Jurassic Park III: Pack Raptor

Year of release: 2002

Description: this creature stands in a very active position, like it’s ready to jump on its prey. When it’s mint in box, the figure stands with its tail high in the air and its body pointed at the ground, except for its head which looks upwards. Its body is also slightly panned to the right, especially its arms, as if bracing itself for the jump. Unfortunately this is the only position in which this sculpt looks good; in other poses it looks just damned silly, as if being shot or having a seizure of sorts. Also, its head and feet are oversized and, most peculiar, its lower jaw is longer than its upper jaw, as if someone cut of the tip of his skull.

The figure sports a predominantly grey paint job with darker tones of grey mixed in. Other that that it’s got black stripes on its legs and head, and one big stripe all the way from its nose over its back to the tail. On either side of this stripe a smaller blue stripe is found, running from the nose to the base of the tail. These stripes are adorned with orange dots, as are these Raptors facial ridges and “feathers” at the back of the head. The creature’s belly is coloured in a lighter tone of grey, its eyes are orange and its claws are black. A black JP III logo can be found on its left leg, just next to the necessary (according to Hasbro it seems) dino damage wound.

This wound is all red with one white button in the middle, activating a hissing sound. The other sound can be made by pressing the button on its throat: this sound is a typical Raptor attack shriek. Pushing this button also causes the mouth to open, as if making a biting move.

Analysis: this is a very lame sculpt. The jump posture makes it very hard to make the creature look good in other positions, and thus greatly hinders playability. You might as well leave it mint in box if you got it new, because that’s the only way it looks cool. The figure can hardly stand, unless you have it be supported by its left arm, or you bend the legs back far enough, making its posture look ridiculous. His face is also damned ugly, like it’s deformed or something. And its feet are just way too large. The paint job isn’t very special either: the grey is just dull, even though the colours on the head and back added a nice touch to it. That one little piece of bone sticking out of the wound is very odd, it would have looked better if it was just painted red.

Other downsides are the action features and accompanying sounds. The biting action is the same as with the Wave 1 Rex and Spino, and in this case it also doesn’t look very convincing. The mouth can’t open very far and the button is located at a rather inconvenient spot. The pain growl is activated by the button in yet another stupid dino damage wound which can’t be covered up, so that the Raptor has to go through life with its flank hanging open and its insides exposed. The sounds are unfortunately the same as the ones the Wave 1 Alpha Raptor made, though the sound quality is better. When looking at this figure it’s obvious the JP III Wave 2 dinosaurs provided more of the same instead of offering some originality.

Playability: extremely limited. As commented above, the figure was designed to look cool only when it’s in a jumping posture. Therefore the head, tail and limbs are in a particularly odd position. Though the limbs are poseable they don’t make the figure look better in other poses. The biting action doesn’t add much either, nor does the wound. Even the sounds don’t provide anything new, since they’re the same as the earlier electronic Raptor model’s. Also, if you want the electronics to be kept in working order, you shouldn’t play too rough with it.

Realism: fortunately none of the JP III Raptors looked like this, otherwise people would really have complained about JP III’s lesser dinosaur effects. Though the Raptors assumed similar positions when about to jump on someone, they at least looked good in other poses as well. They also didn’t sport this somewhat monotonous paint job. Still, this figure is recognizable as a Velociraptor, mostly because of the sounds and the head (lower jaw excluded in comparison). The figure is far from paleontologically correct: compared to the human figures it’s way oversized. Also, its upper jaw is too long, its feet too big, and the sickle like claw on the toe is stuck far too much on the side of the foot.

Repaint: fortunately this figure never got repainted, though a repaint was considered for the JP III Camo-Xtreme line (the Tropical/Swamp Raptor).

Overall rating: 3/10. This is a very crappy figure. I recommend it only to completists like myself who collect them all. To other people I would say: none of the JP III Raptor figures are really good, but the others are way better than this one. Like all Wave 2 dinosaurs, it’s somewhat rarer than the Wave 1 electronic figures (in some territories even quite hard to find), but in this case that’s no loss.

Jurassic Park III: Tapejara

Year of release: 2002

Description: this Pterosaur “stands” in a neutral position, except for its wings which are somewhat folded upwards. The creature sports quite an interesting paint job: the head, body and wings are mostly coloured in slightly shiny dark green. The underside of the creature is grey, from the base of the neck all the way to the upper legs. About one third of each wing is white, with the rest being light green with slightly darker tones of green mixed in. The front side of each arm is also painted in this lighter green, with a row of spots of the same colour adorning the wings. A yellow stripe runs on each side of the head, from the neck upwards till round its black eyes. The beak and, tremendously large, crest sport beige spots. The claws are black, both on the fingers and toes. A black JP III logo can be found on the underside of its left wing.

A dino damage wound is located on its back: it’s red with a little white button in the middle, suggesting muscle tissue with a small piece of bone exposed. Pushing this button activates a shrieking noise, repeated once, as if the creature is yelling in pain. A second sound is made by pressing the head downwards, thus also causing the toothless mouth to open. This noise sounds more like an attack cry.

Analysis: just when you thought JP III Wave 2 would have no surprises, this baby comes into view. This is by far Hasbro’s most daring and original figure: I reckon few people have ever heard of a Pterosaur called Tapejara (though it had a small appearance in a Walking with Dinosaurs episode). Why Hasbro suddenly decided to be original and produce this splendid figure is beyond me, but we should be glad they did, because it is one of the best figures in the entire JP III toy line.

Still, it’s mostly a rehash of the Wave 1 Pteranodon figure (which was also a great sculpt). It’s got the same features and unfortunately also the same sounds, though in a better sound quality. It’s not a repaint, though you might be inclined to think so at first. The body, legs and even the head sculpt differ from the Pteranodon’s body parts.

This Pterosaur’s action features are the same as those of the Pteranodon. First, it’s got a biting action produced by pressing the crest forwards, also causing the attack roar. Second, it’s got a dino damage wound on it’s back, and as is Hasbro lore it cannot be covered up, so it’s unfortunately got a permanent hole in his back. The pain shriek is also the same. Third, it’s got wings that can move in almost any direction, providing a wide range of possibilities. Fourth, its legs are poseable as well.

