1. So, at long last, I have an apparent abundance options to finally upgrade my ROTS Anakin to one with premium articulation, since I have only had Anakin evolutions from back in the day.

Choice one: TVC Anakin
Choice 2: 3 pack of Journey of Anakin Skywalker
Choice 3: Anakin Cody Walmart 2 pack

What do you see being the major differences, and if you were me, which would you recommend?
--Derek

It's not even a contest - get the Walmart one.

If you're searching for a movie-specific one, the movie-specific one is the right choice. Walmart's Anakin has a blue lightsaber, "normal" head, and a cloak. Hasbro Pulse's 3-pack does not include the cloak, and you may or may not want the eye shadow head sculpt. For fans not sure of which version they want of a specific character, I would also recommend "buy both." You might want to mix and match parts, but as far as I can tell the only real different element of the action figures are the heads. They both have the same lightsaber hilts and alternate hands, so if you need to buy a new one you can make a compelling case for both. Or either. But if I wanted Revenge of the Sith on-screen specificity, just got the Walmart 2-pack.

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2. This may be an odd question but it's been on my mind as the Transformers brand releases new versions of old Pretender figures (see Monstructor). What if any ability/interest does Hasbro have in sharing molds across brands? I'm probably in the minority but I think it would be neat to have a bunch of updated Pretender Shells as full action figures. Between G.I. Joe Classified, Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black Series (and assorted other lines) they must have a pretty large collection of parts to choose from. I'm too old and lazy to customize them myself but I'd be quite happy to pay full price for a repaint with a new head and some armor.
--Peter

While not with Hasbro specifically, I've been told "this is not possible" on many occasions due to licensor (not manufacturer) concerns. This is a pity because G.I. Joe could use/share a lot of parts for other figures in other brands. Sometimes we see mold sharing between brands happen anyway - but not much. I know a 1997 Endor Bunker was used got a G.I. Joe convention exclusive playset in 2010, but I am not sure I can name a lot of shared tooling lately in the Hasbro world. LEGO has sometimes used Star Wars parts in other brands, but I think you've got less of a concern with that kind of thing. I can't help but wonder if someone just didn't notice or didn't care.

The way most Hasbro molds are set up are not conducive to mixing and matching parts. Glyos, LEGO, Playmobil, and others are made with that purpose in mind - but not all the pegs or sockets are consistently sized between (or within) Hasbro brands. Even if they were, you would have to toss some parts in the garbage because you'd have to run a complete tool much of the time, and nobody wants to be a complete tool. It would be amazing to see some creative parts reuse between brands but I can't name much in 6-inch off the top of my head.

A third-party, non-licensed Kickstarter called Play With This Too aspired to do Pretenders as figures a few years ago, but that didn't come to pass. I believe I read that Nonnef is working on Monstructor shells, but if I am misremembering you can just forget I said anything. Also Nonnef does very nice work, and has an ailing cat and could benefit from your patronage.

There's really no reason Hasbro couldn't come up with bodies that it tricks out with armor or other enhancements, they just aren't making their figures that way right now. I've been surprised Hasbro hasn't done 12-inch Titan Hero Series-style "Pretenders shells" which can use the transforming figures as backpacks, but that's me. They could also make Sofubi monsters quite cheaply. There are a lot of ways to do those characters, and so far Hasbro has largely been content doing them as Core-class, Deluxe-class, or Voyager-class figures that can actually transform. It might not be the Bludgeon you want, but it's the Bludgeon you'll get.

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FIN

Star Wars Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi put up a whole season last week. With little fanfare and no merchandise so far, it's nice to see it getting mostly good reviews. 20 reviews is not a lot. I'd go as far as to say it's basically none. Recent movies you didn't go see like I Want Your Sexi has 130, Stop! That! Train! has 60, and Tuner have 190, but that's par for the course on streaming entertainments. Long-in-the-tooth franchises with lesser entries get reviewed only by people who want to review them, who are fans, and I've been feeling that it inflates the numbers a bit. I watched two episodes of the show, and while I appreciate that some people like it - I do not. The voices felt like a 1990s dub (kitschy), the character designs walked the line between generic and sort of derivative, and I'm feeling what I felt about a lot of Visions - they spent no time on making me care about the characters. Therefore, I don't care about the show, either.

While not everybody loves the sequel trilogy, at least The Force Awakens did a pretty good job explaining to you that Finn and Rey have crappy lives. You're on board with them doing something else. I don't know if I can be impartial to the original Star Wars movies, but most forms of media did a great job of making me care. Who can forget Justy Ueki Tylor? (What? You've never seen The Irresponsible Captain Tylor?) Maybe I'll revisit Star Wars-flavored anime again in the future, but the genuine unbranded article tended to sit better with me. Also I'm watching My Adventures with Superman and I would very strongly recommend you check it out. Jimmy and Lois are pretty fantastic weirdos right off the bat.

Other recommendations: I've semi-recently seen I Want Your Sex (goofy), The Odyssey (a spectacular tech demo for Dolby cinema), and just on Sunday Spider-Man: Brand New Day (in which Disney is terrified you'll find out the characters in its movie for some reason.) All three were pretty great, and I have to say I'm kind of surprised that either Hollywood is having a pretty fantastic year or my standards as an aging member of its audience have declined. On deck for me next: the Rivals of Amziah King and The End of Oak Street. But what really have me curious are Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and in September, The History of Concrete by the seemingly unstoppable talent John Wilson. (Check out his HBO show.) I bring all of these up because I have had a better time watching them than The Ninth Jedi, which is odd because normally Star Wars animation isn't much of a chore to digest.

Also: I've been looking into Mattel's Jurassic World Legacy Collection Reimagined. It's a Target exclusive line of oddball dinosaurs, figures, and vehicles, most of which draw inspiration from Kenner-era toys. Have you seen these yet? They're worth a look. Target has a goofy set now that's kind of amazing, in that the quality is sort of stunning for a kid toy. Obviously they're not electronic lights and sounds high-end collectibles, but there's an orange t-rex with a sturdy military vehicle which features exceptional seating for figures. Yak Face can fit in it. If you like this kind of thing, I'd nudge you to look at that section of the store next time you go out. It's neat to see what the other side has been getting.

See you next mission!

--Adam Pawlus

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