Baryonyx (The Lost World: Jurassic Park by Kenner)

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In the world of toy dinosaurs few have suffered like the Baryonyx. Despite repeated attempts to fashion a model of this spinosaurid, only one can be said to have been successful and it was the first ever produced, the Invicta 1989 figure. Since then numerous attempts have been made and most have failed. Even the Carnegie model falls short on capturing the strange beauty this creature must have possessed. One of those failed attempts was the 1997 The Lost World toy by Kenner. You could argue that this was a true toy, made more for play than display but it is still somewhat of a let down given the high quality some of the Jurassic Park toys possess. Kenner released a Baryonyx after the release of the first film and even that one is superior in quality.

Where accuracy is concerned the Kenner Baryonyx frankly, has none. The only feature true to the actual animal is the large hand claw that gives the genus its name however the hands are incorrectly pronated. Aside from the claw it looks like little homework was done to make this a model worthy of the Baryonyx name. In overall appearance it looks like a villainous cartoon crocodile skulking around on its hind legs.  There is a little horn on the nose but it lacks the crest between the eyes. It also lacks the notch in the upper jaw, both characteristics of the genus. The toy stands on two legs as if striding forward but it has a hunched over posture and is a true tail dragger, not merely a tripod. If one works with the legs a bit the tail can be kept off the ground but that hardly saves it from its many issues. The belly is sunken in and this feature along with its wide hips and shoulders give the toy an hourglass figure of sorts.

There are two color versions of the toy. Mine is the green and brown one you see in the pictures but the original version was various shades of brown and yellow and superior to the newer model. Black splotches overlay the brown portion. The nails are tipped in black except for the unpainted hallux toes. There is a red tongue inside the mouth and the upper palette is also red. There is blue eye shadow around the eyes, this helps with that villainous appearance I mentioned earlier. The skin is covered in wrinkles but there are scales on the head, legs, and feet. Even the bottoms of the feet were given scales which comes as a bit of a surprise. There is also a series of scutes running down the neck and along the back which adds a nice touch.

Like other toys in the line this one also has an action feature that warrants mention. His “code name” is “Steel Jaw” and when you push or pull the right leg the head whips back and forth. This is supposed to free it of the capture gear it came with but you can also put something in its jaws and whip it around if you feel so inclined. The figure measures just under 11” long and stands 4” tall putting it at about 1/30 in scale. The body is made of hard plastic and the tail a softer and more flexible material.

While it is a shame that this toy couldn’t have been designed better it is important to remember that this is an action figure and for that purpose I suppose it works. Where Baryonyx toys are concerned you could honestly do worse, which I suppose is a sad statement. You could also do better; the Invicta model is really the best of the bunch and can probably be found for cheaper too. Apparently this toy is hard to come by and often commands pretty high prices (for a toy). I can only really recommend it to Jurassic Park collectors; in that respect it represents an unusual and somewhat rare piece that may be worth seeking out. The Kenner Baryonyx can be found on eBay here for about thirty U.S. dollars.