Though the features of this sculpt may not be new, they at least work fine. After all, why change a winning formula? The Tapejara is at any rate in no way inferior to the equally successful Pteranodon. It also sports a wonderful paint job despite the abundance of green.

Playability: this figure provides for a wide range of playability options, mostly because of it’s almost omni-directional wings and it’s neutral position. The attack feature also works properly and the sound quality is pretty good. Keep in mind this is an electronic figure, so you shouldn’t handle it too roughly.

Realism: there were no Tapejaras in JP III, so Hasbro deserves some credit for producing this unique sculpt. Unfortunately this is the only truly original figure in the toy line. It’s not entirely paleontologically correct, but that goes for most dinosaur toys and thus doesn’t hurt the toy in question. It’s quite oversized compared to the human figures, since Tapejara only grew to a wing scale of about 6 metres, while this one appears to be at least 10 metres. I also think it’s got too many toes (5 on each foot) though I’m less sure about this being inaccurate. And lastly I doubt whether Pterosaurs were able to bend their arms like this toy does.

Repaint: no. You may very well be inclined to think it is a repaint of the Wave 1 Pteranodon, particularly the head, but close examination says otherwise. There are a lot of small differences. This figure would not be repainted for any following toy line either.

Overall rating: 8/10. Though it’s a very original toy this is not the case for it’s action features, but it’s still one of the best figures in the toy line and certainly recommended. It’s somewhat harder to find than the Wave 1 toys, but not excessively so. It’s also rarer in overseas territories, though still findable. At least it’s well worth tracking down, even at higher cost. Let Tapejara surprise you of Hasbro’s occasional original craftsmanship too!

Jurassic Park III: Brachiosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Description: this Sauropod (large four legged animal with typical long neck) stands in a fairly neutral position except for the tail, which is bent, and for his right front leg, which is lifted off the ground and points forward, so the dino strike action can easily be activated. This action consists of a swinging tail attack, accompanied by a low roaring sound. A second sound can be produced by pushing the white button in the dino damage wound: when pushed, a shrieking roar can be heard, as if the creature was howling in pain. The wound is located at the right flank, and is basically a red spot (muscle tissue) with small white spots (bones) in it. As usual, the wound cannot be covered up, but is constantly exposed. The figure’s long neck is bendable, but only slightly.

This sculpt sports a mostly blue paint job, with the undersides of its body parts (belly, neck, tail, legs and feet) coloured white with greyish blue stripes. The rest of the legs, as well as the flank, most of the neck and head, are painted light blue. The top of the tail and most of its back and neck are coloured in dark blue. The Brachiosaurus has tiny yellow eyes, nostrils on top of the head and black claws on its elephant like feet. A black JP III logo can be found on its right hind leg.

Analysis: this is the only non hatchling Sauropod figure of all the JP toy lines (except for the Chaos Effect Amargospinus maybe), and as such deserves some points on originality. It’s still not as big as most fans would have wanted it to be, but it’s better than nothing. Consider it a juvenile Brachiosaurus.

It looks quite good, though the paint job is more festive than we’re used to with Sauropods. They’re mostly depicted as being dull grey or brown, but since we don’t know what colours they actually had, it’s not a wrong paint job. It could have been better though: especially the white is a bit boring. Unfortunately Hasbro once again felt the need to apply the typical dino damage wound which of course can’t be covered up. It’s pretty annoying to finally have a larger Sauropod sculpt, only to see it has its insides exposed like this, but it’s something we’ll have to learn to live with.

The sounds are new, and in fact the only new sounds in the Wave 2 line. Again some credit has to be given to Hasbro: instead of reusing the Triceratops sounds (the only other four legged herbivore of the JP III toy lines) they made some new ones. A shame they didn’t do that for the Tapejara figure of this toy line. The attack feature of this figure is nothing too special; push the leg downwards and the tail starts whipping. Unfortunately the tail is bent in a weird position, so it looks less impressive than it might have been had the tail not been bent in this fashion. Still, the action is enough to knock figures over. It’s also a good thing the neck is bendable, though it’s a somewhat predictable feature.

Playability: well enough. The legs are poseable, as is the neck. However, the bent tail and the leg pointing upwards are a bit of a letdown. It would have been better if the tail was bendable as well, so the figure could fit in its box without the tail sticking out and the dino action would still work properly. It’s an electronic figure, so you can’t play too rough with it if you want to keep the electronics intact.

Realism: this animal is instantly recognizable as a Sauropod dinosaur. Also, the shape of the head and the position of the neck makes it clear this is a Brachiosaurus, or at least a close relative. It doesn’t look the same as the Brachiosaurs featured in both JP and JP III (which also didn’t look very similar as they underwent a design change for JP III), mostly because of the different paint job. The Brachiosaurs in JP were mostly grey, while the JP III specimens sported a somewhat reddish brown colour. This model is not entirely paleontologically correct: the front legs should have been a tad longer compared to the hind legs, and the tail, though bent, appears to be too long. I’m also unsure about the correct number of toes.

Repaint: no. However, this sculpt would be repainted once for JP Dinosaurs 3.

Overall rating: 7/10. It’s nice to finally have a larger Brachiosaurus figure, even though it still leaves some things to be desired. It could have been better and bigger overall, but at least we’re no longer Sauropodless. This figure is somewhat rarer than the Wave 1 figures, but still findable, even in overseas territories were it had a more limited release. It’s worth a place in any JP fan’s collection, and probably acquirable at not too great a cost.

Jurassic Park III: Aqua Attack Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Description: this figure stands in an attack posture, with its mouth opened, its head panned to the right, its long arms ferociously stretched forward, and its tail bent downwards. The mouth cannot be closed. Like all Hasbro sculpts it has a dino damage wound, located on the right flank: it shows some ribs and muscle tissue. The upper part of the middle rib is actually a button and activates a shrieking roar as if the creature is yelping in pain. The front part of the sail, next to its neck, is also a button which can be pressed downwards: when doing so, the Spino moves its arms up and down, as if making a slicing strike movement. It also causes an attack roar to be heard. The sounds are the same noises the Wave 1 Spino produced.

