Hello, all, this is Fembrogon with my first review for the DinoToyBlog. My featured creature for this review is a big hadrosaur from an equally big up-and-coming toy brand: the gargantuan hadrosaur Shantungosaurus from PNSO’s Age of Dinosaurs series. Shantungosaurus is a genus which I believe could achieve minor stardom in the mainstream with the right push. Shantungosaurus obviously wasn’t a carnivore, and didn’t have fancy ornamentation like some of its relatives, but with size estimates reaching up to 50 feet long and 13 tons heavy, Shantungosaurus holds the record for largest known non-sauropod land animal in history. That’s not bad for a duckbill!
Of course, with size being Shantungosaurus‘s potential claim to fame, the best way to market it would be to bank on BIG merchandise. The Chinese company PNSO finally took a stab at this dino, as well as several others (some of which have already been reviewed here on the blog), as part of a large hollow plastic toy line. How well does Shantungosaurus hold up?
Unfortunately, not so well in the case of my particular figure. The feet are so unevenly balanced that the big hadrosaur is prone to falling like dying prey. Hot water treatments to the legs have only offered temporary respites. Hopefully, this issue is unique to mine (I don’t even know if it’s actually a sculpting or shipping issue), but it’s the biggest criticism I have to lay on the figure, so let that issue . . um . . . Stand at the front.
The above problem notwithstanding, the PNSO Shantungosaurus has an impressive shelf presence, standing 6.5″ tall at the hip and 13″ long, 17″ counting the curves in the neck and tail. This puts the figure at roughly 1:35 scale. I’m no expert on hadrosaur anatomy, but looking at skeletal photographs and illustrations, PNSO seems to have nailed the overall proportions and features of the genus. I particularly like the thick, rectangular lower jaw replicated on the figure, which distinguishes it more from other, more “plain”-looking hadrosaurs (if the honking great size wasn’t enough for you). I don’t know if Shantungosaurus could bend the end of its tail as well as it is on this figure (hadrosaurs are thought to have very stiff, reinforced tailbones), but it certainly adds to a dynamic pose not often seen in herbivorous dinosaurs.
Finer details are very good for what is ostensibly a child’s toy. There’s little or no shrink-wrapping I can make out, besides a rather bony face. The body is covered with fine scaly detail, pronounced by dark paint highlights. The paint job is very earthy and natural in appearance, with light and dark brown washes and a nice, subtle striping on the tail. There are some odd rusty red highlights on the face, but they aren’t too distracting. My figure does have a few tiny scuffs on the toes and spine, however, so I would recommend treating this figure gently. There is also a noticeable paint blotch on the left back leg of mine; hopefully that is another flaw unique to my own.
PNSO appears to be off to a strong start with their dinosaur figures. While I can’t praise this particular one as much as I’d like, what with the various issues mine has (getting it to stand risks becoming a hassle), the PNSO Shantungosaurus is nonetheless a very nice representation of a genus rarely seen in toy form. If you’d like to obtain one for yourself, DeJankins still has this figure and others in the line for reasonable prices as of this writing.
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In the prototype on the box, the figure stands with the right front foot raised off the ground. Many copies of this figure don’t stand correctly, having to lean on the front right foot, which eventually bends under the model’s weight and causes it to fall over.
I think the issue must have been created when they cut a copy of the prototype into the model’s six pieces and added on the interior plug and socket system for attaching each part. I don’t think the sockets were molded right (particularly for the body halves judging by the seam), so the limbs don’t all extend at the angles they were supposed to relative to each other. With six pieces to fit together, if every piece doesn’t align just right, the feet don’t all touch the ground.
Shantungosaurus has always been one of my favourite dinosaurs and I just received this model today. First I can say, it’s huge! It towers over my Rebor Acrocanthosaurus.
As for the model itself, mine has no problems standing upright. Although the left foot and hand aren’t flat on the ground.
I also think PNSO should have made this model solid. It would probably help with posture.
The tail curl, although visually interesting, is not someting I really like. As far as I know hadrosaurs had straight and stiff tails and it would have better if it just pointed backwards.
A major flaw of the figure is the very obvious seamline connecting the front and rear part of the body.
Other than that, I really like this figure. My second PNSO after their Basilosaurus, and hopefully it will not be my last.
Thanks for the review. I have this figure and mine can’t stand at all. It immediately falls over, just as you described. I’m not sure how to fix it since it’s hollow and I’m afraid to bend it.
Great review.
Until an articulated fossil of a mature Spinosaurus (or possibly something completely new) is unearthed to confirm it, that “largest non-sauropod” title remains highly speculative.
Your figure is a bit sloppier than mine, but both are in need of some “bondo” in those horrendously visible joints that compete with the shear beauty of the sculpt.
Cheers.
Good review! And good model, if the foot problem isn’t universal or can be fixed. And yeah, the orange highlights are a bit odd.
Shantungosaurus’ matinee-idol chin reminds me of that recent article about Parasaurolophus’ shovel-beak. I wonder if restorations like this could have upper and lower beak a bit more balanced?
Nice first entry, Fembrogon and a really impressive figure, despite the flaws you described (which you did very well). The overall pose reminds me of the Safari Edmontosaurus. also, very nice and focussed photos 🙂