Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Dino Fury Red Ranger

Release Date: April 2022

RRP: $24.99/£24.99

Despite an obvious bias towards the original series, all in all the Power Rangers Lightning Collection

has done a pretty good job of releasing rangers from a variety of different teams. While there are still plenty unaccounted for and lots of incomplete teams, it has at least covered a fair portion of the franchise one way or another over the past few years. But as important as looking back on the franchise's 30-year history may be, it's also important to look at the present – with the lines tenth retail wave including the Lightning Collection Dino Fury Red Ranger. As the (then) currently airing series as well as one of the first fully under Hasbro's leadership, Power Rangers Dino Fury marks a key point in the Power Rangers timeline and one definitely deserving of representation in the line.

Gone but never forgotten, the Dino Fury Red Ranger comes in the standard windowed packaging the Lightning Collection retained for most of its run, the white backdrop identifying it as a standard wave retail release. Next to the window showing off the figure inside is the usual gorgeous bust artwork of the Red Ranger, which stretches onto one side of the box and repeated on the other (where it is joined by the Power Rangers Dino Fury series logo). On the back of the box you'll find a CG render image showing the figure off in an action pose with all its accessories, and then it can all be found neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray.

The first of the Dino Fury rangers to be released in the Lightning Collection, this Red Ranger figure pulls off the half-torso look of the suits really well, with bright vibrant colours that are complimented by that solid black stripe down the middle as well as white and gold accents. The silver is a mix of a painted torso and a coloured plastic arm (the same goes for the belt), which go blend together surprisingly well. Detailing is overall very good as tends to be the case for the line, with the knight-like shape and colouring of the helmet captured perfectly. The wrist-mounted Morpher is fully sculpted and detailed, but sadly remains an unpainted black plastic. This shouldn't be all that surprising though – given their size and price point these figures always miss some paint apps here and there, and its far more preferable to leave the Morpher like this than miss out a key detail on the suit itself.

Articulation is the same as what's been seen right across the Lightning Collection for the most part, altogether consisting of; 

- Ball jointed head, upper torso and hips 

- Single hinge neck and ab crunch 

- Swivel hinge shoulders, wrists and ankles 

- Butterfly joint shoulders/pecs 

- Double hinge elbows and knees 

- Bicep, thigh and boot swivels 

Other than the common issue of the arms being seemingly incapable of resting against the body in a (naturally-looking) neutral pose, the Dino Fury Red Ranger doesn't appear to suffer from any obvious QC issues so pretty much gets the best out of what the Lightning Collection has to offer. The silver arm is a little stiffer than the red one thanks to the makeup of that swirly plastic, however it remains sturdy enough to take up any pose set upon it. And despite the literal 'crunch' sound the ab joint makes when used, it again is pretty sturdy and provides an impressive range of motion. Truth be told articulation was never a major issue for the Lightning Collection for the most part, but even though figures like this a par for the course it doesn't make them any less impressive to pose and play around with.

The Red Ranger's accessories include two alternate hands (giving him a posed right hand and closed left fist in addition to his default weapon holding hands), the Chromafury Saber and a translucent blue lighting effect part that can slot over the sword blade. The Chromafury Saber is nicely detailed but not completely accurate in terms of colouring – while it has the correct gold paint for the dinosaur head, it sadly lacks the silver for the lower jaw and side-grip detailing as well as the red strip that runs along the middle of the blade. Missing paint apps were always going to happen though, and arguably getting that gold on there was the most important element other than then blade so there is at least that. The sword fits comfortably into either hand, and the side-grip can also be held for accurate posing even though the dinosaur head itself doesn't open. Of course, the sword can also be holstered on the side of the belt when not in use. The effect part is also one of the better ones available in the Lightning Collection, as it isn't too unwieldy and slots comfortably over the sword to give it a much better look.

Rounding off the accessories is of course the alternate Zayto head, which bears a reasonably good likeness to actor Russell Curry – not among the line's best, but far from its worst as well. Unsurprisingly Hasbro have opted to go for a disguised "human" head on this release, rather than a full Rafkonian one with the exposed antennae. Either way the head looks great on the body, and the neutral expression lends itself to a range of poses far better than a specific one would.

While the Lightning Collection Dino Fury Red Ranger doesn't do anything particularly bold and new for the line, it is a great representation of what it represents when it isn't suffering from all manner of QC problems. A solid sculpt, great colouring (with only a few missing paint apps) and a good selection of accessories – it's a great figure that stands just as well on its own as it does with others. Though it feels like the Dino Fury team should have been a bit more of a priority for the line given that that they're essentially Hasbro's leading team, half of them is certainly better than none at all.