The bottom part of this animal is painted in a greyish white colour with some vague brown stripes mixed in. The upper part of the creature (upper jaw, neck, sail, back and upper tail) is mostly covered in a dark reddish brown paint job, with a slightly shiny look at some parts (mostly the sail). The sail is adorned with a row of 19 shiny blue stripes on each side. The dinosaur has black claws, and a black JP III logo is found on its right upper leg.

Analysis: this figure is an improvement over the Wave 1 Spino figure, but only slightly so. It still leaves some things to be desired and looks less impressive than the Animatronic Spinosaurus. The paint job is done well enough, but not great: especially the underside of the animal sports a somewhat dull colour and could have used more detail. It’s odd this paint job is so much different than the one the other Spinosaur toys (except for the Military Diver’s small Spino figure) featured: does Spinosaurus changes colour in water or something?

Like the Wave 1 Spino, this sculpt has almost no body mass, and consists mostly of limbs, sail and head. It’s very skinny, and naturally sports one of those irritating wounds Hasbro is so fond of. The position of the tail and the fact the mouth can’t be closed are also downsides. However, the figure has some good points too. For one thing, the sail is bigger and looks cooler, and the tail is also longer, and thus more realistic, than that of its predecessor. The dino strike action works well enough: it’s a shame it’s copied from the Wave 1 Alpha Raptor and Dilophosaurus actions though. The sounds are the same as those of the Wave 1 Spino, except the sound quality has been improved, making the roars louder and more imposing. Overall, this figure evokes mixed feelings.

Playability: not very good. The limbs are poseable, but the figure’s tail is bent in a very weird angle and also hinders movement of the right leg. The mouth is permanently opened (unless one customizes the figure): it wouldn’t have been so much trouble applying a way to open and close it at will? The figure is electronic, so if you wish to keep the roars in working order, don’t go playing to wild with this toy.

Realism: this figure resembles the Spinosaurus seen in JP III more than the Wave 1 Spino did, mostly because of the bigger sail and longer tail. There are still differences though: the paint job is again not the same as the JP III Spino sported, and the body is disproportionably small. Other than that it’s instantly recognizable as a Spinosaurus, mostly because of the sail and the unmistakably crocodilian head.

Repaint: no. This figure would not be repainted either, though a repaint was scheduled for the JP III Camo-Xtreme line (the infamous Desert Spinosaurus; only one of them is known to have ended up on the market. This means that technically this scuplt has been repainted, but since there’s only one it should be classified as unreleased and thus doesn’t count.).

Overall rating: 6/10. It’s not the best Spinosaur sculpt – that honour is still bestowed on the Animatronic Spinosaurus I’d say – but it’s better than the Wave 1 Spino figure and not all that bad to own. It’s a bit rarer than the Wave 1 figures, but not impossible to find, if you should want one.

Jurassic Park III: Paul Kirby & Stegosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-Stegosaurus figure

-Net launcher (with “net”)

Description: this figure sports a light red, almost pink, shirt with a pair of binoculars over it, a gold watch, dark grey pants with darker tones mixed in, brown shoes and a brown belt. He shows signs of being attacked by some ferocious creature: his right leg features some rips in his pants, showing skin underneath, while his lower left leg is covered in bandages and part of his pants is missing. Paul has red hair and green eyes, but actor William H. Macy’s famous moustache, featured heavily in the JP III movie, is noticeably missing. The figure doesn’t stand in a neutral pose: his legs are in ‘walking mode’, with one leg moved forward and the other backward. His arms are bent, like he’s holding something. The figure has some slight balance problems and has a tendency to fall over.

The net launcher is entirely painted in metallic grey. It looks pretty sophisticated, but it’s a very simple design despite the detailed look: just push the lever and the end part moves upward, launching the net (or any item presently sitting on the device). The net is quite small, and all black. It’s got two ‘balls’ on its sides, with which it can be attached to the launcher.

The Stegosaurus certainly isn’t a hatchling (its plates are way too big), but appears to be a miniature version of an adult Stegosaurus. It’s basically coloured in three layers. The lower layer (the belly, legs, and undersides of the tail and neck) are painted grey with black stripes. The middle layer is coloured blue. The upper layer, consisting of the back, top of the head and tail, as well as the spikes and plates, is black. The eyes are yellow, and a black JP III logo can be found on its left back leg. The animal stands in an attack posture, with its body bend and its tail dangerously sticking out, like it’s defending itself from an aggressor.

Analysis: this figure evokes mixed feelings. Though Paul’s paint job is quite good, the sad fact he misses his trademark, the moustache, is a disappointment. I reckon many people had no trouble applying a moustache themselves though. The pose he takes on in also somewhat irritating: he easily falls over because of the position of his legs. The odd way in which he holds his arms, especially his left, also doesn’t help. But other than that this is a pretty good sculpt.

Unfortunately the net launcher is a different thing: it downright sucks. It looks ridiculous, and the net is far too small to catch anything. The nets are launched, but don’t get very far and rarely hit something (at least: they don’t catch anything). Even the Stegosaurus with its plates and spikes is easy to miss with this sucker. The material of which the net consists is also quite a bummer: one can’t help being remembered of all the wonderful nets the Kenner lines featured. The paint job of the launcher further diminishes the set: though the device is pretty detailed, it’s coloured in a monotonous paint job, like they couldn’t be bothered painting some of the details.

The Stegosaurus is fifty-fifty. The animal looks pretty good, but the paint job could have been better. Especially the dull black of the spikes and plates makes one want to get some paint and customize the poor creature. The attack posture looks pretty scary and aggressive, but it stands in the way of playability since the sculpt is in defensive mode only. A neutral pose would have been preferable.

Playability: quite limited unfortunately. The figure has the usual poseable body parts, but his position doesn’t help the playability. The Stegosaurus, which is not poseable in any way and stands in a very un-neutral pose, further hinders possibilities. The net launcher is just a disgrace to the very term ‘net launcher’ and should be utterly ignored.

