Review and photos by Nathan ‘Takama’ Morris, edited by amargasaurus cazaui and Suspsy
Ah, Allosaurus! What dinosaur line is complete without the “Lion of the Jurassic”? The reason it appears in many toy lines is because Allosaurus is a well known dinosaur that has appeared in many dinosaur books and movies. In 2012, Schleich released their third version of this Jurassic predator, four years after their previous attempt for the Replicasaurus line in 2008. Being a part of the then-new World of History line, this model is a shrunken version of that last Replicasaurus model. It has been improved upon by adding an articulated jaw to make it more play friendly, and to compete directly with the Papo release.
This model is not very good. The head is too boxy and the wrists are pronated. The feet are too big and I think the legs could be a little thinner. If the legs were not made the way they are, the model likely could not stand on its own two feet, but that doesn’t excuse the boxy head. It resembles the head of the Allosaurus from the original Walking With Dinosaurs series, but it is just too short. This is especially noticeable when compared to the actual Allosaurus skull. The only thing that makes it resemble an Allosaurus, are the bony crests that jut out to the sides of the head.
In terms of detail, the model could be better. The torso and tail are covered with large flat scales while the neck reveals the muscles underneath the skin. As with most of the new WoH carnivores, the jaw is articulated. Getting the jaw open proved to be difficult when I got mine. It seemed almost as if it were glued shut. Eventually it did open for me, but after all that, the model looks ridiculous with its jaw open. There is absolutely nothing interesting inside the mouth, except a big flat tongue that covers the entire inside of the lower jaw.
The color on this figure is decent, as it has no dark shades like the older Replicasaurus models. The primary color is a medium sand color with brown stripes hugging the back, and the bottom part of the figure is grey along with the tip of the snout.
This is not worth getting if you are into accurate models, or if you prefer your models to be appealing to the eye like Papo’s. If you ARE interested in getting one, you can find it wherever Schleich dinosaurs are sold, and the figure averages around $20 (although you can get it is available online in some venues less spendy).
Available from Amazon.com here and Amazon.co.uk here.
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This is by far the best of the best. I just bought my allosaurus on ebay because allosaurus is my favorite dinosaur. But I wanted her to look like the Big Al allosaurus on Walking with Dinosaurs. This one was just the allosaurus I wanted. I’m so excited that I have her now! Alice is her name. Five stars, and worth every single one!!!!
Schleich, come on, for crying out loud!! This is what version and how many Allosaurs you’ve made so far? Okay, you’ve come a long way and I’m starting to like your stuff, but the trap-jaw? This guy’s mouth looks like a mouse trap, flat and thin. More mechanical than organic. Big Al stars as the giant rodent terminator!! Please Schleich, your short-tailed T-Rex and maroon Carnotaur have good jaw articulation, why not this one??
Saw some schleichs at my local Barnes & Noble…it saddens me that this company manages to stuff the shelves of major department stores with its half-assed products while Safari is nowhere to be seen.
This guy’s got a fairly good star rating for such a poor figure. At least for now.:)
I like the old big green one…it’s very WWD style
I have that. And I prefer it too.
Other Schleichs that many would likely agree are good: Iguanodon, Saltasaurus, Plateosaurus.
In any case, the focus of the company is toys that appeal to kids, not collectors. Each company’s dinosaur toy line has its own niche in the dinosaur toy ecosystem.
I like it in a nostalgic way. Its melancholy expression reminds me of the old Marx-style allosaurus that you could get in bags of plastic dinosaurs.
I am all for nostalgia, but I hated the Marx allosaurus. As a little kid, I didn’t know what to do with it. It just didn’t look like an allosaurus, or a predator, it was the one dinosaur toy that I never used.
The new certainly is one ugly mutha.
Schleich routinely churns out trash for the intellectually challenged. However, there are occasional gems (never quite diamonds in the rough, however) among their offerings. Apart from the afore mentioned Kentrosaurus and Pentaceratops there were versions, mostly discontinued, of the Quetzalcoatlus, Parasaurolophus, Anhanguera, Edmontonia, Pteranodon, Psittacosaurus, Desmatosuchus, Elasmosaurus and Shonisaurus–all of which, while flawed, can elicit more than a casual compliment.
Cheers,
PLB
When did Schleich make a Psittacosaurus?
You’re right, they didn’t. I mistook my Safari for a Schleich. Haste make waste.
I don’t think i’ll ever buy any dinosaur made by Schleich, there just not worth the cost, even if it is only 20$. There are so many better options, like ANYTHING made by safari in recent years.
I agree with you both kentrosaurus as pentaceratops the only thing saved from burning.
Moreover congratulate Suspy for his successful publication.
Schleich in general is disappointing. Of all their dinosaur figures, I’ve seen two that are worth buying: Kentrosaurus and Pentaceratops. Everything else is lousy. It’s like they aren’t even trying.
Nice review Takama and crew. I am trying to think of something nice and constructive to say about this figure, honestly I can’t. IMHO the niceset thing I can say is, it is an overpriced chinasaur. Sorry for being negative, but for me, it is such a disappointing figure.