Review of Tyrannosaurus Rex - Thrash and Throw
Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom action figure

Introduction

Everyone loves dinosaurs, and no dinosaur is more beloved than the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Yea, we've learned a lot more about him over the last few decades, but the concept of a massive 'king of the jungle' creature that shook the ground when he walked is just too juicy and fun to easily dismiss.

She's been a key character in the Jurassic Park franchise, and no doubt she'll be showing up in the latest installment Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. The movie looks like a rehash of Jurassic Park 2 to me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the first Jurassic World flick, so I'll keep an open mind.

The toys are already hitting, and there's a wide variety of cool dinos. I'm checking out the "Thrash 'N Throw" T-Rex tonight, who is widely available and will run you around $50.

Packaging - ***
There's a try me feature, and the package allows you to move the head up and down or side to side with the tail. You can hear the sound features of course, but you'll probably need to get some new batteries soon after opening him up. It's not collector friendly - you'll tear it apart in your hast to free her - but the try me feature is always a big plus with a character like this.

Sculpting - ***1/2
It's only a face a mother could love, but it's detailed with a terrific skin texture, well defined ridges, and a rough leathery look. This is a pretty big T-Rex, although not the largest in the line. She comes in at about 22" nose to tail, and is supposedly in scale with the 1/18 figures. I've included some shots with a more traditional 4" figure, but I believe the new JP figures are a smidge smaller than the Stormtrooper. There's also a larger T-Rex available, which might indicate there's more than one in the movie...

She stands great on her own with the large feet, and the sculpt and articulation work well together. The play feature doesn't interfere with her look either, always a big plus. I particularly like the sculpted ligaments along each side of the jaw, which are only visible when the mouth is open. It's a nice touch that a toy like this didn't require, but which adds a lot to the realism.

Paint - ***
Remember - this is a mass market toy that is intended for kids to play with, first and foremost. Of course, kids have good taste and they don't want dinosaurs that look bad...but this isn't intended as a collectible, but rather a toy.

When you consider that, the paint work is all the more impressive. It's clean and neat, with very little slop. The eyes have a malevolent look, and there's some tonal variation in the face itself. I wish they'd extended that to other areas of the body, where there's a bit too much of a single color over large sections, but where the colors meet the edges are well done.

Articulation - ***
This beast is pretty well articulated, without too much interference created by the play feature.

The jaw opens and closes, the neck, torso, and tail move slightly side to side, and both arms and both legs have a single joint at the hip/shoulder. Oh, and let's not forget the cut joint at the ankles!

The hips click into place, and moving the tail activates the various jaw/neck movements. Still, you can get some pretty cool poses, and he can maintain them without too much trouble. I just wish you could keep the jaw open in any stance, since it's such a classic pose.

Accessories - Bupkis
I didn't really expect any, so this score is merely FYI and not part of my Overall. The instructions do mention something about getting one mini-dino with this guy, but that must be a misprint.

Sound Feature - ***1/2
There's a couple key sounds, activated with different movements.

Stomping the feet creates a booming sound, while moving the tail in such a way as to open the mouth activates a roaring sound. These are loud and clear, emanating from a speaker on her belly. The sounds enhance the play, and work quite well with the movements of the figure.

Fun Factor/Play Feature - ***1/2
The play feature sounds simple, but is actualy pretty complex. By moving the tail, you can dip his neck and head downward. The mouth opens and then snaps shut at just about the right height to ensnare a 4" figure. Push the tail back down, and the head raises. You can swing side to side (hence the 'thrash') and then push down on the tail to pop the mouth open (leading to the 'throw'). It's a little tricky to get it right, but kids will be better able to manage it than adults, and will have a ton of fun with it.

Value - **
Fifty bucks isn't cheap for a toy on the shelf at Target, but this one has a great play feature, an excellent sound feature, and at almost two feet long, the sort of scale and bulk you need in your dinosaurs.  I'm docking it slightly here, but only slightly.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. This is a very sturdy toy that can handle just about anything you can throw at it.

Overall - ***1/2
While the Jurassic Park sequels have never been great sci-fi, they have been fun adventures.  This new sequel looks to continue the tradition, and kids will love re-enacting the best scenes from the movie with their action figures.  You might be able to skip a dino here or there, but not the T-Rex - you know he's going to be critical to the story line. This one is a reasonable solution, not the most expensive or largest in the line, but a nice compromise of price, size, and features.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - Bupkis
Sound Feature - ***1/2
Fun Factor/Play Feature - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $49.

Related Links -
This is my first Jurassic Park review...hard to believe!  I'll be doing at least one more before the movie hits however.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!