The Dinobots – a fan favorite!  Is there anyone that grew up with the G1 cartoon that doesn’t have a soft spot for this gang of cantankerous Autobots?  Turning up in the Transformers Animated cartoon and even the live action movies the Dinobots have appealed to new generations as well.  It’s easy to see how; Dinosaurs are cool, Robots are cool – transforming alien robots that turn from giant robots into space dinosaurs?  It’s a no-brainer – they are awesome!

The new Power of the Primes toyline has finally given lots of Generations collectors what they have been crying for for years, new versions of many of these classic characters.  Some have come out in the first wave whilst others are slated for later in the year and they come with not only a new character but a new trick – they combine!

But for now, let’s take a look at the four Dinobots that have been released so far – Grimlock, Slug, Swoop and Slash.

Grimlock

Robot Mode

The Leader of the Dinobots, unlike his compatriots, has not suffered from a lack of toys based on him over the years and here is the latest incarnation.  At first impression his robot mode looks good but pretty stock standard.  It is very faithful to his G1 cartoon incarnation as have many toys over the years (FOC in particular looking great!).  Don’t get me wrong, this is what most Generations fans are after, their childhood characters reimagined but staying true to their roots.  He looks good – he just doesn’t take your breath away.

Instead of his usual weapon of choice – a big red energon-sword, Grimlock is sporting what could best be described as arm-mounted knuckle-dusters.  These also become the feet of the Dinobots combined form.  I kinda like this idea – Grimlock is definetly a character that would enjoy smacking a few Con’s in the face with these!  Also you can place the little Prime characters in the slots to, I dunno, add a splash of colour.

Space T-Rex Mode

Big alien-metal T-Rex – just so cool!  However not the coolest Grimlock we have seen.  His body is a bit too elongated which makes him look like he needs bulking up.  Also there is a gap between where his chest armour stops and his underbelly armour begins, making him appear he is wearing a golden nappy (diaper for you US readers).  There is good rotation on his little forearms and his jaw opens and closes, a shame you cannot swivel the head though.

Swoop

Robot Mode

I think this is the best official Swoop toy we have seen since G1.  Energon Swoop had odd hands and odd colours and Animated Swoop was painfully thin.  This Swoop does a great job of looking like he did in the G1 cartoon, right down to the blue body.  Personally I would have liked red more like the G1 toy in order to fit in with the other Dinobots better, but then you would have had people complaining about that so it shows you can never please all the fandom.  He is the only Dinobot so far I’ve seen to come with their signature swords.

Space Pteradon

The Pteradon mode is quite good but the legs add a lot of bulk to the back, taking away a lot of the streamlined look you would expect in a flyer.  In this case he does resemble Energon Swoop.  The feet hang off the back of the body at the bottom but can be folded underneath so Swoop can sit up, a position he looks surprisingly good in.

The mouth on Swoop opens well and looks excellent open.  You can position his sword under his chin but frankly it looks ridiculous.  What I do like is not only can you fold the wings in closer to the body but you can also angle them up – giving Swoops alt-mode a multitude of flying-poses.

SlagSlug

Robot Mode

Slag has a reputation in the fiction as being second only to Big Grim in terms of strength and ferocity and even outstrips Grimlock in terms of temper!  Therefore it would have been nice for Slug to look a bit more bulky in robot mode.  Whilst not slim, he lacks that bit of thickness that would have suited him, his proportions are good though.  The way his robot head is imbedded into the underside of the Dino-head is super G1-esque, the colour scheme is spot on and he looks grumpy enough.  I would have liked to see him have his sword though.

Space Triceratops Mode

Looking at this mode, you can imagine him having been a tank before he got outfitted with an Earth mode.  Very strong and compact.  His mouth opens the least of any of the new Dinobots which makes it hard to make him look as though he is breathing fire.  But like Swoop, this is the best rendition we have had of the classic character since G1.  A shame he is not Voyager-sized – now that would have been something to behold!

The legs all have knees so that can change his pose slightly.  His gun can be put in multiple ports – personally I think it looks best on his back but it can be put in his hip like the rocket-launcher on the G1 toy.

Slash

In the Movieverse line, there has been a raptor character named Slash.  Slash has had a sex-change (according to Jurassic Park they can do that) and is now the first official female Dinobot toy.  Slash is significantly smaller than the other Dinobots and sports no weapons but is nicely proportioned and has a suitably feminine face.  I don’t mind them introducing new characters to classic groups, teams grow over time and the X-men would have been pretty dull if they still only had the 5 students.

Space Raptor Mode

It’s not a bad looking raptor, but like MP Dinobot, suffers from looking odd around the ribcage.  The arms and neck are manuverable and she looks quite good with her jaw open ready to bite.  Something that is disappointing is that Slash, in no way I can find and certainly not in the instructions, does not combine with the other Dinobots.  It would have good for her to turn into chest armour (like CW Groove) or a weapon (like CW Shockwave or Powerglide).  However a little Prime figure can ride on her back, much like the Diaclone versions of the original Dinobots.

Combined Mode

I’m not really going to comment on this much since I am waiting to see how Volcanicus will look with Sludge and Snarl onboard – I tried making him with Jazz and Dreadwind and it just didn’t work for me.  Stay tuned for that review down the line.

Overall

Swoop could have been more streamlined, Grimlock less streamlined and Slug bigger.  Besides that I think this is a really good Generations outing for the Dinobots and if you are a fan of the subgroup then I heartily recommend you go and grab these bad bots up!

Got anything to add to this review?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

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