Quetzalcoatlus (Jurassic World Dino-Trackers, Captivz Build & Battle Dinos by ToyMonster)

Before we begin the review, I would like to thank the generous folks over at ToyMonster, for sending me a large selection of Captivz figures to share with the blog.

When Jurassic World: Dominion came out there was a lot of talk about the inaccuracies of its dinosaurs. Wrist-winged Pyroraptor this and tall-spined Giganotosaurus that. But, as usual, the pterosaur designs were mostly ignored. Whenever this happens, I’m immediately reminded of David Hone’s article on Pterosaur.net, Pterosaurs in Pop Culture. In it he bemoans the fact that while dinosaur depictions tend to keep up with the science, pop culture pterosaur depictions have largely remained unchanged, despite great advances in our understanding of pterosaurs. That is why, when the trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion dropped, I was more excited by the Quetzalcoatlus depiction than I was saddened by any of the dinosaur depictions (many of which were still among the best we’ve seen in the franchise). Honestly, I cannot think of a better movie depiction of a pterosaur than the Jurassic World Quetzalcoatlus!

Today we’re looking at the Captivz Quetzalcoatlus by ToyMonster. This one is part of their Dino-Trackers line, which color coordinates its figures with different biomes. The Quetzalcoatlus comes from the desert biome and comes with “desert sand slime”, which is really just kinetic sand. While the other desert-assigned species are tan and brown colored, this one is gray, which seems more inline with the mountain biome figures.

The Captivz Quetzalcoatlus is (blessedly) positioned in a resting, quadrupedal pose. The spindly wings are prone to warping however, which makes stability an issue. I’ve found that looping a small rubber band over the hands helps maintain its stance. The figure is a faithful representation of the film’s Quetzalcoatlus, writ small. It is detailed with a mostly smooth body but there is some fine etching that indicates that it has a furry coat. Shaggier feathers decorate the nape, as seen in the movie. The wing membranes are smooth.

Fine details are admirable here, especially since the features of the figure are so petite. Three fingers can be seen sculpted on the tiny hands with four on the hindlimbs. The wing membrane is remarkably thin, and the wing tips are pointed and sharp. The beak is long, thin, and pointed as well, with a raised tongue within the mouth. Despite these things the figure maintains its shape and durability rather well, it is not as delicate as it would seem.

The figure stands about 3” (7.62 cm) tall to the top of the head. It is estimated that the actual animal stood about 16’ (5 meters) high which puts the toy at 1/64 in scale. The figure is painted gray with a bit of gray marbling in the wings and a dark wash that brings out some of the fine details. The beak is dirty yellow with a pink tongue and orange spots are painted over the black eyes. The paint application is excellent.

The Captivz Quetzalcoatlus stands as a splendid example of ToyMonster’s mastery over mini figures. It’s expertly crafted and thanks to decent source material, a decently accurate little Quetzalcoatlus that should appeal broadly to pterosaur collectors. I think the Dino Tracker Captivz are still available, but I’ve also noticed that they’re being replaced by a new set at my local stores. It should be easy to find on eBay, in any case.