Realism: Paul Kirby’s facial features look quite similar to those of Paul in the movie, despite the moustache being absent. His outfit is also different, but still pretty realistic for an everyman posing as a millionaire adventurer. There were no net launchers in JP III, and seeing this miserable contraption we can be nothing but grateful for that. The Stegosaurus is easily recognizable as a Stegosaurus (or a close relative), but doesn’t look much like the Stegosaurs featured in both TLW and JP III (we only saw a few shots of them in JP III anyway): the most noticeable difference is the paint job this figure sports. But also the position of the plates and spikes, as well as the relative long front legs this figure has, differ from its movie counterparts. It’s still relatively paleontologically correct though, except for the front legs maybe.

Repaint: no. However, the Stegosaurus would be repainted for future toy lines: once for JP III Camo-Xtreme, and twice again for JP Dinosaurs 2 and 3. (Note: one of the JPD models actually had the same paint job as the Camo-Xtreme model, so it was a reuse instead of a repaint. But JPD still featured two more paint jobs for this sculpt.)

Overall rating: 5/10. The figure looks pretty good, but is hampered by his posture, and the Stegosaurus even more so. The net launcher is just a plain disaster, the less spoken of it the better. This set isn’t very hard to find in the US, and probably at low cost, so if you feel you need one you can get it without much trouble. It’s a bit harder to find in overseas territories, but still not impossible to locate.

Jurassic Park III: Military Diver & Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-Spinosaurus figure

-Missile launcher (with missile)

Description: this figure wears an all black suit, including black flippers, with a yellow vest over it, as well as several blue belts and dark grey highlights. On his right leg he wears a yellow knife holder with a knife in it (non removable). On his left upper arm an American flag (or something like it) is found, so this guy is part of the US military alright. His face is partially covered with breathing equipment, though he’s got nothing covering his eyes. He’s got a black air tank with more dark grey detailing on his back. He shows signs of a dinosaur attack on his left leg and right arm, showing skin. His weapon appears to be some sort of missile launcher. It’s coloured in a slightly metallic dark grey paint job, with a yellow missile sticking out of it on both sides. Pushing the end of the missile sort of launches it, though it doesn’t work very well.

The Spinosaurus is positioned in a crouching move, possibly stalking potential prey. Its left arm is raised upwards and its mouth is opened wide. The figure sports a grey paint job, with some shiny blue stripes on every part of its body, including the sail. A large red stripe, also in a shiny paint job, runs from its snout all the way to the end of its tail, including all over the sail. Its claws are painted black, its eyes are yellow and a black JP III logo is located on its left leg.

Analysis: this is a fairly decent figure. The diver sure looks like a diver, though not necessarily military, were it not for the flag on his arm. The figure stands in a rather neutral pose, except for his left leg, which is positioned in a forward move. The paint job is pretty good, with a fair amount of details. I’m not an expert on diving equipment, so I don’t know whether his gear is realistic, but it looks good enough to me.

The same can’t be said for the weapon. Once again Hasbro uses its own launching mechanism, with the push-the-end-of-the-missile system. It’s a rather lousy system anyway, but in this case it just doesn’t work right. The missile hardly flies in a straight line to its target but gets off course easily. It also does little damage if it hits anything at all, it just lacks the necessary impact force. That, and the fact it has a lame paint job, makes it a very disappointing gun.

The Spinosaurus is better by comparison, but nothing great in itself. It sits in a bit of an odd position and tends to fall over because it’s slightly out of balance with its left arm raised like that. The paint job is quite original, but doesn’t remind us of the colours the Spino in JP III had (though it is similar to the paint job of the Aqua Attack Spinosaurus of this toy line). It’s not the best JP III Spino figure by far, but decently enough.

Playability: not great. The diver’s limbs are all poseable, and the more or less neutral pose also helps. The weapon however is a lost cause, and one of the lamest weapons of all the Hasbro JP figures. The Spino is not poseable in any way and also doesn’t take on a neutral pose, so it doesn’t help the playability much.

Realism: there was no Military Diver in JP III. There were marines and military craft, but no divers. Hasbro just made the figure up. I think it would have been better if they had made soldiers like seen in the movie: instead they just made something up, but the result in this case is adequate enough. The weapon also wasn’t featured in the movie, and thank heaven for that!

The Spino certainly is recognizable as such, with its crocodilian jaws, sail and long arms, but other than that it doesn’t resemble the Spino from JP III much: the most noticeable difference is the odd paint job this figure sports which is in no way reminiscent of the colours Spino sported in the movie.

Repaint: no. However, the Diver and his weapon would be repainted for JP Dinosaurs 2 (Dimetrodon & Military Diver) and JP 2009 (while the repainted weapon was also found on the big Deluxe Electronic T-Rex set, paired with a repaint of the Military General instead).The Spinosaurus would be repainted four times, once for JP Camo-Xtreme, once more for JP Dinosaurs 2, and twice for JP 2009.

Overall rating: 6/10. The figure is okay, though the weapon sucks. The dinosaur is decent enough, but nothing too special. This set is not very hard to find in the USA, so if you want one you could probably get it relatively cheap and not have much trouble finding it. It’s a bit harder to get your hands on in some other territories, but still far from impossible to find.

Jurassic Park III: Alan Grant & Compies

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-Two different Compsognathus figures

-Bazooka type weapon (with missile)

Description: this Grant figure stands in a relatively neutral pose, except his left leg is positioned in a forward move and his lower right leg is bent backwards somewhat. The figure sports light blue pants, a white shirt with a brown vest over it, a black belt and brown boots.

The weapon appears to be a bazooka on a tripod: it’s painted in grey, with some metallic dark grey on the front giving the impression it’s been used before. The missile is slightly transparent orange, and resembles a big bolt of fire shooting out of the gun. The firing mechanism is the same as with the guns attached to the human figures in the Wave 1 line: the end of the missile sticks out of the weapon, and pressing it causes the missile to be launched in a not so straight line with minor impact.

