Tyrannosaurus rex (Thrasher )(The Lost World by Kenner)

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Recently there’s been a string of ceratopsian (along with one abelisaurid) reviews here at the Dinosaur Toy Blog. However, any kid knows that the arch-nemesis of the ceratopsian is the tyrannosaur. There is no tyrannosaur more famous than the namesake of the family, Tyrannosaurus rex. One could pull anyone off of the street, and chances are that they would know what a T. rex is. In the past century, Tyrannosaurus has been featured in hundreds, if not thousands, of books, cartoons, and movies. This apex predator starred in the first two Jurassic Park movies, and was unfairly cheated of the lead role in the third. T. rex’s important role in the Jurassic Park series makes it only logical that it has appeared in every single Jurassic Park toyline. From the classic Red Rex of years long gone to the recently released JP 2K9 T. rex, large T. rex toys have always had a large presence amongst Jurassic Park toys. One of the most memorable and magnificent of these is the Thrasher T. rex. Measuring at around 50 cm (20 inches), this toy is one of the largest toys of The Lost World toyline, only beaten by the massive Bull Rex. The Thrasher Rex is prized by many collectors and is a highly desirable figure. Rightly so, as it is truly beautiful thing.

Even on first glance, one can tell that this is a toy to be reckoned with. The Lost World toyline featured two different large T. rex toys. The Thrasher T. rex, or just ‘the Thrasher’ as some collectors call it, is meant to represent the female T. rex from the movie. And it looks like mommy’s very angry. The great sculpt and realism of the toy certainly makes one think that. A soft rubber material consists of the toy’s ‘skin’, excluding the limbs. This is supposed to make the dinosaur feel ‘real’, but I’ve never had the pleasure of feeling a living breathing T. rex to know if the claim is true or not. Even with this material, the Thrasher T. rex still manages to have some excellent detail. The belly has some very realistic skin folds and wrinkles, and the overall musculature is very nice. The feet have small scales on the toes, just like in modern birds. All the claws are individually painted, which is always a plus. But the most often praised feature of this great toy is its wonderful head.

When one takes a closer look at it, they can see why. One of the most common criticisms of the depiction of Tyrannosaurus rex in the Jurassic Park series is that the heads are too boxy and deep. However, the Thrasher T. rex breaks the trend. Its head is quite accurate for a toy. The shape is spot-on, and all the fenestrae (holes in the skull) are accurate in shape and placement. Even the size and placement of the teeth is correct. There are longer teeth on the sides of the jaws, and shorter more robust bone-crushing teeth in the front. The details of the head are also wonderful. Unlike the rest of the toy, the head is detailed with scales. Little bulging wrinkles surround the eyes, just like in some modern day reptiles. One can even see the gums and the bulges of the tooth roots. It’s no wonder that the Thrasher T. rex’s head is so widely praised.

Unfortunately, the body is not perfectly accurate like the head. The proportions of the Thrasher T. rex are a bit off. First of all, the head, even though great, is still small in relation to the rest of the body. It should be around the same size as the neck, but the Thrasher’s neck is too long. In addition, the tail is a bit short when compared to the body. Finally, the arms are on the large side for a T. rex. However, this is understandable for a toy; if the arms were too small then they would be easy to break off when played with by slobbering kids. The only outstanding problem with this toy is that sometimes it may have balance issues. Luckily, this is easily remedied by putting a small object under one of the T. rex’s feet.

In addition to the great detailing, the Thrasher has a very pleasant paint job as well. A light green adorns the flanks and limbs of the T. rex. The back is a darker forest green along with black stripes. The underbelly is a rather solid white. Unfortunately the white paint is subject to paint wear, and any wear on the white is quite noticeable. The eyes are painted with precision. The sclera is a reptilian shade of yellow, and there’s even a little white dot in the black pupils of the T. rex. If there is one flaw to be found with the paint job of the Thrasher, it is that it’s not completely movie accurate. In the Jurassic Park movies, the female T. rex, which the Thrasher represents, is more of a brownish color. The Thrasher T. rex’s color scheme looks more like a combination of the female and male color schemes.

One final note- the Thrasher T. rex has a lot of playability. If one moves the tail side to side, the head shakes side to side, hence the name “Thrasher”. When it was sold in stores, there were pieces of capture gear included with the dinosaur. When the thrashing action was used, the capture gear would shake off. Another cool feature that the toy has is that opening the mouth while pressing the back of the head makes the jaws open wider. These neat action features, combined with the accurate head and detailed body make this an absolute must-have for any Jurassic Park fan, or T. rex enthusiast. Unfortunately, if one wishes to acquire the Thrasher T. rex, they would have to spare no expense. When it was sold in stores in 1997, the Thrasher was sold for $30. Back then, it wasn’t a cheap toy, and nowadays, much hasn’t changed. A loose figure can cost anywhere from $40-$50, and one with capture gear will be even more expensive. If you’re a diehard Jurassic Park completist and wish to obtain an MIB (mint in box) Thrasher T. rex, be prepared to shell out at the very least $120, and possibly much more (according to JP Toys the all time high for a Thrasher is $465). However, there is a way to get this figure for an affordable price. Sometimes, sellers will include valuable Jurassic Park dinosaurs such as the Thrasher in random lots of dinosaur toys. If you’re lucky, the lot won’t sell for too much. All in all, the Thrasher T. rex is one of the greatest Jurassic Park T. rex toys, and is certainly worth the time, effort, or cost in getting your grubby little hands on one. Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! May the New Year find you all well!

The Thrasher T. rex is sometimes available from eBay here.