Review: #674
Name: Dino
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Generations - Studio Series
Year of Release: 2021
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 12)
Mold Status: new
VEHICLE MODE:
For the first time since his onscreen debut, Dino finally gets his own unique mold. Granted, unfortunately he transforms into a Ferrari lookalike, being more of a generic red sports car.
That being said, this is a great look sports car, it's very sleek although some of the angles are a bit weird.
In terms of size, he is little bit smaller than TLK Deluxe Bumblebee. It's not too bad... but of course, it would have been preferable if he was larger.
The angles of the headlights look really nice, although the lower grill is weirdly sectioned off into two.
The rear of the car is also weird in its design although at least there are no exposed robot parts.
This is a solid car mode. It's a shame we couldn't get a licensed Ferrari but a lookalike is better than no figure.
TRANSFORMATION:
As expected, Dino is a big shellformer. Of the vehicle, only the headlights form the shoulders and the rear wheels on the thighs, everything else is folded into his backpack. This means that transformation is basically pulling apart the shell, prying all the limbs off and then folding the shell panels onto each other. The good news is that the robot weapons store in vehicle mode.
ROBOT MODE:
Finally, we get a screen accurate Dino and he does not disappoint. He has really sleek proportions befitting of his vehicle mode.
He carries most of the vehicle on his back and it compacts quite well so it isn't too obvious. As a result of this, his limbs can be seen as thin but it works well overall.
The head sculpt is messy although you can make out the eyes and mouth if you look carefully enough.
In terms of size, Dino is small, a good head shorter than even Siege Sideswipe. Naturally, this is quite disappointing. Considering that this has movie aesthetics, this coupled with the small size makes Dino feel even more insubstantial in hand.
As part of the Studio Series line, he comes with a cardboard stand.
The stand depicts the scene on the highway, which is basically Dino's only memorable scene.
Articulation is where Dino excels, he has joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. Due to transformation, he lacks a waist swivel.
The door wings can be angled to your liking. More vertical in line with most of his onscreen depiction, or out to the sides for a more balanced look.
For weaponry, Dino comes with his arm blades.
The blades peg under each forearm. He can hold it in his hands but... they're not really supposed to.
The only negative thing is that the blades are short and so they do not protrude out underneath them. Hence you need to pose him in such a way so that the blades are visible, i.e. if his hands are by his sides, you cannot see the blades at all.
One way to counter the short blades is to peg them the other way around so that the tips extend past his hands. It's not screen accurate, but actually still looks fairly decent.
Due to transformation, Dino has hinges for forward / back ankle movement, rather than side to side. This actually helps in a lot of poses. That being said, there's a lot of weight pulling his back so bigger heel spurs would have been nice.
This is a great robot mode with a nice sleek design. You also can't beat the red and black color scheme.
OVERALL:
Dino is a really good figure, and we finally get a unique mold for the character. He is much better than any of his other figures before (which goes without saying), and he is a solid figure. While the transformation is shellformery in nature, and he is small in robot mode, he still feels like he is worth the price tag.
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