Author: Gwangi

My name is Arthur but I go by Gwangi on the blogs and forums, as homage to the old dinosaur and monster movies I love so much. In addition to writing about and collecting toy animals (extinct and extant) I also share my home with a variety of living animals, mostly reptiles but a little bit of everything. I have a lifelong interest in all things nature and natural history and most of my hobbies can be linked to those things in some way. I currently live in Maryland with my wife and daughters. In addition to writing on here I also write magazine articles, typically about local wildlife and aquarium fishes.

All reviews by this author

Review: Gryposuchus (Jurassic World Epic Evolution, Wild Roar by Mattel)

4.3 (23 votes)

Now here’s something unprecedented from Mattel. No, not a prehistoric pseudosuchian most people have never heard of. Mattel likes those, and this is that too. What makes this one unique is that it represents an animal that lived during the Cenozoic. The era immediately following the Mesozoic and the one in which we’re currently living.

Review: Yangchuanosaurus (Dapeng) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)

4.7 (34 votes)

With 47 votes the PNSO Saurophaganax is poised to win the prestigious title of figure of the year on the Dinosaur Toy Forum’s Top 10 of 2023 poll. And rightly so, it’s a fantastic figure. One of the best theropod models I’ve ever seen, and quite possibly the best “Allosaurus” ever.

Review: Mamenchisaurus (Jurassic World, Legacy Collection by Mattel)

3.8 (28 votes)

Mattel’s previous large sauropods made sense. Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Dreadnoughtus all had significant screen time in the Jurassic franchise. And even though Mattel dutifully, and shockingly, made toys of them all, fans wanted more. Yes, among the Jurassic fanbase there was a subset of collectors yearning for the Mamenchisaurus, which featured briefly enough in The Lost World to allow a motorcyclist to drive between its legs.

Review: Kentrosaurus (Jurassic World, Color Change Captivz by ToyMonster)

3.5 (26 votes)

With the new year comes a new set of Captivz Pop N Lock dinosaurs to collect. If you’re unfamiliar with what Captivz are, they’re blind bag figures hidden inside plastic eggs. Also included in the egg is a bag of slime (the figure is separate from the slime) and a token or trading card with the figure’s stats.

Review: Kosmoceratops (Haolonggood)

4.2 (37 votes)

Kosmoceratops is a genus of Chasmosaurine that lived about 75 million years ago in what is now the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park in Utah. This is where the Kaiparowits formation is located, a rock formation that during the Cretaceous was a jungle bordering the Western Interior Seaway.

Review: Metriacanthosaurus (Jurassic Park Hammond Collection by Mattel)

3.8 (48 votes)

The release of genera such as Metriacanthosaurus, Concavenator, and Irritator in the Hammond Collection line was initially met with controversy. Some collectors were excited to see non-canonical dinosaurs join the prestigious Hammond Collection while others were dismayed, hoping the dinosaurs seen in the films would be given priority.

Review: Poposaurus (Jurassic World Epic Evolution, Danger Pack by Mattel)

3.8 (49 votes)

Mattel loves Pseudosuchians, or so it would seem. Just this year they released five of these crocodile-line archosaurs. Not since Bullyland’s heyday have we seen so many representatives of the group made by a single company, and I think Mattel must surely win the award for most Pseudosuchians ever produced.

Review: Carnotaurus (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Hammond Collection by Mattel)

4.1 (61 votes)

Mattel loves Carnotaurus. Our friends at DinoToyCollector.com have catalogued 22 Carnotaurus figures for Mattel’s Jurassic World line, but that number includes the minis, Snap Squad, and similar toys too, and their various repaints and repackages. Either way, the company has still produced an impressive array of Carnotaurus toys.

Review: Pentaceratops (Haolonggood)

Haolonggood Pentaceratops, right side.

4.5 (47 votes)

Since getting into this hobby over a decade ago I’ve had a list of my favorite ceratopsians I’ve hoped to someday have on my shelves. When I started, none of these animals had good representations available. But as the years have gone by, and this hobby has seemingly exploded in popularity, I’ve been able to gradually check them off the list.

Review: Nigersaurus (Jurassic World Dino Trackers, Wild Roar by Mattel)

Mattel Nigersaurus, left side.

3 (27 votes)

Nigersaurus is a genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod that was discovered in the Elrhaz Formation in Niger, Africa. It lived during the middle Cretaceous and is notable for its small size (by sauropod standards), short neck, and bizarrely shaped broad muzzle packed with over 500 teeth.

Review: Compsognathus (Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary, Captivz by ToyMonster)

Captivz Compsognathus

3.6 (19 votes)

Compsognathus longipes was a small late Jurassic theropod discovered in Europe and the first theropod known from mostly complete remains. For a time, it was also the smallest dinosaur ever discovered. Compsognathus doesn’t really need an introduction, however, we all know it from the Jurassic Park franchise.

Review: Lystrosaurus (Jurassic World: Dominion, Captivz by ToyMonster)

Captivz Lystrosaurus, left side.

4.1 (28 votes)

One of the positive outcomes from the release of Jurassic World: Dominion was its launching of the generally obscure Lystrosaurus to stardom.  Although relegated to what was basically a cameo appearance in the film it was enough to give the little synapsid far more public attention than it would have otherwise received.

Review: Pachycephalosaurus (The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Hammond Collection by Mattel)

Hammond Collection Pachycephalosaurus, left side.

3.9 (35 votes)

Finally! Roughly 6 months after acquiring it I’m getting around to reviewing the Hammond Collection Pachycephalosaurus. In this review you’ll see outdoor pictures that were taken in March, when I originally wanted to review it! They’ve been sitting on my computer, taunting me, reminding me to get around to this toy.

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