Two Pachycephalosaurus toys would be released in conjunction with “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” the monstrously large adult “Ram Head” and this one, marketed as a juvenile. Seeing as how the genus features prominently in the movie it makes sense that it would feature in the toy line as well but in the case of the juvenile we’re looking at today it may seem somewhat familiar.
This Pachycephalosaurus was originally produced for the “Jurassic Park” series 2 line and then recycled here for “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” The only difference between the two toys is the paint scheme. The older version was a striking combination of reds, black, and yellow and this toy is a bit more subdued, painted in various shades of green, green-blue, and red. The underside, head, tail, and limbs are all a lighter shade of green. The sides of the animal, up to the shoulders are a darker green, and the green blue color runs down the back and sides while bands run down the length of the tail. The knobs on the head are painted red with a white spot on the dome; in some figures this spot is yellow. The eyes are also red and have rounded black pupils. This differs from the original toy where the pupils are painted as slits.
Although visually appealing the division between the two green tones is considerably jarring. Instead of a gradual change in color the colors terminate where the different pieces of plastic come together. Equally jarring is the giant button on the left leg that activates the action feature. When pressed the head jerks downward, essentially making this toy a true head-butter. To allow this feature to work the head looks quite odd where it attaches to the shoulders. It’s a fun toy to play with for sure, but it certainly doesn’t display on a shelf very well. None of this is as off-putting as visible screw holes however.
The toy is posed neutrally which allows for quite a bit of playability. In addition to the action feature the legs and arms also move. The hands are kind of odd looking though, with five human-like fingers spread out as if it were getting its nails done. When the arms are positioned straight out in front of the animal it looks like it’s auditioning for a dinosaur/zombie crossover movie. The feet are awkwardly large too, more theropod-like than what you would expect on this animal. Regardless of how you pose it the toy looks uncomfortable but this is an action figure and it succeeds well in that regard.
The detail work is nicely implemented, with the head appropriately knobby and lines of scutes running down the body and tail. Bird-like scales run down the toes. The nails on the hands and feet are individually painted dark green and the overall paint application is well executed. While the toy as a whole is made of hard plastic the tail is made of stiff rubber. The toy measures about 7” in length.
Although odd looking, this is a fun and dynamic toy to play with. This Pachycephalosaurus has stood up to the test of time as well, being re-released for “The Lost World” in 1997 it still functions like brand new, on my individual at least. Apparently the button has a tendency to stick on some toys. Although pushing 20 years of age this toy is still readily available for a low price on eBay.
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I disagree, I think this toy is quite nice. It’s one of my favorite Pachycephalosaurus figures, really! The head-butt action is certainly more accurate than the larger version.
I like it too, I wasn’t trying to write a negative review. Just pointing out what I perceived as positive and negative attributes.