Since its release in 2012, Papo’s Running Tyrannosaurus rex has become immensely popular with dinosaur enthusiasts. Its fearsome visage has popped in multiple books and magazines, and it has even crashed a few weddings! Not surprisingly then, Papo released this very colourful repaint in mid-2016. Unlike the super-rare brown variant, this one is widely available both online and in certain stores such as Mastermind Toys here in Ontario.
I’m not going to go much into sculpting detail, as it’s already been amply discussed in the reviews linked above. As you can see, the “rainbow” moniker is well-justified. The T. rex’s back is covered in dark blue, purple, and light brown while its flanks and underside feature medium grey with dark stripes, dark blue hands and feet, and dark grey claws. The throat, with its thick wattle, is dark pink. The brow ridges are dull purple, the eyes are blood red, the inside of the mouth is off pink, and the teeth are pearly white.
At first glance, this colour scheme appears identical to the female version’s. However, there are a few differences. The male’s skull and mouth interior are darker. The tissue connecting the skull to the mandible is pink painted over with purple as opposed to just pink. The purple stripes running horizontally along the sides are more pronounced. Finally, the hands and feet are dark blue as to blue-grey. Blueback, meet Bluefoot. May you live long and dispatch many ceratopsians together. Oh, and Bluefoot is also distinctly glossier on his head and back compared to his mate.
The other two versions of the Running T. rex are infamous for having difficulty standing on their own. Happily, Papo appears to have addressed this flaw. As you can see in the comparison photo below, Bluefoot leans less to the right than Roughskull, making him a centimetre taller and greatly improving his stability!
Out of all three versions, this one is now my favourite, due to the spiffy colour scheme and the improved stability. If you don’t own any of them yet, I definitely recommend getting this one. And if you’re particularly fond of T. rex, as I am, then you’ll definitely want to add this figure to your collection regardless. Incidentally, the upcoming 2017 Acrocanthosaurus figure has the same colour scheme as Bluefoot and Blueback. Someone at Papo must really like this blend.
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This is a good review, thank you very much! I’ve linked your work in our article: https://alkony.enerla.net/english/the-nexus/miniatures-nexus/miniature/miniature-creature/giant-biped-carnivore-running-t-rex-for-the-dinosaurs-from-papo-miniature-creature-review
I quite like the color scheme – sure, it’s not realistic, but then the sculpt (which is admittedly quite nice) isn’t realistic either. As long as you’re going to make a movie monster style dino, might as well get creative and dramatic with the colors instead of making it plain ol’ green or JP copycat brown.
Agreed!
I can see the resemblance with the TLW Parasaurolophus design, with the patterns and striping on these two Rainbow T. rex figures (I can make it out more so on the JP styled rex), being very close to how its markings were. Really the stripes just need to be more black, the head and legs could be more tan, give or take some red on the head and neck (depending on one’s preferred version of the concept art and/or toy variants that closely match the concept art, and/or film version), and it would be almost right on (having a somewhat tan body and pale belly already, and again the similar patterns and stripes).
To think of it that way gives me some more appreciation for these color variants of these figures then I had before, especially since I adore the design of the TLW Parasaurolophus, even if the colors are a bit off from being a complete match.
Is anyone else really bothered by how off the head looks? Might be it just doesn’t photograph well but to me it looks really inaccurate. As an aside, the colour scheme reminds me of the Parasaurolophus from The Lost World
Yes, the review of the original Running Rex notes that the head look like that of the V. rex from the 2005 King Kong film. As for the colour scheme, I don’t recall the Parasaurolophus in TLW looking like this toy.
Not as much as I thought, but the resemblance is still there: http://dinotoyblog.com/2015/04/02/parasaurolophus-the-lost-world-jurassic-park-by-kenner/
The tyrannosaurus rex of Papo independently that its colors are very beautiful they are still nonetheless somewhat unreal. That does not remove what the reviewer has said that is perhaps the best model of repainting. Unfortunately the brown tyrannosaurus rex is not available anywhere today.
If before it was difficult to find today is almost impossible. On the other hand, regardless of the color that does not stop me from being my personal attractor but somewhat The tyrannosaurus rex of Papo independently that its colors are very beautiful they are still nonetheless somewhat unreal. That does not remove what the reviewer has said that is perhaps the best model of repainting. Unfortunately the brown tyrannosaurus rex is not available anywhere today.
If it was difficult to find today, it is almost impossible. On the other hand regardless of the color that does not stop me from being my personal aspect appealing but somewhat unreal (although I will never know I guess how were those creatures in most cases) its modeling is perfect and I also have the green version although This one It convinces me more from the coloristic point of view because its painting seems less speculative. Papo independently of its philosophy is one of the leading companies of the toy market and its figures although they are not scientific from the scientific point of view I am obliged to buy because in general terms they are very well done.
What I do not understand however why the dinosaur companies and in particular Papo make so many models alike but with different versions in relation to the painting (I say with all respect towards the other members of the forum and with my greatest affection to Papo) Independently That I buy and I will always buy all its models equal with different version of painting.
Unreal (although I will never know how these creatures were in most cases), their modeling is perfect and I also have the green version although this one convinces me more from the coloristic point of view because it seems less speculative his painting. Papo independently of its philosophy is one of the leading companies of the toy market and its figures although they are not scientific from the scientific point of view I am of obliged purchase because in general terms they are very well done.
What I do not understand however is why dinosaur companies and in particular Papo make so many models alike but with different versions in regards to painting (I say with all respect towards the other members of the forum and with my greatest affection to Papo del That I am a follower) independently that I buy and I will always buy all its equal models with different version of painting.
Redecos allow saving costs. It’s not limited to Dinosaurs however, as it also happens to other creatures, like cows, tigers, frogs etc.
TFWiki has an article about that:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Redeco
Thanks for the information, I did not know that. Now I understand why the attitude not only of Papo but of other companies. In short, it is a strategy to reduce costs.
Oh interesting, so this version is not a mere repaint but actually got a modified mold, just as was the case with the original T.rex when then they changed it from green to brown. I still think that Rainbow Rex is rather misleading. Now the small Schleich one, that is what I would call a Rainbow Rex.
Given the sheer number of colours, I think the rainbow moniker is justified. The only major colours missing are green and yellow. 🙂
Okay, if you put it like that. But the colors are rather subtle compared to an actual rainbow, the Schleich one or pretty much anything else called Rainbow something.
Subtle or bold, it’s still a wide variety of colours that can be described as a rainbow. The rainbow boa and the rainbow trout also don’t have a complete spectrum of colours, but no one is advocating for their names to be changed. 🙂