So...the Beast Morphers line is starting to end. I've been pretty let down because I was hoping to at least end this line with a look at the Beast-X King Zord and maybe some additional figures not yet revealed after Toy Fair. We're sadly being stuck with MMPR stuff for the kids until Dino Fury shows up, which is both neat and annoying. That being said, the team-up was perfect in getting us some stuff based on it (aside from the MMPR stuff), as we got a nontransforming Rexy and a three-pack of three of the many Dino Rangers from Grid Connection. Will they make up for the lack of BM merchandise, and will the Beast-X King Red Ranger be a good way to end the basic figure line for his season?
Here is the Beast-X King Red Ranger's Morph-X Key. It's the same as most of the ones he's already had, except it's got a blue back section to reference the lion while the key is yellow. The only other time a key had a differently colored blade was with the Red Fury Mode.
When inserted into the Beast-X Morpher, you get the following sounds:
"Red Ranger Power!"
"You can't catch me! Superspeed!"
These were discovered by fans when they tinkered with the toy, and it's weird how that was found with this key and not one of the earlier ones.
Now let's hear it with the Beast-X King Morpher. The sounds say the same lines, but with a voice that sounds more like Devon's. The blue and yellow combined from both somehow make the red look out of place.
And here we have the Red Ranger in-hand. His Beast-X King armor is an interesting design yet is nonexistent in the show. It's surprising because Hasbro was really interested in making original weapons and the Red Fury mode for the same Ranger, but then I remember that stuff like the Cheetah Blade was never in the show. In terms of design, it's able to give add more color to a Red Ranger, but I won't lie when I say that this would be sweet to give for an American-exclusive 6th Ranger on the team. Design-wise, the lion looks like a paper project with how the mane looks on the face while the gloves look like they're about to be used with toilet-cleaning. Maybe they'd look better on a different Ranger, but with this guy, it's quite out of place. Had there been a 6th Ranger to pilot the Beast-X King Ranger, this set of armor would initially be used by Devon as a power-up before realizing it's actually new Ranger powers (which meant he'd get an overload of such strength). Alas, there is no 6th Ranger.
Helmet sculpt's the same as always, and so is the articulation, what with the ball-jointed head, shoulders moving front and back as well as in and out; there are elbow swivels as well as bends underneath. The hips move front and back, in and out, knees swivel and they bend too. His weapons are a mixed bag; the sword looks like it comes from a bootleg toy with how cheap the yellow is and how out of place the green is on the blade. The gun looks like a mix between the aesthetics of Grid Battleforce guns and the design points of the frog gun from Ninja Steel.
In terms of a comparison between him and the other versions out there, here he is between his show canon power-ups and the regular version on the right of the screen. This guy has quite the largest amount of variants in the toyline, with Blue, Yellow, Silver, and Blaze having two versions of themselves, by comparison; you can add the two-pack versions if you want, but that will lead to Devon having 5 versions of himself! I have to say that this guy stands out quite a bit with his armor, and the same can also be said for his non-canon weapons (even though Red Fury mode has no sword in the show).
The sword may look similar to the Cheetah Blade, but aside from the coloring, the child has a different animal head and a handguard of sorts from the lion mane. Beyond that, I can't blame you if it looked like the other sword.
This is how I rank the basic Red Rangers in the line. Regular Red is ranked in 1st place because it looks pretty good even without the power-ups, Red Fury mode is in second place since it's the best-armored version of Red yet lacks silver for the boots and the red paint on the legs could go for another layer. Both Beast-X-related power-ups are tied since the in-show version is missing the metallic red paint yet appeared in the show while the King version is not in the show yet has armor that doesn't look like it blends in. Oh, and both are missing the silver paint.
But as we all know, the Lightning Collection version's the best one there ever is. Oh and that hand comes from another Red Ranger we'll take a look at in the line. Stay tuned.
Here is the Mighty Morphin Red Ranger in-hand. This guy looks pretty good for a basic toy, what with the details and toy proportions fitting quite well together than you'd think. It's hard to screw up a Mighty Morphin toy, and Hasbro did a good job with this mold, I'd say. On top of that, the suit details also look pretty crisp on the figure and don't suffer from the diamonds overlaying one another like on the Lightning Collection.
The helmet sculpt is perfect, but the frustrating aspect about this toy is the deco applied to it. For some stupid reason, the visor's paint is over the teeth while one of the tyrannosaurus eyes are over the actual eye. HOW could you mess that up?! I thought this would be the better copy of the two, but this is a fucking terrible accident. His weapons are interesting, what with the Power Sword having been molded from gray plastic and the Blade Blaster from white plastic; both are painted red on parts of them.
I was about to brag that the new copy was going to be better than the other one I got, but as it turns out, the new copy's paint apps around the visor are no better than on the original. Also made worse is the eye deco being misaligned whereas it's not the case on here. At least the Power Coin is better detailed and the legs are tighter.
I'll make a simpler comparison between these two. On the left is the Lightning Collection version, which is the better articulated and proportioned of the two. That being said, I prefer the basic figure's handling of the diamonds, Power Morpher, and the chest details if you ask me. There is weirdly no holster for the basic toy.
