Beginning with Jurassic Park in 1993, Velociraptor has been a household name, a dinosaur that everybody knows—or thinks they know. Our understanding of this diminutive dromaeosaurid has changed quite a lot over the past three decades, thus rendering the scaly, lizard-like depictions completely obsolete. Unfortunately, the public is still slow to accept this reality, and it doesn’t help when toy companies like Hasbro and Chap Mei continue to flood the market with the old depictions.
The Chap Mei electronic Velociraptor is another massive monster with a length of 26 cm and a maximum height of 22 cm. Its main colour is mustard yellow with black leopard-style spots, dark brown on the neck and head, blue eyes, white teeth, and a translucent red crest of quills. This, along with the two blade-like crests on the snout that have absolutely no scientific basis, was clearly influenced by the raptors in Jurassic Park 3. Disappointingly, the teeth are only painted on one side, and the mouth and claws have no paint on them at all.
Fantasy crests and a lack of feathers aren’t the only problems with this toy. The nostrils are positioned similar to a pig’s, skull is the wrong shape, the wrists are pronated, the body is pot-bellied, the feet are oversized and missing a couple of toes, and the tail is too short and curling at the tip. And to top it off, the toy is so front heavy that it has to be rearing back in order to remain upright. Oh, and mustn’t forget the screw holes on the right side. On the positive side, the raptor does look appropriately ferocious and the wrinkled skin and grooved claws are fairly well done for a low-cost toy.
Pushing back on the Velociraptor‘s left arm causes the other arm to slash, the mouth to close, the crest to light up, and a screeching sound to emanate from the toy. Fun.
As far as paleontology goes, this is one of the biggest offenders in the Chap Mei clan. Most kids will enjoy playing with it, but it’s the type of archiac dinosaur depiction that I’d personally love to see less of.
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The feather thing is still hotly debated actually
Nope, not when it comes to Velociraptor, it isn’t. That sucker was covered in feathers as sure as horses have hooves.
It would be kind of unfair if you didn’t mention the fact that they stopped making these and now make an almost-accurate version with long head, almost full-feathers and accurate limbs.
Actually they still make Raptors like that, they just exist alongside the feathered ones.