Kool Kollectibles content

19 Dec 2020

Transformers Masterpiece MP-39+ Spinout

Takara releases G1 Masterpiece figures so slowly these days, I barely even think about whether I should get a figure, and just buy it regardless. I guess when the figure is another fantastic Diaclone repaint, there's nothing to worry about!

This Spinout repaint of the fantastic Sunstreaker mold is beautifully done. Click the link below to check out my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe and stay tuned for the upcoming MP Arcee review!

The packaging is the usual MP style. There aren't too many accessories , but what is provided is decent enough. I'll never use the stickers, but they're a nice option for collectors that want that extra bit of detailing or Diaclone homage. The weapons are essentially the same as those that have come before with Sunstreaker or Cordon, so you know what you're getting there.


For the extra collector piece, I do wish they still provided the coins instead of these new pins. But I guess something is better than nothing! The card art is decent, but I still prefer the original static pose artwork of the figure itself. That was always just a simple yet classy way to highlight the figure and tech specs.


But the main thing everyone is interested in is of course the figure itself. It always seems that Takara puts in a little extra effort for their Diaclone repaints, and this Spinout is no exception. Cordon was a beautiful repaint, and Spinout maintains that high quality.

I actually thought the red was all just unpainted plastic, but it is actually a beautiful deep red paint that looks so good in hand. Previous figures with red plastic have a somewhat translucent quality that makes them look a little cheap. But this semi-matte finish is gorgeous.


I love that Takara have given the two Diaclone repaints their original Diaclone number designation, with Spinout being Car Robo CR-01 and Cordon being CR-03. Seeing this does raise the obvious question on where is CR-02, which is the original black Ironhide. I have no idea why Takara has not done an Ironhide repaint after all of these years since the MP-27 Ironhide release. I really do hope they announce one soon.


Seeing Spinout side by side to the original MP-12 Sideswipe, it really becomes obvious how much better the paint app is on Spinout. The roof of Sideswipe shows that translucent plastic effect, and the cleaner lines of Spinout really make it the definite red MP Countach for me.

The transformation to the classic Countach style without external engines is pretty simple, and that mode looks pretty awesome too. But I do prefer the external engine stile for both Cordon and Spinout. That chrome just looks amazing!


Spinout looks pretty amazing in bot mode too. It has the same G1 toy-inspired head sculpt like Cordon, but with yellow ears. An option for collectors who prefer a toy style would be to swap head sculpts with the original Sunstreaker figure, but I think that would look pretty weird, especially with the mis-matching blacks. I guess for me, I've never had an issue with the original Sunstreaker head sculpt, and think it conveys their cartoon aesthetic pretty well.

Luckily the transformation sequence for this Sunstreaker mold is easier the third time around. Spinout has nice firm joints that are not too loose or tight, and I had no issues with paint chipping either which is great.


I love these Diaclone homages in the MP series. There are some collectors that apparently hate these repaints, but I have no idea why. Considering that these were the original precursors to the Transformers that we all grew up watching, I think Takara honours them perfectly through this MP series. Here's hoping for a Hound repaint and of course that elusive black Ironhide!



Kotobukiya Horror Bishoujo Beetlejuice

I've collected most of the Kotobukiya Horror Bishoujo statues, and overall it's been a fantastic series. I was in two minds about this Beetlejuice, but I figured it looked iconic enough to add to the collection. It took a while to arrive from Japan, but it turned up in great condition and looks fantastic along with the rest of the gang.

Click the link below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for upcoming reviews for Bishoujo Pennywise and Leatherface!


Packaging is the usual nice style for the Bishoujos, with a mix of concept artwork and actual photos of the statue. The cardboard insert actually shows the tombstone that I would've actually preferred for the statue, which states "Here lies Betelgeuse" and has the little gargoyle on top. I'm not quite sure why they didn't use that tombstone.


I'm also not sure where the nail file comes from, unless I am completely forgetting it from the movie? The other statues in the series have had little accessories that are from the movies, so this one seems a little strange to me.

That aside, the rest of the statue is very nice. The face sculpt and skin paint app are the usual high quality in the Bishoujo series. I do like the little sharp teeth she has, and the sculpted hair is nicely layered. Note that the head sculpt sits a little loose in the neck socket, and can be removed. Not sure if that was meant to cater for some sort of swap out feature, but just something to be aware of.


