Eight short years ago I wrote a glowing review for the CollectA Deluxe Carcharodontosaurus. At the time the praise was deserved, aside from a Safari toy from the 1990’s there weren’t any other options for the “jagged toothed lizard”. CollectA’s model filled a vacant niche, and it was in turn followed by a new model of the genus from Safari in 2016. In the years that followed their releases they filled their niche well enough, but now it’s 2021 and things have changed dramatically. This year’s Carcharodontosaurus figures from GR Toys and PNSO, when compared to their predecessors from less than a decade ago, illustrate just how far this hobby has come in a short amount of time. Today we’re looking at Gamba, the Carcharodontosaurus by PNSO.
Up until Gamba’s announcement I found myself underwhelmed by PNSO’s theropods. Yes, even the fan favorite Wilson failed to sufficiently impress me. Wilson, along with other earlier theropods, have larger scales and appear overly textured. For me, this makes them less aesthetically appealing. Recent theropods by PNSO, like Gamba and the Tarbosaurus, fixes this problem. Also, although still lipless, Gamba’s teeth appear anchored into the jaw in a believable and naturalistic way, unlike those older theropods. Because of these changes, Gamba is the first theropod in my collection from PNSO’s mid-sized range.
Measured along the curve of his body Gamba comes out at 12.8” in length and stands 3” tall at the top of the head. Carcharodontosaurus is only known from fragmentary remains so size estimates for the genus are highly speculative. Current estimates put it at 39-44’ so that means Gamba is about 1:35 to 1:41 in scale.
Gamba is presented in a horizontal posture with a leftward bend in the body and tail. The right leg is positioned behind the left and pushing the figure forward. Gamba stands pretty well on his own, but a support rod comes with the figure, and I definitely recommend using it. Gamba’s jaw is articulated, like other PNSO theropods, and not since Papo have we seen articulated jaws so well executed. The articulation works smoothly, the mouth closes securely, and the seams are discreet.
As mentioned before, the scale detail is much finer on this figure than in earlier PNSO theropods, and more like what we see on the PNSO ornithopods. From afar scales almost appear non-existent, but this is how it would have appeared on the real animal as well. Heavy detail is not an indication of better quality, sometimes less is more and that is definitely the case here.
Despite their small size the scales do cover the entirety of the figure, and there are different scale shapes and sizes corresponding with different parts of the body. A nice assortment of larger scales are sculpted around the face, lips, and throat, while bird-like scales are sculpted on the toes. The scales that cover most of the figure are small and pebbly, with some larger scales interspersed here and there.
Numerous wrinkles and folds are sculpted along the various contours of the body with notable spots being the torso and legs. These skin folds sag where appropriate and stretch taught where the movement of the figure requires them too. Overall, it’s very convincing and lifelike, as you should expect by now from PNSO. The leg muscles are well defined but I do feel like the toes could use some additional padding, especially when considering the bulk that an actual Carcharodontosaurus must have had.
Although I prefer to display theropods with their mouths closed an exception might have to be made for this one, as the inside of the mouth is a work of art in and of itself. The palate is sculpted with visible nasal passages exposed and indentations where the teeth of the lower jaw can fit snuggly into the upper jaw. Even the throat is sculpted with various fleshy folds and musculature. The inside of the mouth is painted with a pink glossy, wet-like finish, with an additional red wash over the tongue. The teeth are meticulously and masterfully sculpted with a shockingly clean paint application over them.
Since Carcharodontosaurus is only known from scant remains any reconstruction of it is highly speculative, so getting too caught up in accuracy is kind of a moot point. That said, we do have other members of Carcharodontosaurididae to extrapolate appearances from. Gamba’s body plan conforms nicely to the Carcharodontosaurid body plan shared by its relatives. I do feel like the claws on the first digit should be larger, but I do like that the arms are small and robust, even if the seam is visible on both of them.
Overall, Gamba is painted in various shades of green, orange, and pink. The twin ridges on the head are highlighted in black and yellow, and black markings highlight the lips. The rest of the head and neck is a blended combination of green and orange. Dark green stripes begin at the neck and run down the entire body and hindlimbs. The body is predominantly green, darker dorsally and pale on the flanks and undersides. Some orange coloration is blended in along the upper legs, torso, and the last third of the tail. Pink coloration is present on the throat, thighs, and underside of the tail. The eyes are reddish brown with black pupils, and the feet are dark green.
The blending of the colors, and the color choices themselves are all quite nice. I particularly like the green and orange combination with the pink splashes and the orange tail tip. The tiger stripe pattern is repetitive however, it’s a similar pattern to what we’ve gotten on numerous PNSO theropods and is especially similar to the Allosaurus. For PNSO completists these similar color schemes must be frustrating.
Despite repetitive color patterns, it appears that PNSO is paying attention to consumer concerns and refining their figures accordingly. As such, the PNSO Carcharodontosaurus is one of the best theropods by PNSO thus far. It is a lean, formidable, and realistic looking figure that obliterates its older competition. In terms of value, Gamba is the best bang for your buck, selling between $30-40, it’s actually comparable in price to the CollectA Carcharodontosaurus. Gamba can be found on Amazon and other online retailers, for me Aliexpress sellers continue to offer the best pricing.
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Beautiful figure and great review of this impressive model. I keep mine with his mouth closed, too, after all I already have plenty of big one with their mouths wide open.
I kind of like the closed mouth look, even though it conceals the impressive detail inside. Gives Gamba a sort of “non-plussed”, dour look, which I like. Terrific photo display, BTW.
I like the closed mouth look too. After photographing him I decided to keep his mouth closed. But that’s the benefit of articulated toys. Thanks for the kind words.
Definitely the best rendition yet.
Without a doubt it is a beautiful figure, in my case I prefer the two GR Toys paint versions and the Safari version. It is a beautifully sculpted and painted figure and is scientific except for the absence of lips, it is a masterful and remarkable figure in all aspects but it lacks the “magic” that other figures of the same species have, from my point of view. Gorgeous @gwangi review.