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.
It’s rare for me to audibly gasp from surprise, but that was exactly how I reacted in 2019 when I rounded the corner to the Chicago Field Museum’s “Evolving Planet” exhibit, and came face-to-face with the colossus now standing guard outside the exhibit entrance.
Although Quetzalcoatlus finally made its onscreen debut in 2022 courtesy of Jurassic World: Dominion, longtime collectors know full well that Kenner released a toy of the colossal azdharchid all the way back in 1994, which has still not yet been reviewed for the blog (although you can get a fairly good idea of what it was like from my review of the Lost World Pteranodon).
Nearly 60 years after Mold-A-Rama imprinted itself as an icon of American toy memorabilia, The Field Museum of Chicago collaborated with Mold-A-Rama to produce a brand-new prehistoric creature in classic plastic form.
Mold-A-Rama figures have been an icon of dinosaur toy collecting for decades.
Well, I’ve shown you the worst of this line, let’s waste no time and get straight on to the best of them!
Starting off the top half is everyone’s favourite three horned herbivore Triceratops. This features one of the best poses of the lot (something I haven’t talked at length about as most the figures are in a generic standing pose), an aggressive fight pose, all the better when you have two to joust with.
This set of reissued figurines offers an updated, good-quality variety of animals for collectors who might have missed earlier releases.
Kaiyodo’s miniature dinosaur lines might be among the very best in the market, even with more and more high-end companies entering the scene in recent years.
When the prologue (and later, trailer) for Jurassic World: Dominion dropped, it was met with a lot of grievances from our community. To be fair, there was a lot to gripe about, from anachronistic animals mingling together, to the sloppy anatomy typical of the franchise.
Overall this appears to be a fine representation of Quetzalcoatlus in many details, but when it comes to some of this animal’s most integral and challenging features the figurine actually falls short.
Having grown up familiar with the titanic pterosaur being featured in books and television programs, it’s sometimes surprising for me to remember that Quetzalcoatlus is a relatively recent discovery in the history of paleontology.
Time will tell if some of Araki’s artistic license proves true, but there are still definite issues with the design which may turn off more serious-minded collectors.
While long-established companies like Safari Ltd. and Schleich have been going steady, and rising stars like Rebor and PNSO have been conquering the collecting market worldwide, Japanese companies like Favorite have been tending to their own corner of the scene.
Review and photos by Bokisaurus
In what will one day be known as the Southern United States, vast herds of dinosaurs once roamed this desolate and hauntingly beautiful landscape.Large and small dinosaurs dotted the landscape, some moving in large herd while others like the huge sauropod Alamosaurus tower over them as they slowly make their way across the plains.
Review and photos by Funk, edited by Suspsy
By now, most of Tyco’s classic Dino-Riders figures have been reviewed here, with a few notable absences, such as some of the Ice Age creatures. Another notable toy that was not covered up until now is the Series 3 Rulon Quetzalcoatlus, which, though just a repaint of the Series 1 Valorian Quetzalcoatlus, was radically different from its predecessor and most other toys of the line due to its vibrant colouration and unique armour and rider.
Review and photos by dinoguy2, edited by Suspsy
The first series in the Dino-Riders line, released in 1987, is not exactly known for its scientific accuracy. The second series brought us some frankly very radical-looking Dinosaur Renaissance style figures, including a very modern take on Kentrosaurus and even a feathered Struthiomimus.