The Compies are the most interesting part of this set. There are two of them, each in a different position. The first stands in an attack posture with his mouth opened, like it’s jumping on its prey. The other one takes on a slight stalking pose, like it’s checking out prey. The figures sport the same paint job: both are coloured light green with some small yellow stripes and a large stripe running from the back of the head all the way over the tail. The eyes and claws are black, and a black JP III logo can be found on both figures’ upper left legs. The two creatures are pretty skinny and lightly build: one can see their ribs on either side of their bellies. Both dinosaurs are attached to a support, coloured in the same green as the figures, making them able to stand up straight. The one assuming an attack posture also appears to be standing on a small green rock.

Analysis: this is a fun little set, though not because of the Grant figure. Though the figure doesn’t stand in an outrageously inconvenient position, like a lot of the Wave 1 figures, it’s still not great. The figure again doesn’t resemble Alan Grant much, and the paint job is rather bland. It’s not bad or anything, but not much of an improvement either.

The gun unfortunately sports the same weak firing mechanism as most of the guns in the Wave 1 line. It is however largely redeemed by it’s original and cool look. It looks relatively realistic, and the fact that the missile isn’t really a missile but more of a fireball does give it some credit. It still doesn’t have a great impact when fired, but the most likely target, the Compies, are easily knocked over by it. The paint job, with the darker metallic grey on the front side, gives it some history, like it’s been in combat more than once. The figure can hold the weapon by any of its three feet, but the weapon can also stand on the ground on it’s own. Unfortunately the front side it quite heavy when the gun is loaded, so it tends to fall over at times.

The greatest part(s) of this set are the two Compsognathus figures. Though they don’t exactly stand in a neutral pose, the fact there are two of them greatly helps playability, providing a wider range of possibilities. Having a pair also enhances the group feel these creatures have to them: Compies are after all never alone, but always in a group in order to kill their prey. Having only one Compy figure in the entire TLW line was certainly a mistake, and these two figures make up for it a bit. The paint job is pretty good, and certainly reminiscent of the Compies we saw in the movies. The same goes for the overall physical design of these critters: they certainly look like agile little beings with their skinny, slender bodies. It’s a shame they need supports to help them stand up, but one can live with that flaw. Unfortunately the supports are coloured the same as the figures; it would have been better had they sported a different paint job. But this is once again a minor disappointment.

Playability: good enough. The Grant figure stands in a more neutral pose than most of Hasbro’s human figures. The weapon works decently enough and the fact that it can stand on its own feet also helps. Though the Compies aren’t poseable, it’s good there are two of them: it doubles playability options.

Realism: Grant doesn’t look much like the Grant we saw in JP III. The head sculpts still bears little resemblance, and the outfit is also different. Once again, the infamous cowboy hat is sadly missing. The gun doesn’t resemble any weapon seen in JP III, but it looks more life like than the Wave 1 JP III weapons. The Compies look a lot like the creatures we saw in both TLW and JP III: they’re coloured in a slightly different tone of green and sport yellow stripes the Compies in the movies didn’t appear to have, but their physique makes it unmistakable we’re dealing with the same little devils here. They are a bit oversized though, but it’s understandable: it would be hard to make figures half the size of these. People would probably lose them way too easily then, so this size is more convenient.

Repaint: no. One of the Compies (the one assuming an attack posture) would be repainted for the last JP Dinosaurs line though. The other one wouldn’t however.

Overall rating: 7/10. The figure itself may not be very special, but the dinosaurs are really quite cool, despite their limited playability. The weapon, though hindered by Hasbro’s standard lame firing mechanism, also looks better than most of the weapons of the JP III line. This is just a nice little set, and worth getting. It’s not all that rare in the US, so it shouldn’t be too hard or costly to get your hands on. It’s harder to find in some overseas territories, but fortunately not too difficult to acquire online, and likely worth the effort, you'll find.

Jurassic Park III: Poseable Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2001

Description: this other large Spinosaurus toy sports yet again a typical Hasbro Spino paint job, being mostly brown. This time however, almost the entire animal is coloured in the same type of brown instead of some extra tints of brown being mixed in. The underside of the creature is mostly grey, except for some parts of its limbs: more grey is located on the flanks and upper legs of this animal. The sail on its back sports a somewhat different paint job this time round: a shiny reddish brown colour adorns the top and also runs over most of the top part of the tail, while white and shiny blue stripes run over both sides of the sail. At the base of this sail a pattern of white stripes, somewhat reminiscent of lightning, is found. The head sports a mostly grey and brown paint job with some gold on top. This creature has tiny green eyes, as well as a black JP III logo on its left leg.

The “skin” of this creature is made out of a material resembling rubber (though I’m not sure whether it is rubber or not). This Spinosaurus’ proportions are off unfortunately: the tail is too short, the arms are way too long and thin (with the characteristic large sickle like claw on each hand missing), and the legs are positioned to far towards the end of the creature’s body and its feet are also too small: the arms however are positioned too much near the base of the neck. The head is quite duck like, with a large flat upper jaw. The mouth can’t be closed. The creature is not in any way poseable either.

Interesting side comment: it’s not generally accepted this toy is an actual part of the regular JP III action figure line. Though it is clearly a Jurassic Park III toy, it does look somewhat out of place next to the other JP III Wave I figures. Some collectors consider it to be non canonical in regard to being an official JP III action figure. Another aspect which supports this is the fact that no other JP III figures are portrayed on the back of this model’s box, unlike with the other figures. And of course there is another “poseable” toy, a Raptor, which is certainly not a part of the JP III action figure line, because it is much too big. However, since this Spino’s size is relatively accurate compared to the human figures, and given the fact that this toy is less fragile than the Animatronic Spinosaurus, it is often used to play alongside canonical JP action figures. Therefore it gets a review.

Analysis: don’t get your hopes up with the “poseable” part of this sculpt, because it’s nonexistent. This Spinosaurus is not poseable at all. It hasn’t got bendable limbs or body parts if that’s what you’re expecting. That is, the arms are somewhat bendable, but they move right back. The jaws can’t even be closed, though you can clamp figures between them. The model is largely anatomically incorrect: like noted above, many of his body parts are either too small or too large, with the most notable example being the arms. They look nothing like the arms of the JP III Spinosaurus we’re familiar with, and even have a bit of a humanoid appearance to them.

