Toy Review - SNARL (Studio Series 86)

[GoktimusPrime]

Dinobot SNARL
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Studio Series (The Transformers: The Movie)
Size/class - Leader
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 12
Released here - August 2023
Approximate Retail Price - $100
Approximate Size - 21cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Sub-Group - Dinobot
Alt-mode - robotic Stegosaurus
Main Features/Gimmicks - cartoon likeness
Main Colours - silver & red w/ gold & black accents
Main Accessories - Energo sword

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Got some words to make this gallery a review?

[GoktimusPrime]

Got some words to make this gallery a review?

Not really. This is pretty much a WYSIWYG kind of toy, so I'll let the pictures speak a thousand words. These days I try to reserve words to focus on things that aren't evident in photos (e.g. Studio Series 86 Brawn's initially tight head etc.).

[Skyfire]

Like Gok's copy, my Snarl has the dino head Autobot symbol misaligned, but in the opposite way (left half higher than the right half). I've seen images of other copies with the same issue - some slightly and some by a 1-2mm. It's as if the people tampo stamping them are doing so with left and right head halves at two different heights, and then the assembler picking random head halves - you might get two lows or two highs or one of each. My batch number is 30061, for what it's worth.

[Paulbot]

The logo lined up okay on mine, hadn't noticed in the pics above.

It's a great Snarl figure.

I only have two minor dislikes - in dino-mode the tail sticks out the back at what feels like an odd angle, a very exgatterated V shape to the whole body; and he's got a fair bit of (a nice) yellow but it's a colour the other Dinobots don't have and marks him as a little different from the rest. (I guess in the cartoon he was a 'second wave figure' and the other one 'in his wave' has blue instead of red so Wheeljack and Ratchet weren't going for consistency!) I think I'd have preferred the gold of his tail and plates to be used for his head and legs.

[Bemblebuu]

Nice to have another Dinobot in Snarl; I think he's a nice figure, with good bot and steggy modes. I don't so much like the yellow used on the head and legs in stegosaurus mode. Would have been nice to have kept it consistent with the gold used on all the other Dinobots (now I'll be forced to paint mine).

Looking forward to Swoop!

[Keidatron]

The only true draw back with this figure is the dino tail, it is truly awful and not well thought our at all. Pretty sure mine will be staying in robot mode

[GoktimusPrime]

The only true draw back with this figure is the dino tail, it is truly awful and not well thought our at all.

I agree that the tail is awful, but I strongly disagree that it wasn't well thought our. Yes, the tail does point down at a very sharp angle and drags very low, but when you look at the Sunbow animation model, you can see that this is exactly how Snarl was drawn in the G1 cartoon, including his (albeit brief) appearance in The Transformers: The Movie.

Bear in mind that this line is called Studio Series; the whole point is to make screen-inspired toys. It's not my personal preference, but it is the purpose of the line, so I don't think it's fair to criticise or fault this toy for what was a questionable decision from Floro Dery. Besides, if you want a more toy-accurate CHUG Snarl toy, Power of the Primes Snarl has you covered. I think the detail in the tail is quite exquisite, especially with all the added detail on the interior halves of the tail in robot mode.

But regardless of what anyone thinks about it, the fact is that the tail configuration is faithful to the cartoon design, which does make it successful as a Studio Series toy.

[KELPIE]

I was sure they would have been able to hide the hind legs within the forearms. That's probably my only gripe.

One. One to go.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I was sure they would have been able to hide the hind legs within the forearms. That's probably my only gripe.

One. One to go.

I got mine the other day and this is one of my two gripes. The other gripe being, that his Dino legs don't match the gold of the Spines and other Dinobots. I think this is their biggest faux par and I don't like it. Snarl would be so much better with a better gold on the dino legs and head.

Luckily for Snarl then that everything else is great. He has an amazing presence, aided by the tail across his back. He just looks soo good, is very pose-able and him having the sword it wonderful. I thought the POTP was a pretty good Snarl, but looking at this guy I see that POTP tail is too high on his back and a few other things that bother me.

SS snarl though. Niiiice, his Autobot symbol is fine on mine, the dino seems very accurate to the cartoon (and the 8-s impression of a stegosaurus). I do wish the main spine piece that folds up against his back in robot mode were gold as well, to add to his light absorbency, but I can understand this might be a cartoon thing.
I thought his transformation was pretty clever and hides most of his dino mode well. Keep in mind, I'm not getting them all. I don't really like Slag and want either a UK comic coloured Grimlock or a G2 coloured version.

I'm very pleased with SS Snarl and happily look forward to seeing Swoop.
Hopefully he's not cocked up like the final Stunticons member was.