Triceratops (2020)(Mojo Fun)

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Review and images by PhilSauria, edited by Suspsy

At the risk of stating the obvious, Triceratops is a very iconic animal. One of a handful of of prehistoric animals that some members of the general public can probably put a name to, along with Tyrannosaurus rex, Brontosaurus, and Stegosaurus, I’d wager. Most major purveyors of prehistoric animals in plastic form have one in their range, along with numerous versions in the lines of your more budget generic releases. So I guess Mojo Fun felt they were not taking too much of a risk by releasing a second one so soon after their 2019 release of an update to the longstanding one that they’d had for years prior to that. Though, truth be told I’m not sure why they’d release two versions in such quick succession. But they did and here’s my review of it.

This one is slightly smaller than the 2019 model and has the appearance of possibly being a subadult. It measures 16 cm long and 8 cm high compared to the 19 cm length and 8.5 cm height of the 2019 one. It is also paler in colour. It is still done up in shades of brown, but with a cream underside, and also has much darker brown touches on the head and feet. The edge of the frill is quite dark, as are all of its extremities, as distinct to the highlights on the frill of the 2020. The horns being quite dark are a departure from the usual paler treatment given to most other versions of Triceratops out there.

This version is also not quite as heavyset and has a smaller head, which adds further to the impression of the animal not yet being fully grown. If that was the intent by Mojo, then it makes for a good display option in terms of this being maybe a family group, or male and female.

The 2020 release is also sold at a lower price than the 2019. To my eye, they appear to have been created by two different sculptors, with the 2019 version a bit more scientifically accurate than the 2020, although both of them have much more detail and a much more animated pose than their big, blue, fat-tailed predecessor. The detail on that one seemed a bit rough and ready and not very naturalistic compared to these two. I have not been able to find out when that first one was released, as I don’t have one to turn over and check the underside for a date stamp, but it must have been at least five years ago. Seems to have been around for a while anyhow. I’ve also seen images of a brown version of it as well, so maybe that’s a repaint to sell a few more prior to these newer ones coming out?

The feet on this Triceratops are more in keeping with the fossil remains, with the outer toes being smaller, but seeing as how the feet are painted all black, there’s no telling which toes have nails on them. Small scales cover most of the figure, with smoother ones on the underside and larger scutes over the back and flanks. The pose suggests that the animal is reacting to something. Its legs are straighter than those on the 2019 version, which gives the impression that it is not as heavy as that one, whose legs look like looks they are holding up more weight. Yet another point to the subadult theory.

In conclusion, if you already have the 2019 Mojo Fun Triceratops, I’d recommend getting this one as well. They make a good display pair and are both fine examples of this very distinctive animal.