Review and photos by Faelrin, edited by Suspsy
The Destruct-A-Saurs line of figures is yet another reminder of how controversial the distribution for Mattel’s Jurassic World figures has been. They were originally to be exclusive to Toys R Us (in the United States at least), and with the stores closing nationwide, it is no surprise these would soon seem hard to get for those in the States, let alone elsewhere. Although Amazon was to carry the basic sets, that unfortunately did not work out. Walmart at least carried the Destruct-A-Saurs Helicopter and Pteranodon set (as well as some other sets that were to be Toys R Us exclusives such as the Lava Surge playset, and the Quest for Indominus Rex set). While these sets were found in other countries (Russia and Mexico, I believe), most had to go without. Eventually, Toys R Us in Canada picked up the line in late 2018/early 2019 (what did not get cancelled, at least). With the help of stargatedalek on the forum here, I was at least able to finally get the set I desired the most, the Velociraptor with Microceratus set, after waiting most of 2018 for it.
To focus on the contents of the set, it includes a blue and gold striped Velociraptor, the Microceratus, and a cage which is tied into the action feature of the Velociraptor. The Destruct-A-Saurs figures’ main gimmick is the magnets in the mouths of the creatures, and the cage accessory (or the helicopter, in the aforementioned set with the Pteranodon). With the jaw of the raptor open, and brought near the top piece of the cage, it will “break” the cage apart, and seem to be carrying it in its mouth, freeing the Microceratus that has been trapped inside it. The cage itself is also a nice accessory for even the human figures, in that they can carry it by the handles on either side of it, in an attempt to take their captured critter with them. The cage itself is also painted in a metallic grey coloration, and has some detail on the “floor” inside of the bottom piece.
The main figure of this set is the Velociraptor. Most of the figure is a deep dark blue color, while the stripes on the head are of a metallic gold paint, similar to the one used on the Indoraptor figures. The stripes on the back are a dark gold or orange color, that is not metallic. Its color scheme does remind me of the Kenner Chaos Effect Alpha Velociraptor, if only slightly. The sculpt is similar to the Battle Damage Blue (and the yellow and brown Velociraptor), though it does not offer the complete articulation as found in those figures, rather unfortunately. The arms and legs are more like the Attack Pack raptors, without the in-and-out swivels, which can lead to standing issues, in the case of the legs. The neck also does not feature the full range of motion as it did on the Battle Damage counterparts, being only able to move up and down, and not left and right. As mentioned earlier, there is also articulation at the jaw.
The Microceratus is likely the highlight of this set though, as it is a unique species within the line, and is the first JP/JW toy of it. While it has no paint detail, it does have some nice sculpt detail for its small size, and it is made of a tan colored rubbery material, much like the Legacy Collection Compsognathus figures. Interestingly enough, there are two small holes at the bottom of its feet, though I do not know what their purpose is. While it is a JW figure, it is not too far off from what the real creature may have looked like. It is just a bit shrink-wrapped, give or take some minor proportion issues. This set (and additionally the yellow Pteranodon
Destruct-A-Saurs set) was originally the only way one could add this species to their collection. The as-of-yet, unreleased Franklin figure has had promo pictures suggesting it will have this Microceratus figure included. Fingers crossed it has it, as it would perhaps be an easier way to track down this critter than obtaining this set.
Your best bet may be eBay if you want to obtain this set, unless you live in Canada or another country that has sold it. Or perhaps you are able to ask someone who lives where it is sold to help you get it, as I did. That is, assuming it is still sold as of now.
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