Triceratops (2017)(Bullyland)

Review and photos by Prehistory Resurrection, edited by Suspsy

The most recent news that we have of Bullyland is that the company entered bankruptcy in 2019. They were thought to be definitely out of business, but in January 2020, the company reemerged with a repaint and seven mini figures. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, distribution for the 2020 releases has been delayed and the company’s future seems bleak again. Most of Bullyland’s figures are not that appealing and are easy passes for most (except for their retired older figures) and it is definitely the same for the one that we will be looking at today: their 2017 Triceratops resculpt. Interestingly, among the seven new 2020 miniatures is a version of this figure, with a different color scheme. Anyway, without further ado, let’s take a look at our big figure.

This figure did not receive much praise by members of the forum when it was released and indeed, I agree; it is just another plain, generic dinosaur toy that can be easily ignored due to better options on the market. To me, this can be seen as a child’s toy to me rather than a collector’s piece. Its dimensions are as follows: a scale of 1:50, a length of 15.5 cm, and a height of 6.5 cm. Judging by the shape of the frill, I believe this toy is based on Triceratops horridus, which had a more rounded frill than T. prorsus. As with all Bullyland figures, it is PVC-free, which makes it safer, softer, and lighter to play with for a kid. It also comes with a fact card about the animal.

Another fun thing about this toy is that the head and the body are not molded together; the two pieces are molded separately, then the head is inserted into the body. This gives the head a 360 degree range of movement, so another plus for kids. If a child happens to remove the head during rough play, do not worry! It is not broken; it just needs to be re-inserted into the body. 

Scientific accuracy for this figure is very weak in my opinion. Starting with the positive aspects, the front feet possess five digits each and the hind feet possess four digits each. The head features epoccipitals on its frill and the cheek protuberances along with the signature three horns and the beak. Now on to the negative aspects. Looking at the figure’s overall proportions, it is all wrong. The head is too small, the body is too big, the tail is too long, the cheek protuberances are covered in skin when they should be covered with keratin like the epoccipitals. Also, the body and limbs are too thick and chunky instead of being robust, muscular, and strong.

The last two digits on the front feet should be smaller than the other three and should not possess nails. Finally, ceratopsians had scales of varying sizes on the body but with this one, all that is present all on the body are elephant-like wrinkles. The body overall is very elephantine, with wrinkly skin, massive limbs, and a chunky body. The horns in life would be covered in keratin and very similar to those of a modern-day bull, but it is a speculative feature and therefore not really taken into consideration. 

The head and head frill are scarlet red, with the skin extensions on the frill being greenish-grey. The epoccipitals, horns, beak, and nails are grey, the eyes are yellow with black pupils (which make the figure goofy-looking along with its chunky body), the inside of the mouth is black with a red tongue, the overall body is a pale red which merges with grey for the underside, and finally, there is a streak of dark red mixed with olive green running from the neck, down the back, and to the end of the tail. An unusual and odd color scheme in my opinion, but it works for a large animal like Triceratops. There could have been patterns on certain areas of the body such as the frill, but it is okay. Neither that impressive nor that bad. 

The detailing is not that great. As I said earlier, the body is covered in elephant-like wrinkles and scales on the head. There are minor grooves on the beak and horns. The pose is simple, with the animal sculpted as if it is taking a stroll with the mouth open. It could be warning a rival, calling for members of its herd, or warning others of predators. Bullyland is overall not great when it comes to scientific accuracy, paint work, and realism. 

My verdict? As I said earlier, it is an easy pass as there is a plethora of better Triceratops figures on the market. Well, here is yet another generic dinosaur toy. Bullyland’s most recent releases for 2017 and for 2020 suggest that their main target market is children. As I also said earlier, this company’s future is very bleak with the pandemic. In the early 1990s and 2000s, Bullyland figures were common to find in museum stores and were absolute gems for collectors, but it is not the case anymore. Both this figure and the Archaeopteryx have now been reviewed by me. Their recent Museum Line figures are quite easy to track down in museum stores and toy stores or through various online stores. 

On a personal note, it’s been a long time since I last wrote for the Dinosaur Toy Blog and I am glad that I could write a review now. For I have now reviewed all the figures in my collection from major brands that have not yet been reviewed on the blog and I currently have no planned reviews. This may be either my last review or there may be more from me if I buy figure(s) from major brands for my collection that have not yet been reviewed here. So yes, it will depend when I will be back. I also usually write when I am in school holidays, and so is the case here. I still read the blog daily, though. This year was full of unprecedented difficulties and challenges due to the pandemic, which has had a major impact on our lives. All my sympathies to those who have lost their dear ones to this virus. Our lives will never be the same. Right now, the future is very bleak indeed, but 2021 will be a very decisive year after the disasters of 2020. Thank you for your attention and I wish each and everyone of you a happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.