Velociraptor (Jurassic Park)(1:1 Bust by Chronicle Collectibles)

Review and photos by Sammy Allouba, edited by Suspsy

Welcome to my review of the Jurassic Park 1:1 Velociraptor bust by Chronicle Collectibles! She just recently arrived and she’s more gorgeous than I could have imagined. There will be no unboxing for this one because she arrived in a nondescript white box, housing her in styrofoam packaging which was neat, tight, and kept her perfectly safe.

The base is nicely detailed with a simple JP logo in front, airbrushed (I think?) in bronze against a cracked graphite background. It’s very simple and is exactly what it needs to be, nothing more and nothing less. And believe me, it’s heavy. This must weigh at least 35 lbs. If you haven’t worked on your arms yet this week, this will do nicely!

Let’s start with the paint job, as that tends to be the make or break point for a lot of JP fans. From the various scenes in the film I’ve looked at, coupled with any and all stills posted online, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Chronicle made their raptor *more* colourful than the ones in the film. I know it sounds crazy, but even in brightly-lit shots, the film’s raptors look very monotone in overall colouration and rather drab. Chronicle took things a step further and brightened the skin tone, bringing out the leopard-like spots and darkened spots along the lips. I like these touches and am glad the bust isn’t one big hunk of grey and/or green. Not sure if it’s obvious from the photos but the eyes are encased in what feels like glass (or very hardened plastic, but I doubt that). They are appropriately vein-y and neutral in their look. This clever girl isn’t hunting anything or staring down any prey. She’s minding her own business, along for a leisurely stroll in the lush jungles of Isla Nublar.

As usual and as expected (especially at this price!), Chronicle spared no expense in detailing this beauty. She’s bumpy, creased, toothy, and scaly.

Folks, I really don’t know what to say at this point other than Chronicle Collectibles really hit this one out of the park, hit it so hard that it flew back around like a boomerang, then hit back out again! I honestly can’t find a single flaw with it. Sure it was extremely expensive but really, is that surprising given what it is? If you’re a JP fan and you missed this one, I can safely recommend going for Chronicle’s upcoming Lost World Male Raptor. If this bust is any indication, then the next one will be just as impressive. 10/10, Chronicle.