Tyrannosaurus rex (Convention Crasher Exclusive)(The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Hammond Collection by Mattel)

Review and photographs by Noideaforaname, edited by Suspsy

The Lost World: Jurassic Park is my favorite of the series thanks in no small part for its portrayal of Tyrannosaurus rex as both savage predators and caring parents, and I have been hoping for a Hammond Collection “Buck” ever since the release of “Rexy” and “Junior.” In 2023, Mattel offered the Buck as a stretch goal to their ill-fated Jurassic Park Gates crowdfund, and tried again in 2025 as a San Diego Comic Con/Mattel Creations exclusive–and succeeded. Which still isn’t an ideal release, but is at least an actual release.

Before I get to the toys themselves, a brief look at the packaging. The outer box is styled as an old battered metal CRT monitor covered in stickers. The screenshot of the rex roaring at San Diego is intentionally a bit blurry, in keeping with 90’s tech limitations.

The inner box portrays a scene straight out of a silly tie-in commercial: the Buck smashing his way into the convention center and coming face to face with . . . another T. rex? Well, not quite, but whether the Buck realizes that is left to the imagination.

. . . although the back of the box implies the dino doppelganger escapes unscathed.

The main event is, of course, the Buck himself. A repaint of the original Hammond Collection T. rex, he sports a more saturated, Kenner-inspired color scheme. Admittedly, after the improvements made with the Giganotosaurus and Spinosauru, this 3-year-old mold feels a bit dated, but a few important parts have been retooled.

The Buck’s upper jaw is entirely new, featuring battle scars and different scale patterns (the most obvious being the lacrimal crests over the eyes). The teeth have also been updated; they are much sharper and, consequently, made of softer material.

More significantly, the Buck’s feet are much smaller than his predecessor’s. “Clown shoes” was a common complaint for the line’s early releases, so it’s nice seeing that issue addressed.

Naturally, all of the original toy’s articulation is retained, including the double-jointed knees and mid-torso joint.

The glass eye effect is far better this time around (my original Rex never not looks black), though still not perfect.

Also included is the kind of item I love seeing in these convention sets: something fun and interesting, but ultimately not a must-have. In this case, a super fan wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume.

Much like the actual costume, the main body of the toy is hollow and made of a soft rubbery plastic with a hard plastic block inside acting as the wearer’s actual body. There are two swappable faces: one female and one male. A word of caution: while they attach securely, the flexible material has a tendency to push the face out if it’s messed with too much.

The decision to give the legs full range of motion does spoil the illusion of this being a clumsy 8-foot balloon draped over a human frame.

The super fan comes with various goodies: a scale replica of this very set, a backpack/tote bag somewhat anachronistically labelled 2025, a single red plastic block representing various books and prints and boxes bought at the con, and a one-sided banner with a cute reference to the first Jurassic Park movie. I must admit, having simply camped out on the Mattel Creations site during a lunch break to acquire this item, the full effect is a bit lost on me.

Overall, this is a fun set that’s unfortunately overshadowed by the decision to relegate a major dinosaur “character” to a convention exclusive. If you weren’t lucky enough to be at SDCC or the Mattel Creations site at the right time, your only option now is the after market and likely at several times the original $85 price tag. With any luck, Mattel will recognize the demand for the Buck and come up with some kind of rerelease. At the very least a JP3 Bull T. rex would serve as a “close enough” option, much as Rexy is a fine stand-in for Doe.