Jurassic Park 2009: Deluxe Electronic Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2009

Accessories:

-Forest Hunter General

-Missile Launcher (with missile)

-Off-Road Vehicle cut-out (Note: since this last “accessory” is actually a part of the figure's box, it will not be reviewed here.)

Description: this Tyrannosaurus figure, though heavily retooled, is still the largest of all JP dinosaur toys ever produced. It measures a good 70 centimetres in length and about 20 centimetres tall. This Rex stands in an active pose, with its left leg moved forward and its right leg posed backward, as if walking. Its head is quite large, almost as big as its belly. It can swallow human and smaller dinosaur figures whole, but they have to be retrieved via the same way they came in. The head, neck and tail are made of a more flexible material than the rest of the figure, with the eyes being small transparent orbs with a black spot (the pupil) painted on them. The T-Rex features poseable arms, legs and even feet (which sport huge toes and claws, including the smaller ones on the side of the lower legs). On its belly, the T-Rex carries a visible speaker unit and battery cover, as well as a little switch, with 'On', 'Off' and 'Try me' printed next to it. The actual sounds are activated by pushing the little button on its back, above the upper legs. In the case of the latter option, the figure only makes noises when the button is pushed, while when in 'On' mode the figure also produces sounds at random. Overall, this figure produces at least thirteen different sounds, including stomping sounds which can be produced by bashing the feet on any surface (this also works when the figure is still boxed).

This large T-Rex features a basic three-way paint job. Colours on the softer parts of the figure's body are more vivid because of the different materials used. The underside (most of the lower jaw, throat, belly and most of the lower part of the tail) are painted greyish beige. The limbs, flanks and middle part of the tail are coloured grey. The top parts of the body (most of the head, neck, back and upper part of the tail) are painted orange. Black lines run over the orange colouring, while additional black colouration is found on the head on the snout, in a a big cluster around the eyes, with a line running out of this part around the chin and in a wave pattern over the lower jaw. Diffused black stripes and spots adorn the flanks, knees and tail, while black bands are found around the lower arms and end of the tail, and a row of black spots runs over each toe. On the upper jaw near the snout the creature sports small triangular blue shapes, two on each side of the face, with black lines around these. The claws on both fingers and toes are painted black. The Rex has beige teeth (some of them broken off or worn out) and the inside of its mouth is pink, with the tongue coloured a darker shade of pink.

The Forest Hunter General wears a dark grey jacket adorned with lighter grey spots and shapes and revealing a grey shirt underneath, as well as silver tags around his neck. He also sports a black utility belt, dark grey trousers and black boots. His pants and shirt sport some slight tears, like he’s had a run-in with an unpleasant dinosaur. He has brown hair and eye brows, black eyes and a rather grim look on his face. He stands in a very odd pose, left leg stretched forwards and right leg braced backwards, left arm reaching up and right arm pointing down, as if he's startled by some prehistoric vermin in front of him. He comes with a missile launcher, which is coloured in a slightly metallic dark grey paint job, with a dark pink missile sticking out of it on both ends. Pushing the end of the missile sort of launches it, though it doesn’t work very well.

Analysis: it took a while, but Hasbro finally did something else than just repaint figure after figure for this toy line, though only once. In this case, they dug up an old T-Rex sculpt, the biggest and baddest around, and revamped it to become the new top predator figure. With great results, since this is by far the most impressive, awe-inspiring and daring figure Hasbro has produced since the JP III line!

Even though this Deluxe Tyrannosaurus uses the specifications of the classic and much beloved Bull T-Rex figure from the TLWS1 toy line, it's a totally different animal altogether. It can still swallow figures, but these can only go a short distance instead of making it all the way to the belly and being retrieved via a big slit in its belly (which also means this new T-Rex incarnation doesn't have a big hole there). That's probably why this Rex doesn't come with a survival pod, since human figures won't be retrieved and thus won't survive being gulped down by the latest Tyrant Lizard King. The figure's poseability has been maximized. This time it can move more than just the arms. The legs and even the feet (which is wholly new for JP toys' standards) are also poseable, increasing playability.

The new paint job is okay, but not the figure's most appealing feature: the grey, beige and black feels fine, the orange less so. It seems too colourful and cheerful on a massive predator like this, though it does feel in place in the already very brightly coloured JP 2009 line. It does also hint at the dismally ugly orange paint job from the Chaos Effect Omega T-Rex predecessor though. However, overall it's an acceptable paint job, and also fairly detailed. All the claws have been taken care off, the tongue is coloured differently from the rest of the mouth, and there's various lines, spots and stripes to give the animal more character. The triangular blue shapes on the upper jaw are a nice little touch for example. The Rex also retains its glassy retina, something only used three times now in JP toys lore.

