MP-41 Dinobot is the 3rd in Takara’s entry in the
Masterpiece line to include a non-G1 originating figure. Like Beast Convoy and
Cheetus (Optimus Primal and Cheetor in the states) before him, this figure
presents new and interesting challenges in the masterpiece lines goal of
creating show accurate robot and alt forms. Success or failure when dealing
with organic forms can make or break this kind of figure. How does Dinobot
stack up? Spoilers – overall he hits all the marks.
In robot mode, you probably couldn’t reasonably ask for much
more than what Takara delivers here. The sculpt, paint, and details are all
spot from the television program. From the golden rib details on the legs to
the metallic blue colors of the face and abdomen, this figure LOOKS the part of
Dinobot in every possible way. Although a little wider from the side and back
then you “imagine” he should be, overall the appearance is perfect.
Articulation in this mode is good, but not perfect. Great
head movement, an expressive set of hands, almost perfect leg and feet
posability, and even an ab crunch are some of the high points. Unfortunately,
in some poses the arms can be a bit of a beast (see what we did there). The
transformation in the arms leads to a situation where when bending the forearm
just right, some of the beast mode kibble pops out the elbow. It’s easy enough
to readjust things after you get the pose sorted out, but it is a bit
unfortunate. It’s also worth noting that the ankles can be a little unstable in
extreme positions but frankly in most of those cases you would probably use
the included stand anyways for long term stability. The included tail weapon (which spins like the original toy), sword, and multiple face and light up accessories for the head are all great and add to the figure without seeming gimmicky.
Transformation is interesting and intuitive with only a couple
areas of frustration worth noting. The way the raptor legs and feet transition
into the robot arms and claws is pretty smart even if the aforementioned posing
annoyance keeps it from being perfect. A false raptor head chest is cleverly
hidden as skin texture for the raptor stomach and even the way the robot legs go
from sturdy rods to floppy bendy pieces is impressive. Getting the raptor arms
into the back of the figure for robot mode can be really frustrating until you
figure out just the right angle. Subsequent transformations are much easier
after you figure it out.
Officially, Dinobot’s alt mode is a Velociraptor. You can
really see the influences of Jurassic Park in the design which coincidentally
came out only a couple years before Beast Wars hit the stores. Visually, all
the quirks of the shows design down to the almost humanly posable raptor hands
and slightly upright and elongated head are present here. Beast modes are tough
in transformers and the weakness here definitely shows up in the legs and back
underside. Some exposed copper paldrons are always visible in the raptor legs
and the rear definitely has some slightly visible robot parts going on, but
overall from most vantage points it does the job.
Posability for raptor mode is equal parts amazing and disappointing.
The head, arms, and tail do more than they have any right to. You can even adjust the eyes to from bold to squinty thanks to a borrowed pop up gimmick from MP Grimlock. The tail both
bends up and to the side at multiple points while the arms have butterfly
joints and multiple bends that let you recreate even the most bizarre scenes
from the show. The head has great up, down, and side to side movement as well
as a great opening jaw with detailed mouth and posable tongue. I did find
myself wishing there was something at the neck to allow for a more crunched in
running pose but I am honestly nitpicking. The big bummer comes from the legs.
No forward and back movement is possible at the hips (some of you may have read
of “ratchet breaks” which really seem to be forced movement of the hip in a direction
it isn’t intended to move). Additionally the feet, while having amazing ankle
rocker and tilt, are just a bit loose for the mass of the rest of the figure.
You really need to find a good center of gravity for poses that don’t use the
stand. This is probably the only part of the figure that I would say is a
serious negative. Adapters for stand posing and holding the included Golden Disc accessory are provided and work well.
Overall, I can’t imagine anyone doing a better job than
Takara did for this character. If you are willing to overlook a couple small
things that keep this figure from perfection, and are a fan of the character,
you won’t walk away disappointed. MP-41 Dinobot easily stands as the best Beast
Wars figure to date and has me eagerly anticipating the coming of
Predacon Commander Megatron later this year. You can get this figure as well as
the other Masterpiece Beast Wars figures at Toy Dojo below:
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