Toys R Us Exclusive "Animal Planet" Deep Sea Encounter Goblin Shark Set Review:
As per usual, Toys R Us refreshes their various "Animal Planet" offerings every 2 years or so. This third version of this particular set replaces the miniature Humpback Whale (which itself replaced the previous Giant Squid) with a Goblin Shark (a rarely seen monstrous looking deep sea shark making its debut in this line) and recolors the formerly white armored dive suit red. The included figure and accessories are all recycled from previous versions of this set. As all of the accessories, figure and the vehicle have been covered in my previous reviews, I will focus this review of the Goblin Shark itself.
As far as I am aware, the only Goblin Sharks in toy form have been very small unarticulated vinyl models by companies like Schleich, Papo and Safari Ltd. There was a Goblin Shark previously offered in the "Animal Planet" line in a gift set with 5 other sea creatures but it was unarticulated vinyl as well. This is the first articulated Goblin Shark that has been released. The chomping jaw action is a bit disappointing as it functions just like every other sea creature Chap Mei has released instead of how the actual sea creature's jaw functions. Goblin Shark jaws are unique among shark species as they shoot forward telescopically like the Xenomorph in the "Alien" franchise when they bite. Despite this anatomical inaccuracy, the Goblin Shark is a great new creature to add to any undersea diorama. In a nice bit of serendipity, the deco is fairly close to the previously released "Animal Planet" vinyl model so they could be displayed together as an adult and an adolescent of the same species if so desired.
As you can see from the photographs, the Goblin Shark is a nicely sized monster for terrorizing 3.75" action figures or for diorama use. The set's $16.99 price is a value considering everything you get in the box!
