Review: Skeleflex Dino Powerflex Lab T-Rex
On some level, this review has been a long time coming. I've previously purchased and looked at a substantial number of Skeleflex sets. I've reviewed the Velociraptor/Fang-O-Flex 2-pack, Octoattack, Skullkor, Stegosaurus, Akafly and Spinosaurus. If you don't want to read through all of that, here's the synopsis: Skeleflex is produced by Wild Planet, and there are several different types. The T-Rex is (obviously) one of the dinosaurs. They've also got aliens and fantasy creatures. Most are at least good, though there are a few rotten apples. Well, skeletal apples, anyway.
I'm convinced that metaphor works.
Since the beginning, I've been curious as to how the motorized function works, but not so curious as to be willing to spend $35 to find out. Well, as they often do, Toys R Us provided me with an opportunity to pick this up on clearance. While I like toy dinosaur skeletons, it was more the aforementioned curiosity that made me buy this massive set.
I'm convinced that metaphor works.
Since the beginning, I've been curious as to how the motorized function works, but not so curious as to be willing to spend $35 to find out. Well, as they often do, Toys R Us provided me with an opportunity to pick this up on clearance. While I like toy dinosaur skeletons, it was more the aforementioned curiosity that made me buy this massive set.
Appearance and Construction: 5/10
If you've read any of my Skeleflex reviews before, you know I score these as action figures rather than building sets, which generally means low Appearance and high Play and Display. In addition, this time the set has a couple different aspects. We'll consider the base as an accessory, even though in this case it's an integral part of the toy.
First up, even though the T-Rex is unpainted, the plastic used is a fairly good choice for a representation of bone, which is why he's not getting an even lower score. The reason he doesn't do better is that there's something off about the design here. While the head looks excellent, the rest is too cartoony. In particular, the chest pieces don't look quite right. Actually, the instructions here were missing some of the ribs, so I had to try and figure out where they went. I'll have some more to say about that in Play and Display. You should also be aware that there's a spot on his lower back where you can plug him in. Perhaps the rear wasn't the best place for that....
I feel like this entire piece was designed to work with the motorized feature, instead of the other way around. That said, the head and tail look great, so this is far from a total loss. Even so, these figures definitely improved with time. If you're just looking for a skeletal dinosaur, you can probably do a lot better.
First up, even though the T-Rex is unpainted, the plastic used is a fairly good choice for a representation of bone, which is why he's not getting an even lower score. The reason he doesn't do better is that there's something off about the design here. While the head looks excellent, the rest is too cartoony. In particular, the chest pieces don't look quite right. Actually, the instructions here were missing some of the ribs, so I had to try and figure out where they went. I'll have some more to say about that in Play and Display. You should also be aware that there's a spot on his lower back where you can plug him in. Perhaps the rear wasn't the best place for that....
I feel like this entire piece was designed to work with the motorized feature, instead of the other way around. That said, the head and tail look great, so this is far from a total loss. Even so, these figures definitely improved with time. If you're just looking for a skeletal dinosaur, you can probably do a lot better.
Packaging and Extras: ----
The T-Rex comes packaged in a large cardboard box. The art on the front is a bit absurd, but it's not ugly. I'm a little put out that there's no real indication of what this does or how it works: only that it you can "bring it to life".
So, what does it do? Well, you'll just have to wait: that's for Play and Display below. All I'm going to discuss here is what you get.
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And the primary extra here is the base, complete with braces for locking in the feet, a wire which can give your creation power, and a switch.
The base could certainly look better, though I kind of like the overall design. My main complaint here is with the bright red plastic everywhere. If the braces and lever were black, this would be a far more imposing piece. Likewise, the teal plastic could definitely have been replaced with something more metallic. I know paint costs money, but I'm betting fewer of these sets would have languished in clearance if they'd invested a little more. In addition, I wish the wire disconnected from both ends. That would have allowed it to function as a base without having the T-Rex plugged in. |
This doesn't come with batteries, though you do get another god-awful poster and directions, as well as a few flexible joints, one of which I actually wound up using. More on that below.
With a retail price of $30 - $35, I don't feel like the base is anything exceptional or unexpected, so I'm not going to hand over any bonus points here.
