The Griffon Enterprises Life Model Series Master Fossil T. rex Tyrannosaurus rex figure is something I had a great deal of difficulty finding out about. It was released in May 2012, and is currently still available on Amazon and ebay. However, finding pictures or detailed reviews of the figure was nearly impossible. Nevertheless, I decided to take a chance and order the model based on the production photos in the solicitations. If you've been reading the previous "Unboxing" entries, you'll know that the result has been a mixed bag...
The figure has a very nice head sculpt. It isn't as "angry" looking as other versions of T-Rex often are, and there's plenty of great scale detail all over the snout. The dark patches are carefully airbrushed into deeper recesses to add depth and realism. The brow ridges are especially prominent and the eyes are painted gold with sharp black pupils centered forward to give the impression that the animal is looking right at you when viewed head-on.
The teeth are somewhere between Schleich and Papo quality in that they are mostly individually sculpted, but the clean white paint makes them look quite "toyish".
The jaw is articulated, and looks good in both positions. The jaw can open very wide, and the thick tongue inside is hinged to allow for it to be positioned as desired. I had some initial difficulty freeing up the tongue hinge, but a half hour in the fridge allowed it to unstick successfully.
Unfortunately, there is no detail sculpted into the roof of the mouth, or on the fleshy inside portions between the upper and lower jaws on the sides. They are also very pink, making them look more like chewing gum or Silly Putty than anything else.
The model is fairly large, measuring about 20 & 1/2" long and 8 & 1/2" high to the crown of its head. The pose is just what I was looking for: a simple stride straight ahead. It's funny, but my best Tyrannosaur models are all in fairly dynamic poses, and I really wanted one that was just walking (that's actually a big reason why I finally decided to take the chance and order this version).
The level of detail across the body is good, but not jaw-dropping by any means. In fact, Papo's Running V-Rex and Rebor's King T-Rex are both more striking than Griffon's. The details are there, they just aren't as sharp as I was hoping for.
Ribs and musculature are visible, and are enhanced by either an airbrushed highlight or a light "absence" of paint (like at the ribs). The proportions are good with one exception: I don't like the way the shoulders have been sculpted. They seem very boxy to me, with a sharp line running from the armpit up and around to the spine. It looks odd from nearly every angle, and is the only part of the sculpt (outside of the way the hands are turned) that I don't care for.
Overall, I really like this Tyrannosaurus Rex model. Its best attributes are its size, the sculpt (chiefly the head), the airbrushed hightlights and its pose. In terms of negatives, the detailing is a little soft or absent in places, the base is flimsy, there are a couple of really obtrusive seam lines (one along the top and back of the head, and another at the base of the tail), and warped legs out of the package (it still can't stand without the base, despite my best attempts to remold the legs with hot water). I'm happy I got the model; it's a nice addition to my collection and displays very well. I would recommend it, but be aware that you may have to do some "adjusting" and that its details aren't quite up to what we've been seeing produced more recently by other companies...
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