Mononykus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Wild Pack by Mattel)

[In a rare twist of fate, the toy I wrote about for this review was simultaneously being reviewed by someone else. Since I had already finished writing this review and taking its pictures, and because I worked hard on it, I’m posting it anyway. I think it’s an enjoyable read, and I think you’ll like it, but I apologize that the same toy has now been reviewed twice.]

This past spring dinosaur fans rejoiced with the premier of Prehistoric Planet, the 5-part Planet Earth styled documentary about life during the late Cretaceous that gave us the best looking and most accurate dinosaurs ever put to screen. One of the animals featured in it was Mononykus, a genus of alvarezsaurid known from the Nemegt Formation in Mongolia. My introduction to Mononykus came in the form of a John Sibbick illustration that was published in National Geographic and ended up taped to my wall for many years. I became fascinated with the alvarezsaurids, their bird-like features, and single clawed forelimbs. Seeing Mononykus so beautifully rendered on Prehistoric Planet, with plumage reminiscent of a barn owl, was a dream come true. Also, this year, I now finally have a Mononykus on my toy shelf, something I’ve been yearning for since I started this hobby. I wish I could say that it’s every bit as wonderous and elegant as the animal from Prehistoric Planet but…it’s by Mattel. Need I say more?

Alvarezsaurids are unquestionably one of the most neglected of theropod families in our hobby. Offhand I can only think of two mass-produced alvarezsaurid figures and they’re both Mononykus. There’s one by Beasts of the Mesozoic, which is included in the Desert Environment Accessory Pack and while it does the genus justice it’s also a $50 set. Then there’s the Mononykus by Mattel. At $7 it is the more affordable option, but you get what you pay for with this one. The Mattel Mononykus is the antithesis of the animal we see in Prehistoric Planet; a disproportioned, gangly, mangy looking goblin of a toy.

Usually, I am pretty forgiving with regards to Mattel toys. I also review a lot of them, my last 9 reviews were of Mattel toys. Because of that, you might think I was a Mattel fanboy, but for every Mattel toy I buy there are 2-3 that I don’t buy. I don’t buy them because I don’t like them and so, I don’t review them. I could write plenty of negative Mattel reviews if I were looser with my money. I bought this figure not so much because I actually liked it but because it was a Mononykus and I considered myself fortunate to find one in a store when I had never seen one before. Mattel released this figure twice and this specimen that I own is the only one I’ve ever seen in person.

The Mattel Mononykus stands about 3.75” tall and measures about 6.25” in length. Mononykus reached a length of about 3’ so that puts this toy at about 1/6 in scale and much too large to scale properly with most of the Mattel line. For articulation, the head and neck move up and down, and the legs, arms, and tail can rotate completely around.

The best thing I can say about the toy is that it is nicely detailed but even that is a loaded statement. Detail is seldom an issue with Mattel toys and usually a strong point, but this toy is detailed in all the wrong ways. The head is severely shrink-wrapped and desiccated looking, with sculpted teeth stupidly hanging out of the jaw. And although Mononykus did have teeth, they were so small that they really shouldn’t be visible at all. The figure is covered in miniscule scale detail, but this is an animal that should be covered completely in feathers. That said, there are some feathers on the arms and tail, and this is notable because I believe it is the first time Mattel ever sculpted feathers on one of their dinosaurs. The feathers look good too, with central shafts and veins on the tail feathers.

The paintjob is a definite downgrade from the previous variant, but I wasn’t fond of that one either. This Mononykus is molded in the absolute worst shade of brown with red splotches running down the head, neck, and back. It is, and I apologize for this imagery, literally the color of bloody stool.

As usual, the red on the back stops at the tail and legs. The legs and arms are entirely unpainted, so it looks unfinished. The tail at least has some additional coloration with the feathers being dark brown with white markings. The teeth are painted white, and the eyes are orange with black pupils. The throat is white, and some additional white markings are painted on the face. The teeth are also painted which is nice, they weren’t painted on the first variant.

Overall, while I commend Mattel for making a Mononykus and experimenting with feathers, this is a toy that’s so ugly that any of its better features are hard to appreciate. For me, many Mattel toys are like this, engaged in a delicate balancing act between what I can and cannot tolerate on a toy. Why I like some and dislike others vexes even me on occasion, but this Mononykus is a rare example of a Mattel toy that I bought even though I don’t like it. Hopefully, with its starring role in Prehistoric Planet, Mononykus will finally get the treatment it deserves. Please, someone, do Mononykus better.

Unfortunately, I got this toy pretty late within its release window, just before the Dominion toys started coming out, and so this review is not coinciding with its release. I prefer to review these toys while they’re still available for retail price, to help readers make an informed choice while the toy is available. It is unlikely that you’ll find this toy on shelves anymore, so it’s off to the overpriced, secondhand market for this one. It’s going for about $15 on eBay but please, take my review to heart and don’t pay that much for this thing.