Spinosaurus (Jurassic World Bashers and Biters by Hasbro)

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Review and photos by Nathan ‘Takama’ Morris, edited by amargasaurus cazaui and Suspsy

Jurassic World featured its fair share of prehistoric creatures, and surprisingly, most of the animals that were featured in the previous three films made an appearance in some form. The only ones missing are Brachiosaurus, Mamenchisaurus, Compsognathus, Corythosaurus, and Ceratosaurus. I was going to say that Spinosaurus also did not appear, but we must remember that a skeleton of the animal (based on a Favorite Desktop Model that the studio bought from Dan’s Dinosaurs). appeared in the movie. The toy that Hasbro made for the Bashers and Biters line is one of the ugliest toys in the line, which again goes back to the thought that Hasbro did not care too much about the products they made for this movie.

The Spinosaurus in Jurassic Park 3 is among the most iconic creatures in the entire franchise, which made the creature more popular among the mainstream audience. With that in mind, you would think that Hasbro would copy the design for their new line of toys that were set to come out alongside Jurassic World. However, it seems like Hasbro has taken some steps to make the new toy a little more accurate in some areas.

The most notable point of praise I can find with this figure is that the jaw is sculpted with a tooth notch. The notches are one of the key characteristics that make up a Spinosaurus skull, and it is often ignored in most restorations of the species (including the Stan Winston design used in JP3). The skull is also not as robust as the Papo model, but it is still not narrow enough to be accurate. The animal’s signature midline crest is absent from this toy, and is replaced with two bony bosses that are barely noticeable above the eye. Again, this feature also goes back to the Stan Winston design.

Other inaccuracies include pronated arms, the lack of fish hook claws, and possibly oversized legs (I’m not saying that this is a definite flaw, as some scientists are doubtful that Spinosaurus was as weird as the 2014 restoration has lead us to believe).

If there’s one thing that really shows how little Hasbro cared about the toy line, then its the poor paint work on this model. The colors are unattractive, and look very sickly. This combined with the gaping flesh wound on its side makes the model look somewhat like a dinosaurian zombie.

Another problem with this figure is a design choice in the feet. To get this figure to stand up, you must align the flat parts on the feet so that they lay even. However, for some reason, the designers at Hasbro decided to make it so that three of the toes would be raised up from the ground. I don’t know what went through the minds at Hasbro, but one must admit that the end result looks ridiculous.

The gimmick on this toy is the same as most of the other Bashers and Biters figures: you use the tail to manipulate the head. Pushing down on the tail makes the head look up and pulling the tail to the side makes the mouth open half way. The gimmick works, but it feels very fragile and I can’t imagine kids playing dino battles with this figure without breaking it.

Overall, this is another terrible figure from a mostly terrible line of toys. The only people I can recommend this to are those who collect JP merchandise, and possibly fanboys of Spinosaurus. For everyone else, you’re better off just ignoring this figure for the rest of your life.

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