: TOY REVIEW

Name: Marco
Allegiance: Human
Morph: Gorilla
Average Price: 10 USD Photos courtesy of Katsuhiro Wada

BEAST MODE

Height: 11cm
Points of Articulation: 11
A reasonably well sculpted beast mode featuring fur grain and some skin texture. The toy is mostly black with silver-blue on the chest, stomach, face, hands and feet. The eyes are red and the teeth are white. There's also a blue tinge accenting the back. There is a little bit of human kibble visible on the thighs, though I must admit that this toy probably hides human kibble the best of all the deluxe sized Animorph figures. My major complaint about this mode is that it's too upright. Gorillas do not stand fully upright. Humans are the only primates who stand upright today. The limited movement of the upper legs makes it impossible to make the toy hunch over for a more gorilla-like knuckle walk.

TRANSFORMATION TO MUTANT MODE

Open the back and flip the entire torso forward. Flip out the human shoulder pads (for lack of a better description) and push the torso down. Pull up the mutant head. Close the back. Twist the thighs outwards 90 degrees.

MUTANT MODE

Height: 11cm
Points of articulation: 11 (12 if you include the head being able to nod)
One word: goofy. It's a werewolf wearing an apron with gorilla boots.

TRANSFORMATION TO HUMAN MODE

Remove beast hands. Open back. Open inner back panel. Flip down mutant head and pull out human head. Close panels. Rotate the thigh panels towards the back.

HUMAN MODE

Height: 11cm
Points of articulation: 11 (12 if you include the head being able to nod)
This is a human?? I think not. The head and hands may look human, but the rest of him does not. The advantage of having a primate for a beast mode is that the toy doesn't suffer from having backward knees like Cassie/Wolf, Jake/Tiger and deluxe Tobias/Hawk. He looks more like a mutant-monkey than a human. Oh, the chain weapon is also rather el lamo.

INSIGNIA LOCATION

Beneath the left breast.

OVERALL

Don't even waste your brain cells thinking about buying this piece of crap.

BEAST TRIVIA

The gorilla is the largest of the anthropoids (humanlike apes). Belonging to the family Pongidae, gorillas are forest dwellers native to equatorial Africa. There are three different races within the species Gorilla gorilla:
1. The western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), found in the lowland forests from Cameroon to the Congo River.
2. The eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla graveri), found in the lowland tropical rainforests of the eastern Congo.
3. Mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei), found in the Lake Kivu region.
The gorilla is a stocky, powerful ape with black skin and hair, large nostrils and a bare face and chest. It is larger than its relative, the chimpanzee and has flaring nostrils, smaller ears and a less boisterous disposition. The adult male gorilla has a prominent bony crest on top of the skull and a "saddle" of gray silver hairs on the lower lumber back region (which is why the males are known as silverback gorillas). It is about twice the weight of the female and may attain a height of up to 1.7 metres an a weight of 135-275 kilogrammes (captive gorillas in both sexes tend to be much heavier).
Despite the gorillas reputation for ferocity, studies indicate that it is an unaggressive, shy animal unless unduly provoked. Gorillas live in small groups that are led by a silverbacked male. The groups are composed of young females, infants, juveniles and young adult males (blackbacks).
The gorilla is diurnal and primarily terrestrial, usually walking about on all four limbs, with part of its weight supported on the knuckles. Females and young climb more than males. The diet is vegetarian and includes such foods as leaves, stalks and bamboo shoots. Much of the day is spent foraging and resting. At dusk, branches and foliage is used by each gorilla to build a nest. A new nest is built each night and is constructed either on the ground or in the tree.
Although the gorilla is a relatively quiet animal, it has a variety of calls including grunts, hoots and the roar given by an aggressive male. The well-known chest beating is performed by both males and females. When performed by males, it is a ritual which may include running about, tearing at vegetation and slapping the ground. This may be done in order to intimidate outsiders (gorilla or human) or to maintain dominance within the social hierarchy.
There is no fixed breeding season for the gorilla and the gestation lasts for about 250-290 days. Births are usually single. The life expectancy of a wild gorilla is about 30 years.
Humans are the greatest single threat to the gorilla. Due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting, the gorilla is becoming increasingly rare, with the mountain gorilla already classified as being endangered. Damn... we suck.

Bibliography: Encyclopaedia Britannica

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