Majungasaurus (Jurassic World Sound Strike, by Mattel)

Where abelisaurids are concerned the genus Majungasaurus is second in popularity only to Carnotaurus. It has a few things working in its favor. It lived at the very end of the Cretaceous period in what is now Madagascar and was the dominant predator of its ecosystem. It also just has a really cool name which is important for dinosaur popularity, although its original name of Majungatholus is arguably cooler. But what really brought Majungasaurus to the limelight was evidence for cannibalism, the only known evidence for it in any dinosaur (prior evidence for cannibalism in Coelophysis was disproven). This made Majungasaurus a prime candidate for dramatic re-enactments in documentaries and it featured prominently in Jurassic Fight Club and Dinosaur Planet.

Still, there aren’t many Majungasaurus figures out there. CollectA and Recur both have rather crude figures, PNSO made a miniature one that’s really a Majungasaurus in name only, and Vitae has a recent offering that commands a hefty price. Now Mattel has tackled the Mahajanga lizard for their new Sound Strike line.  

The dinosaurs for the Sound Strike line are medium sized figures that retail for $14.99 in the U.S. The Majungasaurus measures roughly 4” tall and 12.5” long. Naturally, these Sound Strike toys have a unique action feature. Movement of the tail manipulates the movement of the head and also produces the sounds. This makes this toy in particular rather noisy, just a slight wiggle of the tail will cause it to roar which could get annoying, even for kids. The mouth can open and close but it has to be done manually.

What is immediately noticeable about this toy is just how neat it is. Abelisaurids lend themselves well to gnarly looking interpretations and this one is certainly that. This toy is adorned with extra bumps and knobs and fleshy bits hanging off of the neck, legs, and tail. Overall it has a very Todd Marshall feel. Some have expressed criticism over the spikes being under the tail instead of on top of it but I personally like this unique artistic choice. The head is beautifully grotesque. Thick folds of skin run down the neck, and osteoderms of various sizes run down the length of the body and tail. The barrel-chested body and muscular legs make this toy look like a strong, formidable predator.

The color choices too are unique and compliment the figure well. Most of the body is a unique shade of green that I can’t quite place, reminiscent of jade or seafoam. The lower jaw and underside of the figure’s neck and body are a yellowish, olive green color and this color also extends up the neck, head, and torso to create some intricate patterning. Additional blue coloration is painted on the head and neck. This color combination, in addition to the unique patterning, makes this an animal that would aesthetically work well in Isla Nublar’s tropical jungle environment.

The body is held in a nice, horizontal posture with the head, back, and tail all basically level with each other. Although the feet are oversized as per usual with these toys, they’re not dramatically so and don’t distract from the overall aesthetic of the toy. The tail too is considerably better than on many other Mattel bipeds. Proportionately this is one of the best theropods by the company.

Although discussing scientific accuracy is a moot point with these toys I feel compelled to give this toy some credit in that department. Although far from perfect it is sufficiently abelisaur-like with a short skull, muscular neck, long torso, and absurdly small forelimbs. However, the forelimbs only possess three digits when they should have four.

One of the most distinctive traits on Majungasaurus is the horn on its head, made up of fused frontal bones on the skull. In profile this toy gets the feature right but when viewed head-on, what should be a single central horn instead becomes a horizontal crest. This oversight suggests that Mattel may have only used side-profile reconstructions in their research. For me it is easy enough to just ignore it, perhaps it is keratin and skin that wouldn’t have been preserved with the skull. For others it might be a deal breaker so it’s certainly worth mentioning.

The Mattel Majungasaurus is without question one of the companies best theropods that is not based on the Jurassic movie franchise. It is unique, eye catching, and for an action figure, suitably accurate too. If you collect Mattel dinosaurs then this is certainly one that you won’t want to pass up. The Mattel Majungasaurus is new for 2020 and should eventually be found wherever Jurassic World toys are sold, or on Mattel’s web site.