Dimetrodon (Savage Strike)(Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom by Mattel)

Review and photos by Faelrin, edited by Suspsy

Perhaps the most popular Paleozoic creature is none other than Dimetrodon itself. Although Dimetrodon is not a dinosaur, having lived long before them in the Permian period (and is not even a reptile, as it is in fact a synapsid), it has often featured alongside them and other creatures of the Mesozoic in various toy lines. So it is of no surprise to see it here in Mattel’s Jurassic World toy line, and perhaps appropriately so for the 2019 Dino Rivals series (though there was a cancelled red Destruct-A-Saurs version). This is because Dimetrodon, as with some of the other genera included in the DR series so far, such as the Concavenator, Dracorex, and the as-of-yet-to-be-released Mononykus, it was also represented in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, inside the Lockwood Manor, in one of the dioramas.

As with the other Savage Strike figures, this toy has articulation at all of its limbs, and has an action feature that involves pulling the tail to the side, whereupon its jaw will close upwards. It’s simple, but effective. And as with the other Dino Rivals figures, it also comes with a card, though interestingly enough, the artwork on it depicts the creature with four toes each, instead of three like on the actual figure (or five like the real animal possessed).

In regard to film accuracy, the Dimetrodon has a color scheme similar to the one shown in the film, with an orange red sail, a sea-green color for the main body, and a yellow belly, though not exactly as the darker green color depicted in the film. The film version also had a different pattern on the sail compared to the yellow flecks featured on the toy. The figure’s sculpt, on the other hand, does not share any similarities with the one seen on screen, other then being a Dimetrodon, although it does have a nice snakeskin-like texture to it on the body (the one seen in the film had crocodilian-like scutes). The figure also measures about 6.5 inches/16.5 cm long by 3.5 inches/8.9 cm tall.

As to being compared with the real animal, the major problems with this toy is that it lacks a notch in the jaw (perhaps lips as well), has only has three digits instead of five for each limb, an incorrect shape for the sail, and other proportion issues (such as the oversized feet). The gait is incorrect as well, as Dimetrodon is now understood to have had less of a sprawling posture than before. The scales are perhaps acceptable though, as early synapsids likely would have been covered in scales.

While this may not be the most aesthetically pleasing figure, and is far from being the most accurate, it is another addition that will perhaps interest anyone trying to complete a collection of all of the species (film or otherwise). It is still available from Amazon and Walmart in the US, and might be available elsewhere as well.