The paint job is very unimaginative, and largely the same as with the other JP III Spinosaurus figures. The only positive part of the paint job is the sail, which is coloured somewhat differently this time. If you believe in the theory that Spino’s sail was used to attract mates during mating season you might say this one is doing a good job. Or it’s of a different gender, you decide for yourself. The figure stands in a neutral position, which is a good thing because it increases playability options. However, this sculpt has so many downsides that it doesn’t really matter much. This Spinosaurus is about 30 centimetres in length and stands almost 20 centimetres tall, making it the second largest figure of the JP III toy line: it’s smaller than its animatronic counterpart, yet slightly bigger than the Ultra Rex.

Playability: very limited, though its name suggests otherwise. But like stated above, it’s not poseable at all, and I think it’s very devious of Hasbro to suggest otherwise. The figure does stand in a neutral pose though, and not in some crazy attack mode like most of Hasbro’s smaller dinosaur models. This model does have one advantage over the Animatronic Spinosaurus (which is superior is almost all other respects though): it doesn’t feature electronics and thus is less fragile. Since it can take quite a beating, this model is good to play rough with (or at least more rough than with the other JP III dinosaurs). But other than that it’s just not a very good figure.

Realism: due to the disproportionate body parts of this toy it certainly isn’t paleontologically correct, that’s for sure. It is however unmistakably a Spinosaurus, if we look at the sail and crocodile like jaws. But the Spinosaurus in JP III also didn’t have such a short tail, long arms, etc. And the paint job also differs from its movie counterpart.

Repaint: no. This model would not be repainted either.

Overall rating: 4/10. It’s not a very good figure. I’m particularly vexed about the lack of poseability, when it’s clearly labelled a ‘poseable’ Spinosaurus. However, since it does fit in a bit with other JP toys in regard to size and can hold figures between it’s jaws it’s not a complete loss. The fact that it isn’t as fragile as the Animatronic Spinosaurus also helps. You may consider getting this figure if you don’t dare play with your Animatronic Spino, but do want to own a large Spino model to play with. However, it’s not that easy to find, so if you really want one you’ll definitely have to search for it: if you aren’t willing to do so, or if it turns out to be on the expensive side, don’t bother.

Jurassic Park III: Animatronic Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2001

Description: this large carnivore, the biggest dinosaur sculpt in Hasbro’s toy line, measures a good 40 centimetres in length and stands about 20 centimetres tall. As far as the paint job is concerned, this dinosaur looks the same as the smaller Spinosaurus figure from this toy line. The overall colour is brown, with some darker tones mixed in to give it texture. A large white stripe runs across each flank from the back of the head to the upper legs. A smaller curly white stripe runs under the sail on his back, also on both sides of its body. From the nostrils to the very end of the tail (and over the top of the sail) a semi-golden stripe is found, most notably on the head and neck. Seven purple stripes adorn each side of the sail, along with small white specks. All of its claws are black, while the (somewhat small) teeth strangely enough sport a golden paint job (though an irregular variation with regular white teeth also exists). The throat and upper part of the belly are greyish blue and its eyes are green. A yellow JP III logo can be located at the base of the tail on its right side.

This creature’s skin is largely made out of rubber, including the head and the sail. This is done to accommodate the animatronics. Only the legs and arms are made of the regular plastic material the other Hasbro toys are composed of: these limbs are also moveable. The animatronics’ functions can be activated by pressing three buttons under the rubber skin, all on the right flank of this model. The first is located under the JP III logo, and produces an attack roar. The other two buttons are concealed under the exposed dino damage wounds (no larger Hasbro dinosaur would be complete without them unfortunately), either the large wound on the belly with the ribs sticking out, or the smaller one on the neck which shows muscle tissue only. Both of these produce a shrieking roar, as if the animal yelps in pain. Pressing any of these buttons activates the animatronic features, which make the creature move his head either up or down and open its mouth. While doing so, the inner mechanisms unfortunately make a rather annoying sound. (Note: the particular model used by the reviewer isn’t in the best condition. The reviewer isn’t sure whether the tail is also meant to move: in his case it doesn’t.)

Analysis: this model looks impressive, especially for Hasbro standards, but has some downsides unfortunately. The paint job is nothing special, and of course very similar to that of the smaller Spinosaurus figure, so not much points for originality can be given either. The green eyes and gold teeth, something the smaller Spino didn’t have, aren’t an improvement. It’s a good thing this sculpt has a formidable body mass and doesn’t appear skinny like that model though. The body proportions of this model are quite good, though the tail might have been a tad longer. This Spino also suffers from Hasbro’s dino damage curse, with a wound that can’t be covered up and looks quite fake. Also a shame is the fact that the underside of the feet are plain smooth, like they forgot to make it have a dinosaur feel.

The most promising aspect of this model are supposed to be the animatronics. They are an interesting new feature and original as well, since no other JP dinosaurs had animatronic components. Unfortunately they don’t work all that well: the movements the animal makes are pretty slow and artificial, and the mechanism inside the model makes a rather irritating sound when the animatronics are in use. The worst part however is that these animatronics are quite fragile and break easily; if you want to keep the animal in working order, it’s better not to play with it at all. That’s really a shame, because this is the only large carnivore toy of all toy lines that isn’t a Tyrannosaurus and thus would make a worthy opponent for a large sculpt of one of those. But having a neat dinosaur battle with this Spinosaurus is definitely out of the question if you want to keep it intact. This model is better for dioramas than it is for actually playing with it. And that’s a real waste for such an impressive looking model. Overall, it looks better than it is.

Playability: depends on what you intend to do with it. Like stated above, it’s not done playing with it if you want to keep the animatronics working. Still, the animal stands in a neutral position and has poseable limbs, which would make it superior to most of the other Hasbro toys qua playability. Since it’s such a cool looking toy I reckon most people are very tempted to play with it. Best solution for the collector seems to buy two of these: one to keep mint in box and thus in perfect condition, and one to play rough with it like everyone wants to.

