Toy Review: Transformers Animated Snarl

I've always been a big fan of the Dinobots. I still remember waiting in line for hours to get a chance to purchase them at our local toy store when I was a kid. And to me, Slag was the coolest of the Dinobots because he was a triceratops. In fact, Slag was my all-time favorite Transformer. (The only thing that may have made Slag less cool was his horribly idiotic portrayal in the cartoon. "Me Slag... want to... fight enemies!" But Slag was way too cool to be dragged down by that.) With the new Transformers Animated series come new Dinobots. And of course I had to picked the triceratops, which has been renamed Snarl (for some reason).



Company: Hasbro
Size: roughly 5" tall as robot
Price: $10.99
Packaging: Carded

Looks: 3.5/5

I suppose it depends on the collector as to how well the animated style works, but I happen to dig it for the most part. And as a dinosaur, Snarl looks pretty awesome. I like the G1-inspired color scheme and the sculpt is techno yet simplified. There have been a few triceratops Transformers since Slag, but I think this is the best looking one (not including the G1 Slag, of course).

The robot is... meh. He has a brutish countenance, which I guess is appropriate. But he seems pretty top-heavy, and I prefer big-footed Transformers. (By this reasoning, if they made a Bigfoot transformer, my mind would be totally blown.) Also, they did nothing to make Snarl's back look presentable, with screws and open spaces very evident.

Articulation: 4/5
Snarl's robot mode has some good articulation: swivel neck and shoulders; hinge elbows, knees, and fingers; and ball hips. Not bad... we've come a long way since the old G1 lackluster four points of articulation. As a dinosaur, he's more limited: hinge jaw and front legs; swivel back legs. Still, he's a triceratops... you're not going to be putting him in ninja poses. Even though a robotic triceratops ninja would be awesome.

Transformation: 3/5

Snarl's transformation isn't overly complex, but it can get a little clunky since the trike hips split apart to make the robot's chest and the front legs shift downward to go below the back legs. It's hard to describe, but basically it's a bit difficult to line everything up correctly. Then again, I'm a friggin' moron when it comes to transformations, so take that criticism that as you may.

Accessories: 2.5/5
Snarl comes with what looks like a big energy club. On the package, the club is painted to look like a bunch of magma, which is pretty awesome. But since the production club isn't painted, it looks somewhat cheap. The sculpt of it is almost turd-esque. Try not to think about it too much. Regardless, a simple club in no way compares to the G1 sword, blaster, and rocket launcher.

Value: 3.5/5
I whine and moan about toy prices for a reason: don't they seem to be getting really expensive these days? But $11 for Snarl isn't all that steep, considering an itty-bitty Star Wars figure goes for $8.

Coolness: 4.5/5
Dinosaurs are undeniably cool. And, by extension, Dinobots are undeniably cool. Also, with Slag being my favorite Dinobot, Hasbro gets plenty of extra brownie points for this figure. But a half-point deduction is in order for changing his name. :(

Overall: 3.5/5

If Snarl had a cooler-looking robot mode, he would have scored higher. But if you're a Dinobot fan (and you dig the animated style), you'll like this figure.