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11-14-00 Ultimate dino Styrako 3-Pack, Cerazaurus-Dinosaurs, Bandai Meat and Potatoes; 4.5 Perks; 4.5 Homer Factor; 4.0
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	Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  It can also bore the crap out of your fans if all you do is parrot the competition.  Case in point; Dinozaurs.  These were created by Bandai many years ago as part of a cartoon series.  They were hyped as super detailed, very articulated, blah, blah, blah.  I saw the first few and went 'They're Dinobots.'  As more came out, my view changed to 'Ah, they're Beast Wars/Machines.'  I love transformable robots as much as the next fan-boy/girl, but each piece/series has to have something unique... the Homer Factor.  Transformers are very different from Gobots which are very from Micronauts which are different from Power Rangers... you get the idea.  Even if something is well crafted, which Dinozaurs appear to be from the blister packs, you have to do SOMETHING different to get my attention. A few weeks ago, I wondered through a toy shop looking for the makings for my Halloween costume.(I was going to be Darth Maui; Darth Maul mask and light-saber with an old aloha shirt and plastic lei.  Yep, it was bizarre.)  While wondering around I happened upon a bunch of new Dinozaurs, and they were COMBINERS.  Ahhhh... here we go.  Unfortunately, most of them were robots that changed into weapons for the larger robots.(Ah, Targetmasters.)  However, one of them was a cool looking gestalt; the Cerazaurus. The meat and potatoes of this piece are well done.  Although the figure is reminiscent of a Beast Machine, it high-lights the good qualities of the genre; good articulation and sculpting.  There are three dinosaurs (One small Centrosaurus, one small Triceratops, one large Styracosaurus.  Yes, I was a dinosaur nut when I was a kid.) which all transform into robots.  The two smaller robots, in turn, transform into the arms and connect to the sides of the large Styracosaurus, creating the larger Cerazaurus.  The sculpting is very detailed with a techno-organic slant to it, the figures are covererd in interesting folds and creases, like pieces of armor plate and hide.  The colors are also striking metallic red and gold.  The articulation of the pieces is also very well done, each robot has knees, elbows, hips, and shoulders.  Although Cerazaurus has only shoulder, hip, and knee joints, that isn't suprising in a combiner. The perks of this piece are well done too.  Like the Beast Wars/Machines, the transformation from one form to another is rather complicated but creates a realisic dinosaur.  Unfortunately, the parts of the two smaller Dinsozaurs are a bit loose, so keeping them in dinosaur or robot mode is difficult.  Each robot is equipped with an obligatory sword which fits well into the hands of the robot.  A nice added feature is a small peg in the hand of each robot with a corresponding hole in their weapons.  The robots can now actually hold on to their weapons without dropping them at inopportune times, like while on display.  On top of that, all three weapons form a sword which puts even the Blazing Sword of Voltron to shame and is to be used by Cerazaurus.  However, the handle for this weapon doesn't fit well into the hand of Cerazaurus.  Oops. The Homer factor for this piece is pretty high for me.  As I said in the beginning, I've never really been too interested in this line becaus it's similar to other products already out there.  However, I am a huge sucker for a combiner, and this one is well done. Over all, Bandai has created a very solid toy.  The Cerazaurus is a nice, detailed piece that will look good on anyone's shelf.  I just wish Bandai could come up with something a little more unique.