Realism: it would be hard to mistake this creature for something other than a Spinosaurus. The sail and crocodilian jaws are a dead giveaway. It looks a lot like the main carnivore in JP III, thought the paint job is somewhat different. For one thing, the Spino in the movie didn’t have gold teeth (and the teeth he did have were a good deal bigger and sharper as well).

On a paleontological level this sculpt looks a lot like an anatomically correct Spinosaurus (thinking pre 2014 at least, considering the current radical change in scientifically accurate Spinosaur depictions) as well, though the tail was a little longer in reality. In comparison to the human figures from this toy line, the size is more or less accurate.

Repaint: no. This model wouldn’t be repainted either.

Overall rating: 7/10. Granted, the animatronics aren’t very appealing (at least in my case, maybe they look better with a mint model). But it’s still one of Hasbro’s better models, especially because of its unique size (at least unique for this toy line and particular species). Even though it sucks the animatronics are so fragile which makes playing with it hard, and despite minor paint job flaws, it looks great and shouldn’t be excluded from any JP fan’s collection. It’s not always easy to find though: it’s relatively common in the USA, but in some other territories (like my native country Holland, where this particular model remains unreleased and is much sought after, often fetching high prices) it can be a real challenge to get your hands on one. Nevertheless, I suggest you give it a try.

Jurassic Park III: Raptor Attack Playset

Year of release: 2001

Accessories:

-Main Gate (with dino damage pieces)

-Five fence pieces

-Rocket Launcher (with two rockets)

-Net Launcher (with net)

-Alan Grant figure

-Velociraptor figure

Description: this play set consists entirely of repainted material. The fences, gate, net launcher and rocket launcher are all repainted accessories of those same sculpts found with the JPS1 Command Compound. The Grant and Raptor figure are the same as those of the Raptor Motorcycle Pursuit from this toy line, except different colours.

The fences are all painted in silver, giving them a metallic feel. This set comes with stickers, including some yellow ones that can be wrapped on the fences, so there’s a little sign saying ‘10,000 volts’, which is of course the voltage the fences in Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar had. Other than that there’s no more colour on the fences. The gate is much more detailed than the original JPS1 gate. The doors are now painted in various tones of brown, giving them a wooden feel. The pieces of dino damage have more of an orange paint job. The little flames on top of the gate aren’t just simply red this time, but have some tints of orange and yellow in them, making them slightly more realistic. The rest of the gate sports a silvery black paint job, again giving it a bit of a metallic feel. The net launcher is painted in an orange brown colour, making it feel like it’s been rusting away for some years after being abandoned and disused when Isla Sorna was vacated. It still works fine though, even better than the original one. It can fire a small net with silver weights on it over a distance of almost a metre (if lucky). The rocker launcher also does what it suggests: when loaded, pressing its button leads to the rocket being fired with force, impacting roughly on anything in its path. It comes with two dark grey rockets with slightly different shapes. The launcher itself sports a metallic dark grey look, with some brownish and black tones (again giving it a rusty feel), and an orange button.

The Alan Grant and Velociraptor figures are the same ones as those from the Raptor Motorcycle Pursuit, again with a different paint job. Grant wears a green shirt, blue bandana tan pants, black shoes and brown gloves. He stands in a neutral position, but his knees have joints in them so he can move his legs in multiple ways. The Velociraptor stands in a stalking position and has a dino damage wound. When pushing the back of his head, his jaws open. Strangely enough this Raptor sports a mostly green paint job, an odd choice considering none of the Raptors in any JP movie were green. Apart from the green his body is adorned with dark red stripes and light blue spots. His eyes are very yellow, and his claws aren’t coloured. A black JP III logo is located on his left leg.

Analysis: even though it’s all repaints, this is a good play set. People who remember the old JPS1 Command Compound can look back to that fantastic play set with nostalgic feelings when they see this play set, while the younger generation discovers parts of those good ol’ days through this new set which adds some much needed Kenner quality in the JP III Hasbro line. The paint job is no disappointment fortunately: many components even benefit from their new look. The paint jobs of the gate, rocket launcher and fences are very nicely done and have a much more realistic look to them. The net launcher also isn’t bad, though the lower parts of this particular apparatus are too orange and could have used more darker tones. The same goes for the dino damage pieces of the gate. It’s a good thing all the mechanisms work properly though: the rocket launcher still is a powerful weapon which fires missiles at objects with great speed and force, while the net launcher works even better than the original and hurls a net at unsuspecting prey, though catching its target requires precision, since it’s still hard to predict where the net will end up and whether it will hit anything because of its small size.

The Alan Grant figure is also a fine repaint. Though it still doesn’t sport the same outfit Grant wore in the movie, and the cowboy hat is ever missing, it looks good and realistic. Since it’s the best human figure Kenner produced, because of the neutral position and the extra leg movement, it’s a good thing they decided to add this particular figure to the set (though an entirely new figure would have been preferable of course). The Velociraptor is less a cause for enthusiasm though: it’s still not a great toy with all the flaws of the original version. The dino strike action still isn’t very imposing, its attack posture limits playability and makes the creature look fat, and the dino damage wound again can’t be covered up. The new paint job also isn’t helping: green just isn’t a Raptor colour. It would have been better had they made a new Raptor figure, or a different dinosaur altogether; it wouldn’t be a Raptor attack play set then, but a dinosaur attack set would also be suitable.

Playability: this set provides for some damn fine playability. All the features are functioning perfectly and the set has a fine look to it, making it seem like an old abandoned dinosaur pen which is withering away due to lack of maintenance, but still in working order, providing the humans with a place to make a stand against their ferocious prehistoric adversaries. The new paint job is great for the most part and adds some good realism. The only nuisance is the green Raptor figure, which still isn’t a great sculpt and sports a new colour which isn’t enhancing its overall look. Of course, one can argue that there is a much bigger nuisance here: it’s all repaints and none of it is original, Hasbro just ran out of ideas or didn’t bother making its own sculpts. A valid argument, but since this play set came out so well we can live with it and should be thankful they didn’t screw up Kenner’s great old work.

