Boy has it been a rough couple of weeks. While I had a terrific birthday, I've been dealing with computer issues and problems with my foot. This week, though, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a package on my front porch. The ladies from Playwise Partners sent me a pretty nice care package with the newest Jurassic World CAPTIVZ Pop N Lock Dinosaurs. Toymonster International has dropped a new variation on these excellent creations... COLOR CHANGE DINOS!
I hurriedly cracked open the box, excited to see what new dinosaurs awaited and was not disappointed with the promotional package! I received five dino eggs each containing a bag of color change slime and one Pop n Lock Dinosaur, two color change Jurassic World cups and two packages of an old favorite candy... Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip! (Razz Apple, and Cherry Yum flavors). Due to limited space, I only took pix of three of the eggs.
Given that I only received one duplicate dinosaur, I'd say this was a success! My five dinosaurs are: Dilophosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Triceratops, and two Dimorphodons. I have to say that the paint schemes on these critters is absolutely fantastic. As with previous Pop n Lock Dinosaurs, the level of detail on such small figures is next level. Looking at the Dilophosaurus, I was astounded by the amount of color detail in its fan, as well as along it's back and face. Frankly, each of these carries a paint job better than many action figures on the market today and once again, I find myself more than suitably impressed with the appearance of these tiny, fierce monsters! My only complaint was the lack of the traditional silver Jurassic Park/World emblem on each dinosaur. While the emblem, itself, is visible on the Dilophosaurus, Giganotosaurs, and Triceratops, it's very hard to see on the Dimorphodons. One of my favorite touches on the originals was the small silver emblem. Sad to see it's not continued with these.
The drinking cups are very nice, with the Jurassic World logo on one side and the CAPTIVZ Color Change logo opposite.
The exciting part for these little guys, and the cups is that they are supposed to change color when immersed in cold and hot water. According to the fold out instructions, the dinosaurs should be submerged in water cooler than 60 degrees F or warmer than 90 degrees F to initiate the color changes. The slime will also change, when held in environments above 86 degrees F, or below 70 degrees F.
Of course, I had to test this out immediately! So... I filled one of the cups with cold water from my refrigerator and... sure enough...
I then dropped the Giganotosaurs in the cold water and waited... and waited... and waited...
Nothing.
So, I removed him, stuck him in the freezer and tried the Triceratops. 10 minutes later...
Still unchanged.
I opened the freezer, hoping to see a different colored Giganotosaurus. Nope. I tossed all five in the freezer and went back about 10 minutes later. None of them had changed color... well, the Triceratops looked a little bit lighter green, but nothing like what was pictured on the fold out. Perhaps I received a bad batch? I'm not sure, but I am disappointed that my color change Dinosaurs won't change color for me. On the plus side, I've got two packs of Fun Dip, and let's face it, as a kid, all we really cared about was the candy dipping stick.
As you know from previous reviews, I'm not a huge fan of the slime, but I did open one pack and it did change color when it came into contact with my warm hand, which is a plus. Unfortunately, as with the previous slime, it tends to be very soupy/runny and as such, not easy to get pictures of... but your kids will love it, even if you, as a parent, don't.
Overall, I can understand if the JW emblems sculpted on weren't painted silver because of the color change function, but when that doesn't work, we miss out on one of the cooler aspects of these miniature dinosaurs. While I continue to be very, very impressed with the detailed work involved in bringing these tiny monsters to life, I'm very bummed that I couldn't get any of mine to change colors. The cups and slime did work, though, so there's a plus but as far as an overall grade... when your main function doesn't... you earn:
7 out of 10 ToyBoxes
I would have really loved to have given these a higher rating. The new, colorful eggs and dino designs are really excellent. The color changing cups and slime are also a nice touch, but I want my dinos to change color when they're supposed to. Regardless though, I am very grateful to Rachael and Sheena at Playwise Partners for allowing me the privilege of reviewing these neat collectibles! Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!