The sound system of this T-Rex has been expanded a lot compared to the previous Rexes. Though the sounds are not as loud as before, there's an awful lot of them instead of only two or three. At least thirteen different noises can be heard, varying from movie accurate roars to snarls, growls, chomping and stomping sounds. Some of these may be familiar, as they were used for the Bull T-Rex and the JP III T-Rex figures. The difference between a 'Try me' and an 'On' option is a nice touch, but makes little difference overall.

This Deluxe Tyrannosaurus comes with a Forest Hunter General figure and its missile launcher. The human figure is completely dwarfed by the huge T-Rex, and is only useful as prey for this berserker beast. It fits in its mouth and throat easily. Basically Hasbro provided the Rex with its own snack. Unfortunately the General is not painted differently from its regular appearance in this toy line, which makes it less original. The weapon is still totally lame and does absolutely no damage to the hulking carnivore.

Overall, this is one of Hasbro's finest releases and certainly the main attraction of JP 2009. It's not surprising many dinosaur collectors totally ignored the rest of the line and only got themselves its crowning achievement. It should come as no surprise if this becomes a much desired and valuable toy over the next decade, as has been the faith of most big JP figures before. It sincerely deserves such a future.

Unless Hasbro starts to milk this figure to no end as well...

Repaint: yes, more or less. Though at first glance this figure appears a mere repaint of the TLWS1 Bull T-Rex, only its bare shape and size have survived the heavy retooling this sculpt underwent for this toy line. The torso and limbs are now composed of hard plastic, while the head, neck and tail are comprised of softer material than before. The original three Bull Rex sounds are still there, but now backed up by new roars and growls, as well as the JP III T-Rex figures' noises. Overall, this figure might as well be a totally new sculpt, even though it doesn't appear to be. The Forest Hunter General appeared in the exact same paint job in his own set in this toy line, but was originally a JP III figure, which by itself was already repainted for JPD2. The missile launcher originally came with the JP III Military Diver figure, appeared again with that figure repainted in JPD2 and has also been featured with the Diver of this toy line.

Overall rating: 8/10. Probably the best addition to the world of JP toys since the better JP III sculpts were first released in 2001. Though the paint job is not perfect, the many new features, much improved poseability and overall size make for a formidable dinosaur toy. The General and his weapon (as well as the cut-out vehicle) are nice little additions but are hardly noteworthy compared to the main attraction here, though they add some additional fun. This set wasn't rare on release, but that swiftly changed. Because it's such a good and huge toy, it was quite sought after and has by now become almost as valuable as the original TLW Bull T-Rex it was based on. Don't expect this one to be an easy find, despite it not being a very old toy.

Jurassic Park Series 1: Jungle Explorer

Year of release: 1993

Accessories:

-Blood Sample Missile Launcher with two missiles

-Dino Damage hood

-Glass window roof

-Camera

(Note: the reviewer is not an expert on cars (especially in the English language), so any incorrect technical terminology or lack of detail should be disregarded.)

Description: this second car of the JPS1 toy line is bigger than the Bush Devil Tracker and measures about 25 centimetres in length. Its predominant colour is bright yellowish green, which can be found on both sides of the vehicle as well as most of the front and also a bit around the windows. It turns into almost full yellow on the lower sides of the car. It’s also adorned with rows of red stripes, most notably on the hood, but also on both sides. The roof on the back of the Explorer is red, while there is black highlighting around the windows and next to the missile storage compartment. The “windows” on the back of the car are entirely black. The car has four black wheels (no hub caps) and black bumpers on the back and front of the car, including lights on the front bumper. On top of the red roof section there are additional lights as well as a small black camera. The driving wheel is black, while the rest of the inside of the car including the two seats is coloured dark grey and lacks detail. The car is decorated with a large JP logo sticker on the hood, as well as long Jurassic Park text logos with the Rex symbol on each side of the car. This vehicle sports “glass” (plastic of course) in the main window and the front part of the roof (which is able to be opened), but not on the side windows. Nice little detail: the main front window sports hints of window cleaners, though there are none. The missile launcher is all metallic grey, with one large red button, while the missiles themselves are the same colour with red blood sample dots inside.

