Paleotrex (Fossilizers)(Transformers: Kingdom by Hasbro)

Review and photographs by Noideaforaname, edited by Suspsy

The Transformers brand is no stranger to dinosaurs, much less Tyrannosaurus rex, but while Cybertronian saurians have traditionally been mechanical and occasionally organic, the Kingdom toyline introduced something new: fossils! The aptly-named Fossilizers are modular in nature and need to be taken apart and rebuilt to change forms. Ostensibly, this is to allow other Transformers to use the Fossilizer body parts as crude weapons, though this also calls to mind the model kit dinosaur skeletons that I’m sure we’ve all built at least once in our lives.

There are 10 Fossilizers in total: 4 base figures cast in realistic tones, and 6 brightly colored variants. I’ll be covering the former, starting with Paleotrex.

As his name suggests, Paleotrex is a T. rex. Needless to say, rigorous scientific accuracy isn’t the goal here, though it’s clear the toy designers used proper reference material for finer details like the skull. Paleotrex is cast in a sandy tan that fades into a dark brown; the effects strikes me as less “fossil” and more a Tarman-esque decayed look.

Due to the exaggerated design, trying to determine a scale is rather tricky. Paleotrex is 8.25” long, which would make him 1/58 scale to a 40’ Tyrannosaurus. Conversely, he’s 3.25” at the hip which instead works out to 1/48 scale to a 13’ tall Rex. But if we just measure the skull (as it’s the least incorrect part), Paleotrex’s 1.75” noggin would be 1/34 scale to a 5’ Tyrant Lizard head. Pick your poison!

The legs have quite a range of articulation, featuring both swivel and hinge joints in the hips, knees, and ankles. Tail, head, and arms are far more restricted, but enough for for expressive posing.

As mentioned before, the Fossilizers don’t transform in the traditional manner. Their component parts make use of a 5 millimeter peg/post system (ubiquitous among Transformer toys) that allow them to be rebuilt in a variety of ways, including Chimerasaurs!

Some parts are intended to double as weapons, such as the tail and pelvis acting as a giant axe.

Paleotrex turns into a gangly gremlin of a robot. Actually, there’s very little “robot” to it. Really, he comes across as simply a monster made out of bones. Neat! He gains quite a bit of articulation in this form, though with a top heavy design and tiny feet, he has a habit of toppling over.

In homage to the early years of the Beast Wars toyline, Paleotrex features a flip-down mask, itself a reference to Optimus Primal’s skull flail. Paleotrex’s head can even be removed and used as a mace!

. . . does this mean the heroic Maximal took the evil Predacon’s head as a trophy?

Paleotrex offers a fun new take on well-trodden transforming tyrannosaur ground. He is out of production, but can still be found on the aftermarket for around the original price of $20. This toy also has a few repaints — the gold and teal Transmutate, translucent purple Skelivore, and most notably a yellow and purple (inaccurate) Spinosaurus named Spindle — all of which were limited releases and now go for quite a bit more than the original.

. . . But beware, more Fossilizer reviews are coming!