Remember back in 2011 when everyone was hoping for a Deluxe Dino in the Dark of the Moon line but it wouldn't be possible because of Mattel's involvement. Remember when people spotted pictures of a bootleg toy that was an upsized reshell of Legends Barricade? Remember the time we had two Sideways toys recolored with new parts in order to make Dino? Well, those were quite a trip down Memory Lane since now we have a proper version of the guy! Now granted, people are going to say he's too small this or he should have a more accurate vehicle that, but there are other things to complain about with the Studio Series line anyhow (for example, criticizing the sudden focus on the 86 movie), but with all that said, let's take a look at Studio Series Dino!
Here is his backdrop, depicting the scene where all the chaos in the highway chase took place. If we got a Hatchet in the mix as well as whips, we'd make the scene even better. At least he fits in it well.
Here is Dino in his vehicle mode. Yes, he is an unlicensed approximation of a Ferrari. No, that does not bother me because the vehicle mode is close to what he turned into. It's not like seeing G1 Bumblebee turn into a vehicle that doesn't feel like a Beetle where it contradicts his appearance, as Dino is something sleek and not what Sideways turned into. I do like the way the car is sculpted on top of having paint apps that make it more complete, such as on the vents in the front, the headlights, and the rims. The windows, while a traditional clear color, do fit with the vehicle nicely. The proportions of the car are also nice and sporty, making up for the lack of any proper Ferrari traits.
In general, this vehicle mode, while not perfect, as we see here with the panel lines, does fit the character better than people give it credit for. IF anything, it's great to have a Dino that feels like Dino rather than a vehicle that doesn't. Honestly, it's at least good that it looks like a proper vehicle instead of it feeling like it has aesthetics that fit with a different line.
For a comparison with some other Autobots that appeared in Dark of the Moon, here he is with Roadbuster and Bumblebee (who is in his ROTF appearance). I don't exactly know how big or small a Ferrari would be next to a vehicle like a Camaro, but it fits well with the slightly bigger stock race car due to its added bulk of the weapons and whatnot.
Transformation is unique for the Studio Series line of similarly-designed Autobot cars, as he makes use of some faux parts to make a more proportionate robot as well as uses different steps in order to give him his fairly unique transformation. No engineering has been borrowed from any other figure, not even Bumblebee nor Stinger! The only letdown of the transformation is how the backpack looks, but when all things are put in their spots, we have a nicely done Dino in his robot mode! While not 100% perfect, this guy captures the character design the best as far as official Dino figures are concerned, and considering how the others were repaints of Sideways, this is an easy feat to beat. Some may find the proportions to be a little off, and I can see some being annoyed by the silhouette of the figure being ruined thanks to the backpack, but for a Deluxe figure, I've seen worse (WWII Bumblebee). The deco's fairly basic, as Dino was not as involved of a design as someone like Bumblebee, but I guess the only thing to go well with the gunmetal gray would be a more metallic shade of red.
Head sculpt is spot-on to the character design, with it being a fairly unique noggin compared to the other Autobots. Also is it me or does he have a similar mouthpiece to that of Bumblebee? I guess Dino is a take of Cliffjumper with an Italian influence. We don't know if he survived during the events of AOE, but he might have been luckier than the actual Movie Cliffjumper. Back on topic, let's give him his two arm blades so we can go over his articulation! His head, shoulders, and hips are on ball joints, with the former having somewhat limited range while the latter two are fairly free in motion. There is an added hinge for the shoulders due to the transformation, bicep swivels, fairly deep elbow bends, wrists swivel, above-knee swivels, knee bends, and feet that hinge upwards. His door wings are also articulated, as they can hinge in and out as well as up and down.
For a size comparison with his fellow Autobots, here he is with the original 4 (three of which are in their MV1 getup) and DOTM Sideswipe. I have to say that the scale works for Dino as he, like Sideswipe, was not as tall as the other Autobots in the movie, and that suits him fine. I should have added the Wreckers, but they're already going to make the pic harder to take, and they're currently beating up Sentinel Prime. But what about Dino himself? Is he the flawless version of the character I and so many others always wanted? Not quite. Is he able to fill in a gap nicely? Yes, he does. Truth be told, the fact that we got a Dino 10 years after the release of the movie is a great way for Hasbro to make up for their inability to do so, especially when this mold suits him way better than Sideways. If anything, I recommend fans get this guy if they want to give an under-represented Autobot some love. Honestly, I hope we see more of the infrequent characters given plastic forms, especially the likes of Que, The Twins, etc. And now that Hasbro has nutted at the idea of the 86 movie characters invading the world of Movie characters, this is probably the best live-action character we're getting so far in this year. As for B-127, check out my review on last year's Cliffjumper! And what about Starscream? Well, you'll see tomorrow...
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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