The Jungle Explorer features two main action features. First, the dino damage hood. A large section of the car’s hood can be removed, and reveals extensive damage to the engine underneath, The hood breaks off in an asymmetrical pattern as if a large ferocious carnivore tore it off with its bare teeth. Second, there’s the blood sample missile launcher which is located on a swing door at the back of the car. The door flaps open with the launcher ready for action (if loaded of course). The vehicle comes with two missiles, rocket like in appearance. While the launcher is loaded, the second missile can be stored on one of the two pins on the left end of the car.

Analysis: the Jungle Explorer is without a doubt the most well remembered and iconic vehicle of the entire JP franchise. Everyone fondly recalls this car being beaten, battered, torn to shreds, thrown off a cliff and falling down a tree in a climatic confrontation with a curious Tyrannosaurus in the first movie. Of course kids would want to repeat its behaviour with their own toy vehicle, so Kenner designed this classic Jungle Explorer toy, largely sporting the same great colourful paint job as the car seen in the film.

Unlike the Explorers seen in the movie, which were electric, rode on tracks and were defenceless, this car uses no tracks and is equipped with a missile launcher to defend itself from creatures, but also to get blood samples off the dinosaurs, according to the box this toy was shipped in. The blood sample aspect of the missiles is a bit vague: apparently it has something to do with the red dots inside of the missiles. When these are shown it means the missile is ready to be fired in order to take blood samples. If not, the missiles can be loaded but don’t get launched very far. I doubt many kids would bother with these details (I certainly never did) and just want to shoot dinosaurs instead. When properly loaded this can also be done, since the missiles (if in good working order) have a decent firing range of over half a metre and a good impact force as well (though real big dinosaurs won’t be knocked over by them). When not in use, both missiles can be stored on the pins on the left side of the car, which prevents misplacement.

The best thing about this vehicle is the damage that can be done to it, since most kids undoubtedly felt like replaying the Rex attack on their own. Kenner delivered with a good dino damage hood action. A large part of the hood can be removed, revealing extensive damage underneath. Besides that, the glass roof window, the front bumper and the little camera can also be removed, though probably not really intended as dino damage in the same sense as the hood of the car. The removable glass window (it does take some effort to properly remove it) is another nice touch, since now carnivores can attack figures inside the car from above and snatch them between their jaws, like the Rex attempted to do with the kids in the movie.

Though sporting an overall great design, the Jungle Explorer is not perfect. Most vexing is the lack of detail on the inside, making the interior of the car look rather dull. Also a nuisance is the fact that there are no side doors, so figures can only be placed inside through the roof with some effort. Lastly, there’s no good way for figures to operate the launcher on the back, since there’s no real place to put them and they have trouble holding on to the launcher. Minor issues, which could have been solved easily in the design process, but still don’t really detract from the awesomeness of this toy car.

Playability: just fine. The vehicle rolls well on its four wheels, though only on easy flat terrain. The dino damage section looks great, much more detailed and serious than on the Bush Devil Tracker. The missile launcher door swings open easily while the launcher itself does its job well. However, the missiles are a bit fragile due to the blood sample system inside the missiles, which tends to get worn out over time: this causes the missiles to be unable to be launched properly (which dramatically decreases their respectable firing range of 60 centimetres to almost zero, meaning they more often hit the hood of the car than any targets in front of the vehicle). The missile storage pins on the side of the jeep come in handy though, since now you don’t have to leave any missiles lying around. The camera on top of the jeep is only there for show and doesn’t really do anything (though it can swivel around in a full circle). The glass roof is quite aesthetically pleasing and useful as well, since the side doors of the jeep can’t be opened so figures have to be placed in their seats via the roof. It’s a bit awkward to do, but unfortunately the only way.

Realism: thanks to the yellowish green paint job and red stripes this car is unmistakably a toy version of the Ford Explorer vehicle seen, and destroyed in one of the movie’s most memorable scenes, in the first Jurassic Park film. Of course there are some differences, most notably in the back of the car (no windows, missile launcher, lack of detail on the inside), but that’s to be expected. There had to be some good action features after all, though without them this car would probably look just as cool.

Repaint: as part of the first JP toy line, the Jungle Explorer is not repainted. A repaint featuring ‘jungle colours’ (though he colours on the original seem ‘jungle’ enough to me) was planned for the JPS2 line, but got scrapped: no JPS2 Jungle Explorers have ever been seen officially. The vehicle would not be repainted for later toy lines either.

Overall rating: 8/10. A good toy version of the classic Ford Explorers of the first movie, with a grand paint job, nasty dino damage and a fine missile launcher. It has some minor flaws, but is definitely worth getting despite them. It’s not really difficult to find and got a wide release, but prices have been known to be high at times (especially for MIB ones) because it’s such a popular vehicle.