Review and photos by Dinomike. Figure available from Amazon.com here and Amazon.co.uk here.
*Disclaimer: “Indominus Rex“ is not a real dinosaur. It is a fictional genetically modified hybrid dinosaur created for the Jurassic World franchise.*
Jurassic World will be exploding onto screens in less than a month and many of us dino nuts are shaking in anticipation! I have slowly become more and more fond of the genetically modified “Indominus Rex.“ I have to admit I was very reluctant to accept a fictional dinosaur but as the trailers keep getting better and better she has won me over.
So I caved in and got one of the better (IMHO) looking Jurassic World toys from Hasbro: the “Indominus Rex“ vs. Gyro Sphere set. The figures come fastened onto a sturdy cardboard base. The artwork on the box, as well as the images and overall presentation of this toy are very pleasing. Once the “I. rex“ has been removed from the packaging the appearance takes a downhill plunge. On the other side of the creature are a series of nasty looking screw holes.
Despite the screws, “I. Rex“ still comes packed full of aesthetically pleasing details. She provides insight to what the creature in the movie may look like. The skin has been sculpted to contain the folds and bumps you’d expect in a quality dinosaur toy. The paint job looks natural except for the mouth where the teeth are a bit sloppily painted and the tongue which is a stiff slab with no detailing whatsoever.
The action gimmicks on the toy are simple and fun. “I. Rex“ tilts her head down and clamps her jaws shut when you crank her tail. The right side of her belly features the dino damage wound that evokes the ire of serious dinosaur collectors. Whereas all the other JW dinosaurs roam about with a deadly open wound, this creature has a sliding cover that can hide the wound for a healthier appearance. As far as I am concerned, this gesture from Hasbro is most welcome!
The Gyro Sphere featured in the movie and a generic military figure are also included in the set. The Gyro Sphere is true to the movie minus the weapon attached to a crate on its roof. The door opens at the press of a button. This pops open the side of the vehicle, ejects a pair of seats, as well as “shatters” some of the glass, leaving the passengers vulnerable to dinosaur attack. A blue disk, i.e. the weapon, which snaps into place on the roof, can be shot by squeezing the sides of the aforementioned crate. The disk has a long shooting range, so bad guys, beware!
Not only I, but also my six– and four-year-old kids, enjoyed the dinosaur and the rest of the set. My son was over the moon about the fact that the jaw snaps, by the moving arms and legs. The shooting feature of the Gyro Sphere appealed to my daughter(“Yeeeeeahh! I can SHOOT things!!”). All in all, this toy passed the scrutiny of at least three household critics, and scores high as a durable toy with lots of entertaining gimmicks. Unlike most dinosaurs in the line, “I. Rex“ is not an actual dinosaur – therefore potential anatomical errors don’t bother me in the least (apart from the unfortunate screw holes). As a proclaimed sucker for the JP franchise, I give the set a 7 out of 10.
Available from Amazon.com here and Amazon.co.uk here.
Disclaimer: links to Ebay and Amazon on the DinoToyBlog are affiliate links, so we make a small commission if you use them. Thanks for supporting us!
Despite being made of questionable durability, my kids I-Rex and regular T-rex’s continue to function perfectly. Its been in the tub, been part of epic battles, outside, inside, and no issues. Pleasantly surprised so far.
I have to say, when I got a look at the Jurassic World toys recently, the I-rex figures (there’s also at least one more that’s much larger) seemed to be by far the best of the lot in terms of both design and quality.
Curious: Does this mean Godzilla Figures can be reviewed? I think that would be pushing it.
I would say that this guy is only allowed due to it being in a movie toy line series that has produced many many dinosaurs. It is a slippery slope, so I wouldn’t go much further. I don’t know what you do with the JP Chaos line, and I would figure Godzilla is out.
I think the JP Chaos Effect critters are permissible. Godzilla, however, is going too far.
Thanks for posting this Suspsy! Honestly, these Jurassic World figures are pretty darn fun in terms of their playability. They aren’t presuming to be something they’re not – these are toys, plain and simple, targeted at children (including the “inner child”). Even the packaging lends itself to this end, without any plastic shielding. To this end, they definitely succeed, arguably even more so than the old kenner line. I was very incredulous at first as well (most can be less than photogenic), but give ’em a try. I picked this one up, as well as the ankylosaurus (yes it is similar to the papo figure, but c’mon, most papo’s are unabashedly inspired by jurassic park…). No regrets.
The original JP and TLW lines were also directly aimed at kids, but Kenner did a far better job on them than Hasbro. If the JW toys were on the same level, I’d be buying more of them.
I should clarify my post – these toys have an unassuming charm to them. This is evidenced by the dull/rounded edges and overall “cartoonish” appearance – screaming kids toy (that even a toddler could appreciate). The old kenner figures (I was in love with them as a child, and have a extensive collection) while certainly more aesthetically impressive (and what may strike most as being of superior quality), seem a bit more daunting and may be better suitable for an older audience (I’ll contextualize that as being over 4 y.o.). Like Jurassic world (from what I gather) as opposed to jurassic park, the current line is meant solely for entertainment purposes (leave your science/knowledge at the ticket booth, lol).
*s I g h * What next? A bargain-bin Chinasaur review?
I think there have been a couple of reviews of those here, haven’t there?