Last year’s Papo releases were rather mixed in terms of quality – while they all displayed the usual high production standards, only the Pachyrhinosaurus was truly great, the Oviraptor emerging as a scaly basketball player and the Plesiosaurus as a Nessie aberration. (I await your angry comments.) Unfortunately, this year’s Styracosaurus must surely be added to that list of failures.
Of course I’m joking. LOOK AT IT.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a stunning piece of work, and all the more so because Papo have abandoned their long-standing tradition of dull, murky paint schemes. Without looking unnatural, this Styracosaurus is gorgeously decked out in vibrant red and yellow hues, while the ‘eyespots’ on the frill are a great touch (and immaculately painted, naturally). It’s definitely worth contrasting this figure with their Triceratops, which I criticised for having a horrible, sludgy colour scheme. Just as you think they couldn’t up their game when it came to production values, they pull it off – and with real style.
To say that the sculpting is ‘lavish’ for a relatively cheap plastic toy would be underselling it somewhat. Naturally the main point of focus on such a strikingly horned beast is the head, and here the details reach such a minute level that one is almost tempted to crack out a magnifying glass and see what one’s missing with the naked eye. The horns and beak look utterly convincing, and the mouth comes complete with a perfectly detailed tongue. Most importantly of all, the pose is a highly dynamic and active one. Yes, some parts are recycled from the Pachyrhinosaurus, but who cares? This is a figure that demands attention.
Anatomically, yes, there are flaws, as is usual for Papo. However, when compared with some of the other figures from the range (like the aforementioned Oviraptor and Plesiosaurus) they are quite minor. Most obviously the neck is too long and the tail too short (compared with chasmosaurines like Triceratops, centrosaurine ceratopsians had proportionately longer tails). Other than that there isn’t an awful lot to complain about, and there are actually several points worthy of praise, especially the ‘hands’ which correctly show not only strongly separated digits, but also two correctly reduced digits, even if they shouldn’t really have claws/nails – although to be honest they’re so tiny one can argue as to whether or not they’re really present. Most of all, the head is near-flawless, and muscles are superbly sculpted, giving the animal a highly lifelike appearance.
This model is a reminder as to why Papo have so many fans. It might not be absolutely anatomically accurate (although it’s still a very decent attempt and the head is wonderful), but in terms of sculpting, painting and character it’s peerless in its price bracket – only vastly more expensive resin pieces could really be regarded as superior in terms of overall quality. If you’re thinking about purchasing this Styracosaurus then hesitate no more – you won’t regret it!
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Oww, snap!! I should’ve read this before I pointed out the recycled parts in my Papo Pachyrhinosaur comment.
But recycled or not, this model is still a nicely detailed one. Like it just leapt out of a William Stout artwork.. Well done, Papo.
I bought this the other day and the detail is remarkable, in true Papo fashion. The pose is awesome too! I’m SO pleased to see it in such an active and action filled pose, instead of the sluggish and static poses I all too often see with Ceretopsians and Thyreophorans. And the look of sheer manic aggression on it’s face is priceless too. I love it and for £9 it’s definitely worth it.
[…] concerned, rather than just grabbing the nearest pop culture reference (of course there are always exceptions, before you start your trolling engines). Superficial details are gloriously crisp and refined, […]
[…] green or brown that covers the rest of the body. Papo took a step in the right direction with their Styracosaurus, but Collecta are really ahead of the pack in giving their Torosaurus such a wonderfully vibrant […]
Why have you named yourself ‘Clearup’, Mr Clearup?
I know I’m feeding the troll, but I don’t understand the problem with Papo recycling parts from their Pachyrhinosaurus, given that the bodies of centrosaurines were near-identical. Of course, it IS unfortunate that in doing so they replicated many of the inaccuracies in the original figure, such as the too-short tail…but this is still an excellent quality figure.
Papo siempre destaca por las poses muy dinámicas de sus figuras y porque consiguen muy bien la textura escamosa de la piel.Considero que algunas de sus figuras están un poco “anticuadas”,por ejemplo el oviraptor (sin cubierta de protoplumas),y es cierto que por la pose parece un jugador de baloncesto.El velocirraptor también deberían actualizarlo.En cuanto a este Styracosaurus,me agrada,aunque siendo un poco quisquilloso,me parece que el cuello es un poco largo,noto una ligerísima desproporción entre el cuerpo y la cabeza,y la pata delantera izq. se ve un poco “rara”.Sin embargo,la calidad de detalle es exquisita,como siempre en esta marca y han mejorado mucho la coloración respecto al triceratops,que les quedó un poco “triste”.Saludos
The only unfortunate thing is that the body’s pose is surprisingly similar to the Pachyrhinosaurus.
Papo’s Styracosaurus and Smilodon is expected in the US in February, with the Ankylosaurus later in summer.
Any word yet on the release dates for the 2011 Papo figures in the US?
Another Papo Masterpiece… And to think that i wasn’t really convinced when i saw the first promotional pic! XD
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Thumbs up for both figure (without disregarding its flaws, of course) and review.
ahhh,’tis a thing of beauty thats for sure
Here’s hoping the Papo Ankylosaurus turns out just as nicely.
Manuel: it hasn’t arrived in the UK yet either. I ordered it from the German online shop urzeitshop.de.
Hay que reconocer que es una bella figura,me ratifico en lo dicho. ¡A ver si llega a España! yo por lo menos lo estoy esperando.
Nunca más Plesiosaurio Papo pero yo estoy a favor del Styracosaurus parece a simple vista de resina, más que de plástico.