball ke???!

The team was all over the place and whoever thinks Ong Kim Swee is doing a good job probably thinks Roy Hodgson ought to be allowed a full season at LFC. Fact is, the reason Malaysia is 'up there' at the moment because other teams are shit. Hey, so quick to forget we lost to Singapore who fielded washed-out imports kan? Only highlight naturalized players, yet forgetting, they were old and overweight.

Deep down, I do hope Harimau Malaya prove me wrong, and really, succeed in "membawa kembali kegemilangan bolasepak zaman lampau" soon, starting with successfully defending their Gold in Sea Games. The hardest game is always the next. So keep your head straight, and take one game at a time. Focus one tourney at a time la. And stop the 'Japan used to be lower than us,' shit. It's pathetic.

Would be cool to one day, be able to take my kid to a World Cup match and watch the boys in tiger stripes play but judging on how they are progressing at the moment..... we might have a better chance of spotting a Malaysian-born referee running around. Fingers crossed for a better future in Malaysian football.

And stop playing that Hitam Kuning song. It's stupid.

Read More

6:58 AM | 0 comments

Akira .....

Should never be made into a live-action movie Godammit!

Fin.

TETSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

cuz let's be frank - you can't ever replicate this with human actors.

Read More

9:21 PM | 0 comments

Why I think getting the iP4S is a good idea, really...

That is, if you're thinking of getting an iPhone soon.

Get the iP4S, or wait for the 5?

After that Apple announcement last night, most MacTards are still reeling from the fact that, instead of a '5', they'll be getting an 'S' to the iPhone.

I say get the iP4S. Some might argue "It's just under the hood! Only faster processor, and better camera, yada yada yada. iOS5 also can run from iP4, just like how the iP3GS could run the iOS4. Better wait for the 5!"

Firstly- Remember how different it was to run the iOS4 on the old iP3GS compared on the much faster iP4?

Fact is, iOS5 is tailored for the iP4S, and the soon to be released iP5. iP5 will come out circa mid-2012 surely - when those who bought the iP4 two years ago would have their contract expiring by then. And the iP5S? That one is slated for late 2013 surely.

The tech jump from the iP4S to the iP5 wont be as much also considering both are tailored for the iOS5 (unless somehow Apple decided to plonk in the iOS6 into iP5, which is unlikely)

I think the most plausible cause Apple held off the iP5 is purely due to the carriers which offered a 2-year contract deal for the iP4, released less than two years ago.

They dont want their iP4 customers to think twice about hopping to the iP5 when they are still on iP4 contract. Best solution, release the iP4S with improved specs but in the same shell. That way them iP4 users wont feel left out so much with this new release!

Now consider this. The technological leap between the 3GS and the 4 wasnt that much, save for the physical appearance.

Now consider how much Apple leaped from the 4 to the 4S. More powerful processor, 8MP camera, iOS5. You do the math.

So using the same rule, how left out you'd feel if you see the iP5S released when you're still stuck with the iP5 for another year? Hence, getting the iP4S right now isn�t such a bad idea, considering you�re primed just nice for the next big leap, in the form of the iP5S, in two years time.

Read More

9:22 PM | 0 comments