Tyrannosaurus rex with prey – Struthiomimus (CollectA)

3.8 (24 votes)

Following their excellent Therizinosaurus, Deinocheirus and Triceratops carcass, 2012 was really starting to look like CollectA’s year – a number of superb models and a distinct lack of genuine stinkers. Sadly, this model looks set to break that good run, and even more unfortunate is that it’s yet another dodgy T. rex. Like the world needed any more of those…

Don’t get me wrong – as far as T. rex toys go this is a long way from being among the worst out there, and actually incorporates a few very nice ideas. Above all else, it’s clear that someone really tried to get it right when they were sculpting this, rather than just lazily slapping together some silly Jurassic Park extend-o-arms with a boxy head and having it all stand in a boring, tripodal position. The proportions are basically right (with some important exceptions, but I’m getting to that), the arms are suitably short and face the right way (halle-bloody-lujah!), the tail is aloft and the animal is portrayed as a big, bulky, beefy beast.

The inclusion of prey is a nice touch, too, and prevents this from being Yet Another T. rex Toy. In fact, I’m sure a lot of collectors will be unable to resist picking this figure up simply because of this novel feature – I count myself guilty. Although the Struthiomimus is tiny and as such not terribly detailed, it’s possible to discern a fuzzy covering and that its hands, too, are facing the right way. Unfortunately, it also draws rather unwanted attention to the head.

Unflattering comparison shot with the Favorite T. rex is unflattering.

Simply put, it’s not very good. The teeth are rather small, blunted and uniform, while certain jaw muscles seem to be missing. Even worse, the back of the skull narrows towards the top so that, although the animal’s eyes face forwards, they are also ridiculously close together, and the space where the temporal fenestrae  would be in the top of the skull is squeezed into non-existence.  ‘Derpy’ is perhaps the correct, if rather understated, term. Elsewhere, while it’s commendable that Collecta have managed to avoid the dreaded tripod trope and also avoid giving the toy clownish outsized feet, the weirdly splayed, crouched, highly flexed posture is uncomfortable-looking and not at all attractive. This is especially the case when the ankles have warped, which they have a tendency to.

In the end it’s all a real shame. Collecta were clearly aiming in the right direction with this model, and it’s crisply detailed and well-painted to boot. Given how badly the head has been fudged, though, this isn’t really a figure that I can honestly recommend. Still, given the rapid evolution of their figures I am hopeful that Collecta can learn from what went wrong – and right – with this figure, and apply the lessons to their future figures of giganto-theropods.

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Comments 14

  • […] first Struthiomimus figure came in the form of a T. rex’s unfortunate victim. This all-new, alive and kicking version is considerably larger, albeit the smallest figure in the […]

  • […] continue to improve – just compare the handsome face on the figure above to that of their ‘T. rex with prey’ from four years ago. (Shudder.) It’s also quite wonderful that Collecta have fully committed […]

  • On a recent vacation trip, I let my kid choose any dinosaur toy at the shop. They are all the Papos, Safari’s, Schleichand of course CollectA. He was going to get the Carnegie Giganotosaurus and then he stopped and choose this one. I was shocked. I though he would have issues playing with it, as the newer version has a base, and with a hunk of Struthiomimus hanging out of its mouth. I have been surprised on how creative he as used this toy, and it gets used alot. He loves it.

  • […] a decent head on one’s T. rex figure is very important (as has been amply demonstrated in the recent past), and here I feel that one figure is significantly better than the other. For […]

  • I have just got mine, and i must say, i like him, but i wish the prey was removeable without cutting it out

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  • my god..what have they done, i agree that atleast they tried to do something well. but,really, the thing looks like it’s screaming in agony..how does it stand up?

  • I agree with all of the above, except the head and neck look just a bit too big in that first profile pic to me too. Rex also had a slight arch/bump on top of his upper jaw, that the Favorite figure displays nicely. From this guy’s eyes to the end of his snout, it looks like a straight line and almost a bit concave! It amazes me that CollectA would get this Rex’s head so wrong, when a T.rex skull is one of the most well known! I do like his long strong tail, though. Many figure companies seem to often skimp on the length of tails.

    Marc, I give you a solid 4 Stars for this well written review. CollectA, I give you an unstable 2 Stars.

  • Those spindly legs look like they’re about to buckle! Can the prey be removed or is it fixed in place?

    • Fixed. As I found out when I tried to remove it.

      • well Tyrant Queen said that its connected by a thin piece of plastic, so if one really wishes, he could simply cut it off

        • Ok, Out of Rage, I decided to pull the Strthiomimis out of the T-Rexs mouth, and i am willing to say that it is not Fixed, its Glued on a small bar of plastic, and the struthiomimus has a hole thats the correct shape to slip it in, The Struthimimus is Detachable afterall, but it will take some Force,

          Dont worry, it does no harm to the T-Rex, Except take off some paint on the Connecter

  • I agree about the head (especially the bendy mandible) but I don’t think the head’s too big. Check out Scott Hartman’s ‘Stan’ skeletal. http://fav.me/d22i4xy

  • Poor ugly beast… In addition to the issues already mentioned, the upper jaw looks too elongated, and the lower jaw appears to be broken in the middle. Also, in the first shot, his head and neck look much too big for the body.

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