Protoceratops (Definitely Dinosaurs by Playskool)

Review and photographs by Loon, edited by Suspsy

Protoceratops is the only species I actively collect multiple figures of, and luckily, many companies have released their own versions. This has allowed me to sample lines that I usually wouldn’t have much interest in, such as Playskool’s Definitely Dinosaurs. This is “Cera,” the first version of Protoceratops in the line, released in 1987. Another version was released in the third series in 1992, this one lacking the caveman figure and having some slight changes to the green paint.

As a toy, Cera excels. The 8.5″ long figure, despite having a hollow body, is made from a dense, almost rubbery plastic. The articulation is about what you’d expect from an 80’s toy: swivels at the limbs and a twisting tail. I’m not an expert on how these are constructed, but it seems that the front limbs are connected, making them swivel together. Just be careful moving them, as they do occasionally get stuck. Also, despite appearing to have a hinge behind the frill, the head does not move. However, the soft plastic is flexible enough to allow it to swallow small objects.

Being made for young kids over 30 years ago, I feel scrutinizing this figure from a modern scientific viewpoint would be a bit unfair. The dumpy body shape and crouched posture are more reminiscent of old school Protoceratops paleoart, such as that of Charles R. Knight. Cera lacks the lizard-like sprawl of some of those older pieces, though.

Interestingly, the look of this figure is almost amphibian. The green paint and blue body, along with the sticky appearance of the limbs and head, make it look like something you’d see in a prehistoric swamp, not the arid climate of Mongolia. 

This is “Zindar,” Cera’s 3.5″ tall human companion. He features the typical five points of articulation popularized by Kenner’s Star Wars line: swivel joints at the head, shoulders, and hips. The hips swivel at a bit of an angle, allowing Zindar to mount Cera. Each dinosaur figure in the first series of Definitely Dinosaurs came with a different caveperson. Hominids never co-existed with the likes of Protoceratops outside of Dinotopia or other fantasies, but his inclusion can be chalked up to the prevalence of cavemen living with dinosaurs in pop culture. Speaking of pop culture, his single strap outfit and curly ginger hair give Zindar the appearance of a prehistoric Richard Simmons.

Overall, this is undoubtedly a very fun set of toys. Sure, it’s not going to win any points for accuracy, but that’s not why you’d want a toy like this. If you can enjoy a more light-hearted style of dinosaur toy, or if you’re like me and simply enjoy Protoceratops, Cera and Zindar are highly recommended.