Protoceratops (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Attack Pack by Mattel)

One of the best things about the Mattel Jurassic World line is its inclusion of many obscure and unpopular genera. This was something Kenner did with the original line too, producing such oddities as Esstemenosuchus and Scutosaurus. For the Mattel line a lot of unexpected surprises have already hit the shelves or are slated for release. Things like Microceratus, and Proceratosaurus, stuff that’s often ignored even by mainstream collectible companies are downright shocking to see in an action figure lineup. Today we’re looking at one of those, the Attack Pack Protoceratops.

Protoceratops is about as simple as they come. Small by dinosaur standards and without any notable claws, horns, or weird ornaments, but upon its discovery in 1925 it was a much more popular animal. It is only in more recent years that it has fallen out of favor but it remains a popular animal among true dinosaur aficionados and finds itself frequently on the various wish lists that come out each year.

One of the very best Protoceratops toys out there was produced by Tyco back in 1989. It remains a fan favorite among Tyco and ceratopsian collectors alike. If you happen to be a fan of that particular toy then you should fall right in love with the Mattel Protoceratops. In many ways you could consider it a spiritual successor to the old Tyco toy and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was intentional either.

Just like its Tyco predecessor this little toy has a head that can swivel up and down, left and right, and in every conceivable way in between. It’s a simple action feature but you can’t really ask for more with a toy Protoceratops, and that feature alone makes this simple toy an expressive and fun figure to play around with.

When stock photos of the toy were released many people seemed concerned with the overall length of the limbs compared to the body. I can safely say that they’re not as jarring in person as they are in photographs. I also don’t think they’re really too long but instead too bulky, daintier limbs would have been preferable but would increase the likelihood of breakage too. Aside from that the toy is adequately proportioned. Some might suggest that the head is too small but there is a lot of skull variation among Protoceratops specimens.

Oddly enough this toy is depicted with quills along the tail, like that famous (or infamous) specimen of Psittacosaurus. I don’t personally agree with adding quills to every ceratopsian genera out there based on that one specimen but it’s interesting to note the addition here since feathers are neglected on these toys, as in keeping with the movies. But the quills don’t look like quills; they’re apart of the overall mold and look more like a sail with skin stretched in between. Since Protoceratops did have tall vertebra on the tail perhaps Mattel actually was trying to recreate a type of sail and not Psittacosaurus-like quills. If that’s the case then this toy is very unique among Protoceratops restorations.

The base color of this toy is the same as the Action Attack Stegosaurus in the same line but I can’t say it works as well here. Green splotches are randomly applied across the body and give the impression that this animal has either a terrible fungal infection, or was puked on by another dinosaur. The eyes are painted pale green and give the illusion that they aren’t painted at all, or that the animal is blind perhaps. Aside from the gray beak there is no color applied to the horns, frill, or claws. Of course the paint job can always be modified and it’s likely that Mattel will re-release this toy again with another paint job.

Aside from the color scheme, the odd sail on the tail, and some wonky limb proportions I quite like this toy. I certainly like it more than I thought I would based on photographs. The swiveling head is a feature I wasn’t even aware of upon purchase; I thought it just moved up and down, so that was a pleasant surprise too. But the best thing about the Mattel Protoceratops is that they made a Protoceratops at all, because the line certainly didn’t require it. I’m a proponent of voting with your money and with that in mind I think picking up this, and other toys of obscure creatures, will only encourage Mattel to produce more of them. And who knows, maybe that will in turn pave the way for other companies. Fingers crossed for a Safari Protoceratops.