With a retail price of $30 - $35, I don't feel like the base is anything exceptional or unexpected, so I'm not going to hand over any bonus points here.
Play and Display: +1
We'll start with the action feature. The motor, as you've probably guessed, is actually in the T-Rex's waist, and it does two things. First, it makes his front section rise and fall in a circular motion. Second, it moves his tail a little.
The effect is neither awful nor great: it's decent, but not exceptional. In some ways, the living, miniature T-Rex skeleton seems kind of cute - almost like a prehistoric puppy - which I don't think is what they were going for.
The action feature does have several effects on the toy's design and articulation you should be aware of before picking one of these up. In order to get this to work, the spine and neck are one interconnected piece, and the ribs/arms attach in some unintuitive ways that come off as highly unrealistic up close. Also, because these pieces slide onto pegs on the creature's spine, they tend to fall out when you're fine-tuning. Fortunately, they remain in place otherwise, even when you throw the switch.
The articulation suffers a great deal because of this feature. The spine can only be adjusted to certain poses (it can't move into poses that deviate from the motor's range). In addition, probably to keep it upright, there are no knee joints. This greatly limits your options for positioning your dinosaur.
The effect is neither awful nor great: it's decent, but not exceptional. In some ways, the living, miniature T-Rex skeleton seems kind of cute - almost like a prehistoric puppy - which I don't think is what they were going for.
The action feature does have several effects on the toy's design and articulation you should be aware of before picking one of these up. In order to get this to work, the spine and neck are one interconnected piece, and the ribs/arms attach in some unintuitive ways that come off as highly unrealistic up close. Also, because these pieces slide onto pegs on the creature's spine, they tend to fall out when you're fine-tuning. Fortunately, they remain in place otherwise, even when you throw the switch.
The articulation suffers a great deal because of this feature. The spine can only be adjusted to certain poses (it can't move into poses that deviate from the motor's range). In addition, probably to keep it upright, there are no knee joints. This greatly limits your options for positioning your dinosaur.
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You can alter the feet, though this doesn't do much in the long run. Your best opportunity for posing really comes in the hips. You can tilt the T-Rex up or down as you'd like, opting for either an old-school upright dinosaur or a (presumably) more accurate horizontal version.
The lower jaw is articulated, though it's far too loose for posing. In most positions, the jaw hangs open. I'm assuming this was designed so it would snap open in closed when the motor's running. On it's own, this won't work, though if you attach one of the Flex joints between the head and neck, it does so nicely. The largest issue I have with this toy is with the claim that you can use your other Skeleflex sets with it. Strictly speaking, this is true: the joints do match up. Unfortunately, you're still stuck using the motorized hips, the spine, and the tail, as the joints between them are unique. You could snap a different head on, I suppose, or you try getting creative, but you're not likely to end up with something that looks natural or interesting. On top of that, if you try adding too much the motor can't handle the weight. |
To sum up, this has a fair amount of articulation, and the motorized movement works all right. While many of the pieces can be used with other sets, you're somewhat limited in using over Skeleflex pieces here, though you could certainly trade out the head and arms for the Spinosaurus ones, for instance. In the end, I'm going to give this a single bonus point for it's Play and Display potential. I'd have liked more, but this is still kind of cool.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 6/10
This isn't a bad toy, but there's no way it's worth $35. I bought mine at Toys R Us for fifteen, which felt more reasonable. In terms of its size, I can almost see $20, but that's pushing it.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I bought this to see how well it worked. I'd hoped it would be awesome and feared it would be stupid. In the end, it was somewhere between those extremes. If you're really getting into collecting Skeleflex toys, this isn't an awful addition to the collection, but it's a long way from the best figures. Like I said before, if you're just looking for a plastic T-Rex skeleton, I'd look into other options. This isn't bad, but I bet you can do better.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I bought this to see how well it worked. I'd hoped it would be awesome and feared it would be stupid. In the end, it was somewhere between those extremes. If you're really getting into collecting Skeleflex toys, this isn't an awful addition to the collection, but it's a long way from the best figures. Like I said before, if you're just looking for a plastic T-Rex skeleton, I'd look into other options. This isn't bad, but I bet you can do better.
You can find more of my rambling over at The Middle Room. Or, why not take a look at some of my short fiction? And, if you like that, you could always buy that novel I keep plugging!
