Jurassic World: Dominion Roar Strikers Pteranodon (Mattel)

Here we go again, for the last time, I hope. I, EmperorDinobot will now give you the final Mattel Pteranodon figure that uses the mold first used by the Roarivores Pteranodon from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and which has been retooled several times, as you can see here, here, here, here and here. However, this figure has some welcome and needed improvements which make it quite different from its predecessors. Let us have a look, shall we?

I do not know if I have said anything about the open packaging for the bigger Dominion figures. They are pretty much the same as the previous ones except that these are now promoting Dominion. This figure was very hard to miss during the 2022 fall season. They made too many of them! I went out to get this figure urgently for the sake of this review, but it was difficult to find at first around late summer of 2022 or so. It became very common quickly though. Luckily, on that day, one was waiting for me at Target, and then I saw twenty more at Walmart only a few blocks away. I do not know if this is true for every state, but Target usually has these roaring figures cheaper than Walmart.

Just like the others, it measures 8″ x 16″. The figure is cast in brown, has cream colored streaks on the top of the wings, and has a blue crest. The head and jaws seem to be cast in a different color. It may appear as a dull choice of colors, but I quite like it. The little tab on the back opens up revealing its Dinosaur Facts App code, and the other button makes the w…wait a minute. That button only makes its jaws open so it can roar. The wings are actually ball-jointed, and separate from the action gimmick, which is a complete departure from the pre-existing mold!

The legs are ball jointed too, and the wings fold inside towards the body. It is the most poseable figure that uses this mold, and you can make it walk on all fours. It is not perfect, but it definitely makes it my favorite so far.

I think this figure is definitely worth your while. Jointed wrists and better neck movement would have definitely made this figure stand out more, rivaling the Amber and Hammond Collection figures, but I have arrived to the conclusion that there can never be a fully articulated or perfect pterosaur figure. I prefer the wings to be made out of harder plastic than rubbery material, too.

The colors are nice, the gimmick is repetitive, but expected, and it is quite articulated. It is definitely an improvement over the repetitive wing-flapping Pteranodon figures that have existed until this point. I would love to see this kind of treatment done to the Quetzalcoatlus mold, too, but with an articulated neck whose purpose is to pose, and not exist for the sake of an open and shut jaws type gimmick. Not even the Hammond Collection Geosternbergia has that.

With all of that being said, I would prefer it if Mattel stopped releasing re-tools of the same mold. I have to say that it is very nice having them all together, and it really is a sight to behold whenever I walk under them, and suddenly look up, but if they are going to make a new Pteranodon, I hope it is a completely different mold. I will soon post pictures of my Aviary with another pterosaur review in the near future, so stay tuned. Enough pterosaurs for a while.

…and don’t forget to scan the figure.