Their weapons are similar to one another. Aside from the plastics they're molded from, I like the fact that they're fairly consistent in terms of quality. The sculpted details are similar, though they achieve the same result. The sword's better on the LC version, though the Blade Blasters are similar where I wouldn't mind if we got either one (so long as the paint won't chip off).
The striking aspect of this set is the fact that the helmets are different from one another. Setting aside the paint apps on the basic figure, the proportions feel closer to the in-show suit design. It's better done if you ask me!
You can actually have the Lightning Collection figure wear the basic toy's helmet, but switching the helmets is not an easy feat. You had to either use hot water or a hairdryer to remove them while my task involved wrapping the head with a shirt and pulling the head off of there from that moment. Still, it looks better on him, though 1) You need to have the ball joint or the socket to be modified for it to fit on better, and 2) the helmet may need to use some metallic red paint to look nicer and fit in better with the rest of the toy. This is the first copy's basic figure, which somewhat has better paint apps and was easier to take off than the other copy.
Next up is Dino Thunder Blue; this guy has no major paint app issues whatsoever. I'm happy with how he turned out, what with the diamonds applied nicely while the gold pops nicely among the blue. The white on the neck is better than the white on the diamonds, but it's not too bad nonetheless. The gold paint on the chest is not too shabby, and I'm also pretty content with the proportions on this figure (which look a little more fitting for him than with Jason). Some paint apps might be missing, like the pads on the hands or the details for the Thundersaurus Morpher, but it's still good nonetheless. Also nice is that the Thundersaurus Morpher is molded in blue so I can add silver and black paint nonetheless (the red button may be a challenge).
The helmet sculpt looks nice, and while the silver visor outline is a little inaccurate, it looks better on him than the silver outline does for Connor's helmet. At least the rest of the paint apps are no problem nonetheless. His weapons are the Thundermax Saber in its sword and gun modes. Both look really good, and the colors are also nicer than the Bandai Legacy version and even the Lightning Collection's light blue weapons! Do note that part of the handle is a little thin and may tear if not careful.
Here is a comparison between all of the Dino Thunder Blue figures released. I don't own the Legacy version but I think it's the second-best version of the character. I say that because the proportions and helmet aren't as good as the basic figure's proportions and helmet. The helmet is especially better on the Lightning Collection version, which doesn't feel as thin. The articulation is better on the Legacy version, but I prefer the Legacy figure overall. The basic figure is noticeably aged, what with the muscles and helmet paint outline both being thick. It's kind of funny when you notice how older Power Rangers toys age poorly, especially on the figures. Still, I wish the Hasbro figure had the gold collar trim.
One interesting thing about their morphers is the way they're done; the Bandai original had a silver Morpher with the same details as on the Red Ranger while the Hasbro figure has a better-handled likeness to the show prop. Oh, and while people may complain about the lack of hand pads on the Hasbro toy, the Bandai guy lacks those and some of the diamond details! At least he can say "Dino Power!" and have an Abaranger roar sound that isn't used in the actual Dino Thunder show!
And finally, here is the Dino Charge Pink Ranger! She's pretty close to the in-show suit, but there are some problems I have with it in terms of accuracy. Firstly, there is no red detail for the shoulder pad, and the arms are not rendered in different textures like with the other Dino Charge figures. The back has no paint, but that and the other details aren't as upsetting as the lack of a Triceratops decal on the chest. It's such a small detail that was needed for a character's design.
The helmet sculpt looks nearly good, but while the eyes and horns are applied, I wish the helmet's visor outline looked complete! It needs the yellow outline to make it pop, and the lack of itis just as bad as how the Dino Thunder White helmet initially lacked a helmet outline. It's pretty bad, though at least the weapons she comes with are nicely done. Additionally, I like how the skirt doesn't compromise the leg articulation like with the Bandai basic toys.
Here she is between herself and her boyfri-I MEAN ally, Tyler. Also included are the two other versions of Dino Charge Pink. I think the handling of the details on the Figuarts looks the nicest, while the proportions of the Hasbro figure are better done. As for fitting in with the Lightning Collection, the really nice details on the Lightning Collection figure do make the basic figure feel a little out of place, but maybe if you added some paint it might look even better. She'd fit in nicely with the Dino Charge team until a proper LC version is made.
Here are the weapons she comes with compared to Tyler's. I like the vibrancy of the yellow on her Morpher compared to the faded color on the Lightning Collection version, though the Sword doesn't look as good as the LC version.
And that wraps up our look at the Beast Mophers Basic figures in this review. I've got to say that there is quite a lot to talk about when it comes to the way they were handled, what with the character selection and the details that were applied on a few, but it's interesting to end off the line with a non-show Ranger and some of the many Dino Rangers that returned in the show. While I'm disappointed that we didn't get characters were actually in Beast Mirphers, the Dino Team Up is a nice surprise for fans to enjoy. Still, since I haven't seen it in stores but is available on Amazon, you may need to be careful for any paint apps.
And here all of the Beast Morphers basic figures released in the line! From Rangers to Power Ups, and from Beast Bots to villains, it's quite the display, right? It's also the most I've collected from the Power Rangers line, especially compared to the other basic figures in previous lines. Certainly can't say the same with every PR figure line made before Beast Morphers. Will the same momentum be said for Dino Fury? We'll see.
