Carcharodontosaurus (Blue Version)(GR Toys by Haolonggood)

Review and images by Pliosaurking, edited by Suspsy

Hello, everyone and welcome to another review, in which I’ll be reviewing the Gr Toys x Halonggood Blue Carcharodontosaurus! Carcharodontosaurus was a massive carcharodontosaurid that lived in northern Africa during the Cenomanian stage of the Cretaceous period about 90 million years ago. It was discovered in 1914 and described in 1932 by Ernst Stromer. It isn’t very well known from fossil remains as the most complete specimen was blown up during World War II!  It was among the largest theropods, rivalling Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, and its better known relative, Giganotosaurus in size. It lived alongside other dinosaurs such as Spinosaurus, Ouranosaurus, Deltadromeus, Dicraeosaurus, and Paralititan, and also the massive crocodylomorph Stomatosuchus. Carcharodontosaurus is somewhat popular and has been featured in shows like Planet Dinosaur and Dinosaur Planet, as well as games like Jurassic World Evolution, Warpath: Jurassic Park, books, and sometimes toys. Now on to the review.

I have to start by saying what a gorgeous figure this is! The colours are beautiful! They are just something else. It kind of reminds me of a Beasts of the Mesozoic paint job with the bright colours, but more complex. I’ve heard it being compared to a mineral rather than a living organism and I believe that is somewhat true, as the colours look layered like a rock. However, they aren’t overly blocky and are applied very well, making them look more animal than rock in my eyes. Personally, I don’t know if a 40+ foot long predator would have this colouration, although one could imagine the stripes blending in well in a forest environment, with the lighter shades blending in with the dappled sunlight and the darker ones hiding it in the shade and plants. It would also surely attract a mate! I do much prefer this version over the Brown variant, which has been previously reviewed.

The main colours are different shades of blue, purple, and orange. The crests and top of the head are orange with blue stripes, while the face is mainly beige and the jaw is a light shade of blue. 

The ridge of the spine is blue with light blue bands. The main body has stripes of blue, orange, purple and white.

The underside is coloured cream and beige. The figure has numerous dry brushes of white across the body, along with washes of blue and purple. The eyes are orange with black pupils. The mouth is a pinkish shade, the tongue is reddish, the teeth are white, and the claws are dark brown. Overall, it’s among my favourite paint jobs on any figure I own or have ever seen. This is truly a figure you have to see to appreciate. You’re not going to find many if any figures with a better paint job for the price!

The detail is staggering. The scales are very well sculpted and of various sizes across the figure, but all of a realistic size. The main scales are oval in shape and cover most of the figure. The feet have large scales going up the ankles. 

The skin has many wrinkles and folds. With the skin buckling near the limbs, it provides a sense of pulling and tightening as the animal moves. And there are lips! When I got this figure and before the recent paper more or less confirming lips, I was on the fence about the argument and had no preference so long as the figure looks natural. But now with this paper being published, I will like to see more figures with lips.

They are very well done here and can almost completely cover the teeth when the mouth is shut.

The inside of the mouth is very well done, with the roof being covered with groves. This figure is sculpted in a neutral walking pose, with the intention being changed by whatever way the mouth is posed in. When closed, it could be just walking. If open, it could be roaring at or fighting a rival. This figure is rather accurate as far as I can tell, and if there are any issues, they are very minor. There is no shrink wrapping of the fenestrae, and no outrageous stylization. The lips have no definite proof for or against. The only knock against this figure is that it looks a bit on the lean side, but not sickly so. Overall, it’s probably the most accurate Carcharodontosaurus on the market.

Now for my favourite part of a review: some comparisons. And buckle up because I’ve got quite a few! Here it is with Mattel’s Jurassic World Evolution style version. A strange but interesting design.

Here’s PNSO’s version, which is another good option, although I prefer the size, colour scheme, and sculpt on the GR toys version. The lips also put the GR Toys ahead as the best version available in my eyes.

Here’s Safari Ltd.’s version, a small but nice figure. I’m not overly fond of the mouth on this one, however.

Here’s PNSO’s Acrocanthosaurus, which is similar in size, but smaller.

This is its more famous relative Giganotosaurus, also by Safari. This version is the about the same size and scales extremely well.

And now the other iconic giant theropods. Here is Papo’s Limited Edition Spinosaurus. Being the most accurate Spinosaurus figure I currently own, I thought it would make a good comparison.

Of course, I had to do a Tyrannosaurus comparison, and none better to do than the BotM 1:35 scale one. You can really see the girth and heaviness of the Tyrannosaurus when compared to the Carcharodontosaurus.

 Here are all the giant theropods together.

What a group! It’s quite cool to see them all like this, I must say.

And lastly, my other Haolonggood figures. All three of these figures are among the best representations of their respective species. This company is quickly becoming one of my favourite brands.

Overall, this figure is highly recommended! It’s fantastic and is in my opinion the best Carcharodontosaurus on the market currently. And again, the paint scheme is fantastic! The only issue is finding one, as they aren’t very easy to come by currently from what I’ve heard. I’d say your best bet is to try eBay. For any of you looking for one, I wish you the best of luck, as it won’t disappoint!