The outfit is nicely sculpted, with the black and white painted nice and sharp with no bleed. The gold buttons and purple inner lining of the suit give it a nice bit of extra colour too. I wish the stony base was painted a little better with more variation - the browns and grays are a little flat which gives it a plasticky look. Still, it's a decent base for her to sit on, so I can't complain too much.


As I mentioned before, the layering and sculpting of the hair is nicely done. But I do wish there was a bit more variation in the paint app, or even some translucency like with the Freddy statue. I guess Freddy is the only one that has that sort of hair material, with all the others being painted. Either way, the overall sculpt looks pretty nice. 


I think the only main character I haven't collected is the Tiffany statue that was released along with Chucky. I just didn't think that version was iconic or recognisable enough. But with Beetlejuice, that's not an issue, and she looks fantastic with the others that I have in the collection.

I'm hoping to get the Pennywise and Leatherface statues soon, and I'm thinking Pennywise may well become my favourite in the series. Hope you can stick around and tune in for those upcoming reviews!


4 Dec 2020

Hot Toys MMS529 Endgame Thanos

I've had the Hot Toys Endgame Iron Man Mk85 (BD version), Captain America, and Thor figures preordered for a while, but had held off on the Thanos figure. But I stumbled across a seller here in Australia that can get some pretty awesome prices from Hong Kong.

The price for this Thanos brand new was about AUD$200 cheaper than from the usual Aussie retailers like Popcultcha. That was a price too good for me to pass up, and I'm definitely glad to have finally picked up this awesome figure!

Click the link below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

The set doesn't come with too much, but what is included is of pretty high quality. The array of hands are very nicely painted and suit the axe well. It would've been nice if the wrist joint and hand sculpt allowed for the iconic axe pointing pose from the final battle.

It's also unfortunate that there is only a swap out Infinity gauntlet, as opposed to a complete swap out arm that is sculpted in the bent position like the Infinity War version. I would've preferred to pose him with the gauntlet in a clenched fist in front of him, but won't be doing that since it would leave the rubber arm bent for too long.

The light up feature on the gauntlet is pretty nice. Sure it's not completely movie accurate to have all the stones with this outfit, but I don't really care. As the only version of Thanos I'm likely to have in my collection, I'm glad Hot Toys included it.

In terms of poseability, luckily the figure is imposting enough, and detailed enough, to look pretty fantastic in even a static, museum-like pose. The joints are all mostly on ratchets, so they hold up well to the weight of the figure. He's not likely to get into anything too dynamic, but I have seen poses of him in the sitting position. Not sure I'd recommend leaving it like that for too long though.

My favourite part of the articulation is actually the ankles, with their large ball joint that does give a lot of range of motion. It's good that you can get the feet flat on the ground for stability. The ratchet in the hips area is a bit fiddly, but overall you can adjust things to get him quite well balanced for such a large figure.


The head sculpt is one of the stand out features of this figure. The helmet is removeable, and luckily is foam-padded and surprisingly easy to remove and adjust. I've always been scared of putting helmets on Hot Toys figures in case it gets scratched, but I had no concerns with this figure.

Despite the purple paint app, the skin texture, detailed sculpting, glassiness of the eyes, and realistic teeth really give an almost scary realism to the figure. I'd have to say this is one of my favourite Hot Toys head sculpts in my collection. Both head sculpts are beautifully done, with the passive sculpt still giving the figure some great shelf presence.

To top it all off, the paint app on the armour pieces is also very nicely done. It's all plastic, but the weathering and sheen give it a nice realistic metallic look. The magnets on the shoulder pieces is nice, and helps to prevent any scratching of the arm paint app.


I actually thought the figure was going to be bigger than the previous Avengers Hulk figure. But it turns out Hulk is still larger and bulkier. Standing side by side, the scale still works out fairly well, and you could recreate their short battle nicely.

I think many people are waiting on the battle damaged version of this figure. That certainly looks like a great set too, but I'm happy enough with this version and the more subtle weathering on the armour pieces and head sculpt. I'm really looking forward to the three main Avengers to release in 2021 and have the 4 combatants standing together in the cabinet. Endgame was the culmination of my favourite series of movies for the past decade, so it will be great to have their 1/6th scale representations in my collection.