Tyrannosaurus rex (Tsukuda Hobby Collection)

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Review and photos by Bokisaurus, edited by Suspsy

In my last review, we looked at the Tsukuda Styracosaurus. Today, we will look at another classic favourite from the same line. Without a doubt, the most famous dinosaur of all time is Tyrannosaurus rex. No line of prehistoric figures is complete without one, and it is usually one of the first figures that a new company releases when they first launch. Its fame and popularity is unrivaled.

Throughout its long history of being an icon, it is appropriate that T. rex also serves as a good indicator of the changing views of dinosaurs and how they are depicted in science and popular culture. No other species of dinosaur (well, maybe Spinosaurus) has undergone such dramatic transformation as T. rex. From the kangaroo tail-dragging creature of early years, to the scaly monster of not so long ago, to the sleek top predator of the 90s’, and finally, to the fully feathered king of today, T. rex is without a doubt the super model of the dinosaur world!

T. rex through the years

The Tsukuda Tyrannosaurus rex is from the earlier years. Like the rest of the figures from the collection, it too has the signature beaded eyes that set the figure apart from many of its contemporaries. Alas, despite those cute eyes, this version of T. rex is rather cartoony or more accurately, looks more like a caricature of what T. rex should look like. It, along with the Spinosaurus, is the most old school in style, looking very uncoordinated and awkward.

The figure measure a good 12 inches long stretched out, and stand at almost 8 inches tall. Size-wise, it goes well with the standard 1:40 scale figures. The head is not a very good representation of what a T. rex head should look like. It looks more like a generic theropod head. Those famous eyes are bright yellow, contrasting nicely with the deep green colouration. Like almost all T. rex figures, this one also has a gaping mouth, although the effect is more like a laughing animal than a ferocious one! The teeth are individually sculpted, and inside the mouth you can see the large, pink tongue. There are lots of wrinkles and texturing going on around the head as well.

The neck on this figure is muscular with a throat pouch clearly visible just under the lower jaw. As we come to the robust body, one can appreciate the many details that adorn it. There are plenty of skin wrinkles all over the body and scutes that runs along the back, starting at the base of the skull and going all the way down to the lower hip area. The skin is also given a rich texture in the form of bumps of varying sizes. On the back, there is what appears to be rectangular scutes located in the lower back area.

Surprisingly for a figure this age, the arms does not show the extreme pronation that is typically seen on older(and still some newer) theropod figures. The tail on this guy is bulky, perhaps the meatiest one I have seen on a toy figure! This allows the figure to use the tail as an extra support for it to stand. The fat tail is stubby and does not lose any of its heft as it moved down the tip. But perhaps the most awkward feature of this figure is its legs. They are so sprawled and uncoordinated-looking. It looks like more like an infant trying its first steps. Like the rest of the Tsukuda collection, the colouration on this figure is nothing remarkable. A simple dark green forms the base colour, with a lighter grey/green was on the underside. I have seen photos of what looks like a brown version, so maybe there is a colour variant out there.

Overall, the Tsukuda Tyrannosaurus rex is a beautiful example of what was then a typical depiction of this animal. The rather child-like and uncoordinated look of the figure is a flaw, but it is also what makes this figure so fascinating and charming. Like the rest of the Tsukuda figures, the T. rex was not widely distributed, making them rare and sometimes hard to find. However, it is also the one you are most likely to find at a reasonable price. In closing then, for those of you looking for something old school, I highly recommend this figure. Those beady eyes and comical pose is irresistible and would make a nice addition to any T. rex collection.