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

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. So many figure to review, so little time. While I do like to cover Mattel products while they’re still on store shelves I have also been trying to alternate between Mattel and other companies so as not to swamp the blog with Mattel stuff like I did last year, when I covered 18 Mattel toys in a row over a span of several months. No harm though, the HC Pachycephalosaurus is still available so if you haven’t acquired one and need my review to convince you (unlikely) then we’re good to go.

The HC Pachycephalosaurus was a much-anticipated figure for me because I don’t have a mainline Mattel Pachycephalosaurus, I like The Lost World creature design, and Pachycephalosaurus is a favorite dinosaur of mine. The figure measures about 8” in length while the actual animal is estimated to have measured 14.8’. Those in The Lost World: Jurassic Park are said to measure 13’ and when scaled down from that this toy comes out at 1/19.5 in scale which is close enough to the 1/18 scale humans and vehicles. Those in Jurassic World are larger but this figure is specifically meant to represent the animal from The Lost World: Jurassic Park.  

This toy boasts 14 points of articulation. The jaw can open and close and the head and neck are articulated at their bases. The articulation on the head and neck is fantastic with a better range of motion than larger HC toys. I’ll try to let my pictures illustrate that. When the jaw is completely closed it can be hard to open unless you have longer fingernails or something to wedge in there. The arms are articulated at the shoulders and elbows and there is no wrist articulation. They’re on ball joints and can swivel every which way. The legs are articulated at the hips, knees, and toes. The rubbery tail has a bendable wire inside and is also articulated at its base. Overall, the articulation presented is pretty standard stuff and if you have HC toys then you know what to expect.

In terms of accuracy the Jurassic Park Pachycephalosaurus has always been one of the franchises stronger creature designs without too many issues. The hands are unsettlingly human-like but that’s nothing new either. However, there’s not much point in going over scientific accuracy with a toy based on a movie. Suffice it to say that if you like reasonably accurate dinosaurs but aren’t interested in Jurassic Park stuff this toy would still be a good addition to your collection.

More importantly, the toy is mostly accurate to its onscreen counterpart. I’ve seen it said that the colors and patterns don’t quite match up but I’m not really noticing it and don’t think it’s anything to take issue with. It looks pretty spot on to me. I suppose the slashes through the eyes are not as vertical as those in the movie. Whatever.

The main body is a drab olive green with a jungle green splotch saddled along the back that bleeds down the sides. Additional jungle green blotches are painted on the legs, through the eyes, and as bands on the tail. Some subtle white airbrushing is painted on the chest as well as on the dome and these fade into the main body color nicely. The eyes are orange with round black pupils. The beak and toenails are black. The fingernails are unpainted. The inside of the lower jaw and tongue are pink.

Details consist of various scales and wrinkles with some potions of the body utilizing one of those more than the other. The neck, tail, and lower legs go heavier on the wrinkles while the main body and head are mostly covered in fine pebbly scales. Particularly well executed are the various little bony knobs adorning the skull. The figure is decently in proportion with itself, still utilizing oversized feet for stability but at a size far less jarring than the Hammond Collection Velociraptor.

Overall, I find nothing at all to take issue with here and consider the Hammond Collection Pachycephalosaurus one of the best figures in the line. It is perhaps my favorite figure in this size range, and it also appears to be one of the most screen accurate figures in the line too. You’re unlikely to find this figure in stores but it is still widely available online for about $14.99.