Schleich The First Giants Spinosaurus

Schleich First Giants Spinosaurus



I've decided to call the dinosaurs from this line the "Oddly Posed Mafia" because of their unusually curvy poses. This is both troublesome and at the same time kind of novel since most dinosaurs are posed in less extreme ways.









Also known as the "Violet" Spinosaurus, this already outdated model features a mix of artistic traits Spinosaurus has been given over the years based on the various evidence collected on it, such as a quadrupedal pose. Remember the old paintings of Spinosaurus where it walked on all fours? According to a controversial 2014 paper it really did. This would be Schleich's SECOND quadrupedal Spinosaurus, so they were closer to the truth than most dinosaur toy makers ever were! Now one of the things I enjoy about Schleich dinosaurs are their articulated jaws, that way the collector can have choices.



I really enjoy this figure. I got it on a trade, and I've never seen it in stores around my area, so it was a nice surprise. The colors are interesting, and the texture is really nice, but there are many problems with it. But this figure displays a mix of classic and modern Spinosaurus artistic trends, so it's essentially a mash-up between the old, the new, the wrong and the right.



Not the biggest Spinosaurus on Schleich's repertoire. I do not have the mini figure just yet.



I think this is an interesting wonderful figure that benefits from its freakiness. Then again, I collect Jurassic Park stuff, so who am I to say something about what is freaky or not? And when is Schleich going to care about scientific accuracy? I feel like I'm looking at an old dinosaur book STILL, and it's 2016. Proceed with caution with this one. I like it, but for all the wrong reasons.

3 months! Welcome to August!

Hey readers! Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been focusing more than anything on my other blog http://emperordinobotsbatmen.blogspot.com/ which is Batman-centric, so hopefully more than one dinosaur toy enthusiast also happens to be a Batman figure enthusiast. I have not ignored the fact that I've taken hundreds of pictures specifically for this blog; pictures I hope to share with you very soon. Speaking of which, this has been my latest dinosaur haul:



Shall we look at some of these wondrous beauties?

Jurassic World Tyrannosaurus rex Lockdown

JW T.rex Lockdown playset







When people first saw pictures of the big Jurassic World Playset, everyone was very excited. Was Hasbro going to bring back the old Kenner Fences or were they going to release something in a similar size? What about the gates, and was the T.rex a new mold? NOPE! It's something completely different, but is different better? Let's see!





The instructions tell you how to build your set, but if you've owned the JP Command Compound or the JPIII Raptor Attack Playset, it's essentially the same thing, except we got some newww parts! Also, I really like the box art. This is the only JW toy with some manner of Box Art, and while it is nice, it can be misleading...



This is really small. Small enough to hold a B&B T.rex, which is included. The T.rex is a rehash, and the review of this particular figure can be seen on earlier posts. I will not go over it. The gate is nice and I really dig the flames. The words "Jurassic World" come in a decal which has to be placed really carefully. Guess some things never change.



The Gyrosphere is just a clear plastic ball with...a cardboard cutout of a sitting 2 inch tall toy soldier. I'm shaking my head right now in disapproval. If it was a hamster bowl which in which you could place the 2 in. soldiers in, that would have been ok. This is... I don't have the words right now.



As with other JP playsets, this one comes with a net tower, except it's smaller, though it's interesting to note that it comes in the same terracotta color that the JPIII one comes in, and it follows a similar design. The net is a black rubber...thing. To operate it, you are supposed to place it on the launcher arm and just let go, like a slingshot. It doesn't work all that well though.



This net isn't going to catch anything. So how do we get this ball chasing T.rex under control? We lead it into a trap.



One of the parts on this pen is a mysterious door...



I don't know who in their right mind would get on a Gyrosphere and ride around Paddock 9, but there is an escape route! Once you push your little hamster ball through the door, lightning bolts come out...



Your heels can rest easy. T.rex gets zapped into a coma. I think it's a nice, fun idea.



And there you have it. I scored this a few days ago for $12, which is what I would pay for this set. A repeated dinosaur, a cardboard soldier, and a worthless trap? Those bits are useless. The gate and the fences work well for a sort of petting zoo, which will be included in my Kenner Jurassic Park setup, where the Kenner hatchlings are going to have a space to roam and greet the guests. It's an interesting set, really, but it could have been...soooo much more...If you've got a discount store like a Ross or a Marshall's, TJ MAXX, etc, go find them. They are half off! Half off is the only way they are worth it, in my opinion, just like most of the Jurassic World line.

