Archaeopteryx (2017)(Bullyland)

Photographs and review by ‘Resurrection of the dinosaurs,’ edited by Suspsy

Back in my review of the Bullyland Smilodon, I had mentioned that Bullyland had released nothing special or new for 2017, just resculpts of their past Triceratops and Archaeopteryx models. And for 2018, unless I am mistaken, Bullyland has released nothing, which is disappointing. As we all know, they are now moving away from dinosaur and prehistoric animal figures to make children’s toys like Disney characters. Anyway, today we will be taking a look at the 2017 resculpt of Archaeopteryx.

Archaeopteryx lived 140 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period. It was an extraordinary creature, seemingly halfway between a reptile and a bird. It is famous for the fossils of it that have been found in Europe, with its feather impressions. This rendition measures 12 cm in length and 9 1/2 cm in height. First impressions are good, and reflect what we know of the animal: a reptilian head, teeth, and legs, and a body covered in feathers. The coloration of the figure include a red tuft of feathers on top of the head, yellow for the eyes and black dots for the pupils. Brown is used for the body and the wings have red, brown, black, and blue. Black is used for the interior of the mouth is black and the tongue is pink. The mouth is cream, the teeth are white, the claws are grey, and there is blue and red on the tail. Finally, different shades of brown cover the underside. Details in the sculpt include the scales on the bird-like feet, the different types of feathers on the body and underside, the feathers on the tail, the nostrils, and the wing veins. The right leg and the tail are raised high in the air for a dramatic pose.

While first impressions tell us that this is an Archaeopteryx, looking closer reveals that this figure is likely more a caricature than the real animal. This is what would you might expect from a manufacturer of children’s toys, though. There are some inaccuracies: the feet are oversized, the tail should be longer, and the face is cartoony with short and blunt teeth, possibly for safety reasons. The lower jaw is not movable. As I say in all my reviews, let me know if you happen to see more inaccuracies. The wings, contrary to the jaws, are articulated to rotate 360 degrees. The material of this toy is not ordinary plastic; it is soft and rubbery, possibly PVC.

Overall, this toy has its pros and cons. There are other better Archaeopteryx figures such as PNSO’s Jonas and the one from Safari. This one is recommended if little ones are interested in prehistoric life and want to learn more about them. You may even please yourself like I did when buying it. For us as collectors, dinosaur and prehistoric animal figures do not have an age limit. This one is easily available on online sites like EverythingDinosaur.com, eBay, or Amazon. See you next time, as always more are coming up and cheers!