Spinosaurus (Jasman)

Look at that, a whole week almost passed us by without one of these Jasman reviews. Well, we can’t let that happen now can we? Next up is the Jasman Spinosaurus, an odd blend of pure awfulness and kitschy appeal. This toy was released in 2001 alongside a sequel to a popular dinosaur franchise that just so happened to feature the same genus that this toy represents. This is my first Spinosaurus review for the DTB, kind of depressing honestly.

Getting the really bad bits out of the way we’ll start with the head which is an absolute mess. It just kind of droops there, like a mass of flesh with no real underlying bone or musculature. Aside from an elongated snout there is little to suggest that this is a spinosaur skull. There is no crest on the nasal bone, or notch present on the premaxilla. The nasal openings are oddly placed about halfway down the snout and the attachment site for the neck is down by the lower jaw. The teeth are large and blunt, and the eyes bulge out of the sides. It looks like something made out of play dough for a kid’s science fair project.

Post head this Spinosaurus isn’t quite as bad. Chubby pronated fingers don’t do it any favors but the slouched horizontal body, nicely textured sail, pebbly skin, and osteoderms along the tail are all highlights. The torso is deep and laterally compressed and in overall posture the toy looks somewhat similar to modern reconstructions of Spinosaurus. This all needs to be taken into context of course. I’m not comparing this to a Sideshow model or even a Safari collectable, I’m comparing it to other Jasman dinosaurs and toys in a similar league.

The paint job is a simple muddy brown color with some maroon colored stripes running down the sail and back with a splotch on the head as well. It’s not too garish or anything but relies heavily on its chosen shade of admittedly unpleasant brown. I won’t make poop jokes in my review, I just won’t.

The Jasman Spinosaurus is not the worst in the range but its flaws are all very apparent. Fans of Schleich’s early Replica-saurus line might find themselves drawn to it and with them it would display well. Measuring 16” long and 8” tall it’s certainly a fun toy for kids to play with as well.