Jurassic World Dino Hybrid Owen "Alpha" & Velociraptor "Blue"

JW Dino Hybrid Owen and Blue







$25 later and I get the most awaited figure in the less than perfect Jurassic World line. Owen Wilson, the "Alpha" finally shows up as the only Jurassic World figure (the tiny 2 inch ones don't...don't count) depicting a movie character. Blue is just a rehash of Velociraptor blue. *sigh*





The Owen is so tiny, Blue looks HUGE next to it. I really dislike 3 and 3/4th inch tall humans being included in a Jurassic Park line because they are just...tiny and not compatible with Kenner's superior Jurassic Park humans and accessories. The rehashed blue doesn't even come with the cannon and net missile from before, but it does have a glow in the dark pattern that is activated by shining the ultraviolet light included, which is reminiscent of the light up features that came with the Target exclusive toys. The lantern is shaped like a real lantern and it can be held by Owen, though it is a bit large for him. The lantern has a molded clip on the bottom, and it feels like it should attach to something...again, another half-butted attempt by Hasbro to give us overpriced figures and lame features.



The bike is a rehash of an Indiana Jones bike, which looks good. It's probably the best thing from this set. It works great with any figures in the scale. Owen, on the other hand...he can't hold his rifle right, the elbow articulation feels really weak, and his head sculpt makes him look like Shawn Ashmore AKA Iceman. Chris Pratt was the one who made that realization, by the way.





He's as tall as a GI Joe figure, taller than a Star Wars figure, and shorter than a Kenner figure. I really have no idea what to do with this figure. Maybe he'll go on to hanging out with Multiverse Batman or join GI Joe, but he's definitely not gonna hang out with Mudloon, Ellie and the gang. Couldn't they just kitbash a GiJoe to at LEAST give it better articulation? I can't believe that all the 3.75 inch tall figures in that picture have better articulation than Owen except for the JPIII helicopter pilot. The arm articulation is actually kind of weird. Also...



Why does mine have a huge brown spot on his forehead? Freaking pathetic. What a letdown. I'll try to clean it off. Any suggestions? Alcohol? Nail Polish removal?



Those raptors are huge. It doesn't work. It just doesn't. Hasbro can and should do better. The splotch on the face was too much.

Jurassic World Dino Hybrid Velociraptor

JW Dino Hybrid Velociraptor







Dino Hybrid Velociraptor! This figure is a straight up repaint from Jurassic World Charlie and Delta, but with brighter colors. For a more in depth review of those molds, please see http://emperordinobot.blogspot.com/2016/01/jurassic-world-growlers-velociraptor_17.html and http://emperordinobot.blogspot.com/2016/01/jurassic-world-growlers-velociraptor_66.html. Let's review this particular figure, shall we?









Well, I'm not a big fan. The shiny green and the red tiger stripes do make it impressive looking, but the claws aren't painted on, which detracts from the whole thing. The color scheme is original though, and eye catching. That's what they were going for.


Sometimes repainted dinosaurs are more aesthetically pleasing than the main line dinosaurs, despite the fact that the claws remain unpainted.



As with the growlers Charlie and Delta, pushing the tail down makes it roar, and the wound lights up.



This is the 5th raptor for the raptor pack. If you like repaints, this one is for you!

Jurassic World Dino Hybrid Tyrannosaurus rex

JW Dino Hybrid T.rex













Once Universal and Hasbro saw the potential in Jurassic World toys after great sales last year, they decided to bring it back as DINO HYBRIDS! The new line consists of repaints and kitbashed Jurassic World dinosaurs with features such as removable armor, spikes and so forth. The Tyrannosaurus rex is based on the Chomper T.rex mold, but with added electronics, pop-up spikes and a snazzy new color!









The shiny sheen is wonderful. I probably like it because the Chomper was so bland. The color scheme is detailed with several shades of green, and some goldish spray over the back, which really gives it a shiny look some scaly animals have. The odd hexagonal pattern bits on the neck and belly are strange, but it's not the first time we've seen them on a JW dinosaur. The other side has the dreaded screw holes, which is odd considering the chomper was the only JW dinosaur that did not have screw holes!





Pushing the button makes the back crest pop up, and it makes a "fwip" sound. Pushing the button more causes it to roar. The crest's scales are nicely painted, with streaks of gold. It is reminiscent of an iguana's crest, and I think this is what they were going for: a T.rex with iguana-like features.

This toy is interesting because it produces several sounds, beginning with the "fwip" sound when the crest pops up. Opening the jaw for a short time causes it to emanate two different roars, and leaving the jaw open causes it to produce a longer roar. The sounds are very loud, and quite frankly, I love the sound effects on this toy.





I think it's far superior to the chomper. They even corrected the standing problem, and these stand up just fine. The chomper stood up for a while, but they keep falling over now.



This figure can currently be obtained ONLY at Toys R' Us, as far as I'm concerned, but I think the rest of the line will be released everywhere. I highly recommend the figure, at least for morbid curiosity. Hasbro is still giving us sub-standard dinosaurs, and God knows this is not a dinosaur, but a theme park monster, and it should be treated as such. With that being said, the figure is aesthetically pleasing and fun.