Tyrannosaurus rex (2009)(CollectA/Procon)

Review and photographs by ‘Prehistory Resurrection,’ edited by Suspsy

Hello, this is ‘Prehistory Resurrection’, formerly known as ‘Resurrection of the dinosaurs.’ The figure that I will review today is CollectA’s 2009 brown Tyrannosaurus rex figure from its old Procon line. At first, I thought that it was just a repainted version of the original 2006 version, but when I compared it with the images, I saw some differences in their sculpts which I will describe in full.

So what are the differences between the two toys? First, in terms of size, the 2006 green version measures around 19 cm length and slightly under 10 cm in height, but this brown one measures 17 cm in length and 8 cm in height. Second, the green version is posed in a tripod stance with the tail dragging on the ground and the head held slightly higher (which explains the difference in height between the two figures). The newer version has its tail held horizontally in the air and the head held slightly lower. Third, the claws on the brown version’s feet are longer than those on the green version. Fourth, the green version has a pebbly, detailed skin texture while this brown one does not have the same level of detailing. And finally, while the green one lacked nostrils, the brown one clearly has them.

Apart from those differences, the head, body, and arms are similar between the two, with the same inaccuracies such as pronated hands, JP-style brow ridges, teeth that are all the same size. I do not know if it is the paint work or the sculpt, but the green version’s body appears to be fairly normal whereas this one’s seems to be very skinny, to such an extreme that you can clearly see the ribs and the fenestrae in the skull. It is as if the animal has not been eating for a certain time. 

On to the paint work! The top of the body, from the head to the tail, is coloured chocolate brown. This merges into a dirty beige on the lower jaw, the flanks, and the underside of the body. Black stripes run on the top of the head, the thighs, and all along the tail. There are also some black spots on the top of the right side of the neck, body, legs, and tail. The teeth are yellowish-white, the inside of the mouth is dark pink, the claws are black, and so are the undersides of the feet. Finally, the eyes are dark yellow with black dots as pupils. 

And now to the details and sculpt. As I mentioned before, this T. rex does not have the same texture and detailing as the 2006 one. It does have some fair wrinkles on the neck, the knees, the feet, the soles of the feet, and the tail. The body has some bumpy scales and a fair amount of wrinkles. The ribs and fenestrae are also sculpted, which show that this fella has been fasting perhaps! Again, I do not know whether if it is the paint job or the sculpt that makes the 2006 version look normal and this one look emaciated. I already discussed the anatomy earlier, and it is also explained in the 2006 version’s review, so I won’t touch any further on that.

Well, that was my review of the CollectA/Procon 2009 Tyrannosaurus rex. I know that that was a lot of writing for this normal, classic, and generic mass-produced figure which looks almost like a chinasaur. CollectA’s figures nowadays are definitely better, and renowned for their scientific accuracy and quality. You have the choice of getting the 2006 green version, this version, or both if you are either a hardcore T. rex fan or a completist collector or both. In CollectA’s early days, their figures were ugly ducklings. Some were okay, some were derpy-looking, and some were even worse, as with this fella. You may check for it in toy stores where CollectA products are sold or at online stores such as Amazon, eBay, or Minizoo.

So what did I miss? Ah yes, Christmas! I wish all the patrons of the Dinosaur Toy Blog a Merry T-Rexmas! But seriously, no puns!