Tyrannosaurus Rex (Carnegie Collection by Safari)
Talk about improvements. I mean, I have nothing against the old green Carnegie Rexy, it may not be a beauty but it was a solid combat replica, apparently aimed for the kids… and geared toward outdoor use. Fortunately Carnegie has seen more potential in the collector market than before, so their more recent offerings are not only very affordable but very attractive. I am pleased to say that Carnegie did justice to the King with this replica (and no, I don’t mean Elvis). It was about time, because this arch-famous monster is the first dinosaur a young one wants (believe me, I’ve seen it) and it’s good to know that they’re getting a quality product instead of your everyday Chinasaur. Besides, it was somewhat ironic that Carnegie couldn’t produce a decent sculpt, since they keep several of the most interesting T-Rex fossils.
What I first admired is the flawless balance of the figure, I don’t know if it’s only mine, but it stands beautifully on its both legs (not the classic tripod deal we always end up with). The tail is curved (as an emergency support, I suppose) The pose, on the other hand, is not entirely likeable (the wild staring Rex seems to be roaring and its body leans forward striding, as if it were about to strike) but acceptable. The scale is correct, it measures approx. 30 cm from nose tip to the bend of the tail and 18 cm from head to toe.
The figure has other advantages. The legs are much more robust than most of the Carnegie theropods. The limbs by the way seem naturally fused to the torso. The head is definitely realistic (just look at those correctly proportioned teeth!). The skin is delightfully wrinkled and scaly (true, not as good as in more recent Carnegie products, but good enough).
The paint scheme is much better than the dull green of the previous T-Rex, as it features a blend of alarming red and some black. The belly is whitish; the mouth (which is very detailed) shows a pink tongue. Since it belongs to the 1998 generation, its eyes are golden.
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ALL HAIL THE KING!!!
Comment by Alessio — May 7, 2008 @ 3:10 am