Review and photos by Takama, edited by Suspsy
Today’s review is of the Recur Spinosaurus released back in 2015 (according to the year printed on the belly). As a modern take on the species, this model is a pretty decent replica, and a stark contrast to the Tyrannosaurus I recently reviewed from the same line.
One thing that’s obvious is the fact that this toy was made with longer hind legs like most reconstructions prior to 2014. Despite this, it is sculpted with its arm acting as a third leg, just like the Papo Acrocanthosaurus. Unlike that toy, the arm on this one is propping it up high enough to give us the classic horizontal theropod impression, and it gives off a somewhat imposing look. In terms of accuracy, this model could be decent for a pre-2014 model if it were not for the head, which shows traces of the Spinosaurus that appeared in Jurassic Park 3. These include a head that is clearly too broad, a pair of crests, and the lack of a tooth notch. The other issues with this figure include the fact that the feet are too big and the legs are too long. Of course, there has been ongoing controversy over the the 2014 Ibrahim/Sereno reconstruction, so I’m willing to let this slide for now. One thing that I have to praise the toy for is the fact that Recur gave it the large fish hook claws that the spinosaurid family are known for. Though being a toy, the claws have blunted tips to prevent its target audience from getting hurt. Like all Recur toys, this Spinosaurus is made out of a soft and squishy PVC material and there is likely cotton inside of it. The only hard parts on this model are the arms, which are made out of a incredibly stiff plastic. Which is good, because if the arms were not this hard, the toy would have no way of standing, because the hind legs are very pliable.
In terms of detail, the model is decked with wrinkles, but there are small osteoderms at the base of the sail that run up about halfway down the tail before they stop. Along the top of the tail, there are larger osteoderms than those found along the base of the sail, and almost look like they would be spiky if it were not for the fact that this was a toy made for kids. On the back of the neck, there is a set of completely different integument in the form of crocodile-like armour. Why Recur decided to do this is beyond me. Perhaps this was meant to go down the entire length of the back, but they scrapped it instead. It would not be the first time a company took the crocodilian look of spinosaurs to the extreme.
The colours on this toy are very dull at first glance, but if you look closely, you can see more variety. The majority of the Spinosaurus is painted in grey, but the armour on the neck is painted green and the tops of the neural spines alternate between green and blue, giving it a nice pattern when viewed in the right lighting. The teeth are painted in a dull white and the tongue and mouth interior are painted purple.
Overall, this makes for a excellent toy, but a only decent replica of Spinosaurus. It really was not made to be included among the likes of CollectA or Safari figures, and it is aimed at a much younger age group than most other toys we review on this blog. The soft materials make it ideal for very rough play should you (or your child) wish it to clash with other dinosaur toys. As of now, the only place you can find it at is DeJankins, which just got its replenishment orders in as of the time of this writing.
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My little children also love dinosaurs and other animals from wood, many of them were bought at https://woodencaterpillar.com/
One last thing is that Recur did a new Spinosaurus, larger and different colours for 2017 and it is the same sculpt as this one.
Hi, Is this the version you are speaking of? If so, would you have any idea where I can purchase it?
I bought one of Amazon but now realized it maybe a small soft pvc version, I want the large one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
One more inaccuracy which arises in this replica is that its thumb claw should be larger than the two other ones. In my opinion, it would go well if it was labelled ”Iritator”, another spinosaurid. Scientists think that it too may have had a sail, like that of Spinosaurus. A well-written and detailed review.