Prehistoric Plastic's Dinosaur Toy Blog

Procon (CollectA) Tyrannosaurus Deluxe

2009-03-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

Opening Comments: What a great improvement! So far, we’ve seen countless common and unheard of dinosaur names released by Procon (Now called CollectA), but due to the large amount of toys sold each year from this company, some will claim this affected the sculpt quality. Regardless of sculpts quality, Procon has added flesh to the bone of many uncommon dinosaurs which have never been released before. Tyrannosaurus rex, undoubtedly the most popular prehistoric animal, has been released time and time again by almost every dinosaur toy company in existence. Procon, like all the other companies, has given this dinosaur a go and released two sculpts a standard version and a ‘Deluxe’ version (The Deluxe version comes in two sizes, normal and ‘Giant’, this review is concerned with the normal sized one). The deluxe is without a doubt “more bang for your buck”. Unlike its smaller counterpart, this tyrant stands 6 inches high, and over 11 inches long, putting it at a pretty impressive size.

Color: The colors of this deluxe figure are green, with a tint of blue overlapping yellow. Running down the length of the body are gray/dark blue stripes. The belly of this figure is pale with a tint of yellow added to it. The eyes are yellow with a black pupil dotted in the middle. The teeth are white (too white when painting a creature that ate other organisms all its life and didn’t keep up with its hygiene). The head of this creature has a dark, black tint to it, distinguishing itself from the rest of the body. The entire mouth including tongue, gums, and jaw connecting tissue is pink.

Detail: The sculpt itself is quite nice. The skin, unlike most figures, is extraordinarily bumpy and rough. This feature of the Deluxe Tyrannosaurus adds a lot of detail when observing it. The excellent detail around the temporal fenestrae is also an excellent touch on Procon's part. The rounded claws on the toes and fingers are, however a flaw. Although these adaptations were certainly not razor sharp, they were not dull either. Most detail can be seen on the head. The body has basically the same detail everywhere. This neither helps nor hinders the figure.

Accuracy: Although “Paleontologist Approved” as the tag says, this figure has a few anatomical errors. For one, the feet are a tad too large, and flat, the legs themselves are a bit too “stubby”, the arms are too large in comparison to its body, the neck isn’t bulky or muscled enough, and the head has a massive, Jurassic Park like crest over the eyes (it is now thought that Tyrannosaurus had little to no crest over its eyes) just to name a few. But aside from the inaccuracies it is one of the best figures for its size. The pose is one of the most conversed among hobbyists for its “Raul Martin” illustration posture - it looks as if it is a female Tyrannosaurus, hunched over during the mating process. It stands nicely on its two flat feet. Unlike most figures, it usually stands with no problem at all. Like we have seen with WwD Toyway and Battat, bipedal theropod toys that cannot stand are common.

Playability (For Kids): The playability for this figure is rather mix matched. There are pros and cons to just how much pretend play you can have. As far as the cons, the figure is in a rather awkward pose, making the amount of play restricted. It cannot walk naturally for one. As far as the pros, the pose can be somewhat neat depending how you are using it. It can be bending down to attack a Dromeosaur, or just eating the corpse of an Anatotitan.

Line: This figure is from the Procon (CollectA) line. The Deluxe line came about in 2007.

Species: This figure is Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Scale: This figure is 1/40 scale.

Mold Variation: There are no known mold variations for this figure.

Price Range: This figure can be prchased dor $20 at many stores.

Closing Comments: All in all, this figure is worth the purchase, and is widely available at many online stores. The size, added with the overall details makes it one of the best and attractive tyrannosaurs on the market.

Schleich Edmontosaurus

2009-02-27T01:46:00.000-08:00

Color: The coloring on this figure is nice, but a tad boring. The vinyl is a grayish-beige, with a base color of burnt orange.There are darker brown stripes running from the back of the head to the tail. The eyes are black and pupil-less, and the claws are a very dark brown.

Details: The details on this figure are very well done. The thigh muscles are very well defined and look powerful, and the ridges on the throat are a nice touch, too. The feet and hands are rather crudely done, but the head has some nice detail. With not many Edmontosaurus toys on the market, it is hard to compare.

Accuracy: This figure is very accurate. The pose is conservative and very plausible. It is not the old-school kangaroo pose, but it is not the current quadrupedal pose either. The body proportions seem accurate, as well.

Playability (For Kids): The playability of this figure is, at best, mediocre. Like most Schleich figures, the pose is not very dynamic, and he appears to be just standing there. When combined with a predator, such as Tyrannosaurus, though, some fun can be had. If this figure were standing on all fours its playability would be greatly increased.

Line: This figure is from the Schleich Replica-saurus line. It was released in 1996/97, and retired in 2005.

Species: This figure is an Edmontosaurus, most likely Edmontosaurus regalis.

Scale: The listed scale is 1/40, but it appears to be quite a bit bigger when compared to other hadrosaurs.

Mold Variation: There are no known mold variations for this figure.

Price Range: N/A

Battat Diplodocus

2009-02-27T01:28:00.000-08:00

Color: The color on the Battat Diplodocus is fairly subdued, with a base color of chestnut brown. There are stripes of a darker brown running down the neck and back onto the tail. The eye is yellow with a black pupil, and the teeth are white. The vinyl used to make the figure is off white.
Details: The details on this figure are amazing. The skin texture is very well done, and the details on the head and feet are meticulously finished.The folds of skin at the joints are a nice feature, as well. The amount of rough texture skin texture is also a nice feature. Unlike most Wild Safari dinosaur toys, it's skin is quite rough, making for better detail.
Accuracy: The pose this figure is in is dubious, but it hasn't been ruled out completely. It is reminiscent of the Barosaurus mount at the AMNH. This figure is among the only figures to correctly sculpt sauropod feet, and is therefore one of the most accurate sauropods ever made. It is unknown, however, whether a massive Sauropod such as Diplodocus would have been able to literally stand vertically on it's back legs. Based on the size of the animal, it dosen't seem to likely as it once did years ago.
Playability (For Kids): The fact that this figure is rearing up on its hind limbs and that Battat also released a Ceratosaurus, the playability for kids is great. You can pretend it is being threatened, or maybe it is just standing up to eat from some higher trees. If you tilt the figure, in an attempt to make it look as if it were walking in its usual, horizontal position, it will look completely unnatural.
Line: This figure is from the Museum of Science Boston line by Battat. It was originally released in 1994.
Species: This figure is a Diplodocus longus.
Scale: The listed scale of this figure (and all Battat figures) is 1/40, but the true scale is more like 1/43.
Mold Variation: There are no known mold variations for this figure. Price Range: This figure is extremely rare, varying from $200 to around $600.