Realism: Grant still doesn’t look like Sam Neill or the Alan Grant in the movie, mostly because of the different outfit and the head sculpt. The Raptor’s colours are very unusual for a Raptor figure and not reminiscent of the look the Raptors sported in JP III at all. Other than that it’s not entirely paleontologically correct either: compared to the human figures it’s oversized (like all JP Raptors), its lower jaw is too long and the animal’s legs stand in such a position that this creature looks way too fat.

The other components of this set are not seen in any of the JP movies. Though the fences and gate are certainly reminiscent of the ones seen in JP and JP III, there are a lot of differences, mostly in scale and shape. There are also some notable similarities though, like the flames on top of the gate and the ’10,000 volts’ signs on the fences. One could argue they’re just typical toy versions of their movie counterparts. The rocket launcher and net launcher are totally made up though, and don’t look similar to the weaponry in any of the JP movies at all.

Repaint: yes. This set consists of repainted parts of the JPS1 Command Compound and JP III Wave I Raptor Motorcycle Pursuit only. There are no new parts whatsoever. None of these parts would be repainted a second time after the release of this toy though, at least so far.

Overall rating: 8/10. Though the Raptor is still a lousy figure, all the other parts are great and in some cases even better than the original versions. The set provides for some good playability, especially combined with other toys (from both this particular Hasbro toy line as well as Kenner’s various toy lines). It’s also a great set to have if you’re unlucky enough not to own a JPS1 Command Compound: this way you’ll have at least some parts of that magnificent old play set. It’s well worth getting, but it isn’t always easy to find. Chances are you’ll have to search for it a bit and it may not be very cheap, but it’s recommended anyway.

Jurassic Park III: Ultra Alpha Pteranodon

Year of release: 2001

Description: measuring almost 50 centimetres in wingspan, this flying giant is undoubtedly the largest Pteranodon figure of all the JP toy lines. Because of its size there’s also room for a broader range of actions and sounds, making it a very playable toy.

Qua action features it’s not totally original: there are the usual, somewhat cliché, Pterosaur options. First, there is the biting beak: pressing the crest makes the beak open as if the animal is snapping at some poor piece of prey. Second, there is the wing flapping mechanism. Although this is new for the JP III toy line (the other electronic Pterosaurs have poseable wings too, but they can’t flap them), it has been seen on the JPS1 Pteranodon as well as on the TLWS1 Giant Pteranodon (which was less of a giant than this beast is). Something not featured with earlier larger Pterosaur figures is the foldable wing option: the upper half of each wing can be folded inward (outward too, but that just looks stupid), as if the creature is adjusting its flying pattern. It looks very much like the Pteranodon is diving towards its victim when the wings fold in.

Additionally, there are the sounds, four in total. Though two of them (the attack screech and the wound noise) were also featured on the smaller Pteranodon of this toy line, the other two are new. The attack screech can be heard when activating the biting action by pressing the beast’s crest. The wound noises are produced by pushing the button in the dino damage wound. The other two sounds can be made by pressing the button on the back which makes the wing flap. Pressing it once and releasing it, or pressing it several times over, produces flapping sounds, while pressing it a bit longer activates a swishing noise, as if the Pterosaur is swooping down on its prey.

Compared to the regular JP III Pteranodons, this creature sports a rather dark paint job. It’s primary colour is dark blue, which can be found about anywhere on its body. It also has black spots mixed in the blue, most notable on the wings. A lighter shade of blue is found on the hind part of the wings, as well as on the throat and belly of the beast. The Pterosaur’s back is adorned with metallic brown hues. It has small yellow eyes in scarlet red sockets, and a long pink tongue in its beak. The creature’s crest is yellowish beige, with small dark blue spots and stripes. The claws on the Pteranodon’s hands and feet are not painted in a different colour. A large dino damage wound is located on the giant’s back, showing red muscle tissue and white ribs. Like with other Hasbrosaurs, the wound cannot be covered up. Lastly, a small light blue JP III logo is found on the Pterosaur’s lower left wing.

Analysis: despite Hasbro’s poor jobs on most of their creatures, they totally got it right this time. This is by far the coolest and largest Pteranodon sculpt and makes one wonder why this figure is so great while the other Hasbrosaurs are such horrible abominations. The paint job, though rather gritty and dark, is not bad and provides a small glimpse into the conceptual artwork made for JP III (see the ‘Realism’ section of this review).

Granted, two of the figure’s sounds are recycled (something for which Hasbro is notorious) and none of the action features of this toy is really original, but it’s hard to think of something new when you’ve got five Pterosaurs in one toy line alone (most of them belonging to a species of which toys have been made for decades, the overly famous Pteranodon Ingens). Just be glad all of these features work properly. The biting beak is actually strong enough to hold figures, though Hasbro figures only (not Kenner’s because they are bigger and heavier). The wing flapping system is also a golden oldie and a first for this toy line. It’s great fun, and the sounds only make it more realistic. The folding wings were also featured on the small Pteranodon that came with the Eric Kirby figure, but look much better on this sculpt (and also save room, since this Pteranodon is big enough already). The quality of the sounds is quite good, and they can easily be produced. You don’t have to bash the figure to activate a certain sound, like with the stomping noise of the Ultra T-Rex. This decreases the risk of damaging this wonderful toy.

Unfortunately, even this beautiful sculpt has some downsides. Like with all of Hasbro’s work, it features a nasty wound on its back, which sadly cannot be covered up, so it’s damaged for all eternity. Also, the position of the feet looks a bit odd and due to the space required for the flapping mechanism and electronics, the figure’s body is a bit bulky. But other than that, it’s about as perfect a Pterosaur as you can get.

Playability: high. This is undoubtedly the most poseable and diverse Pteranodon sculpt of all the various JP toy lines. It can flap its wings and fold them in, has moveable legs and neck, it can open its beak and makes no less than four different sounds. It also helps this figure assumes a totally neutral pose. These elements combined make for one of the most playable Pterosaurs ever. However, it’s still an electronic figure, so if you want to keep it in working order you should take some caution handling it.

Realism: this figure is mostly accurate, though it’s quite oversized. Compared to Hasbro’s human figures (or even Kenner’s) this Pteranodon is stupendously huge. It’s not called an ‘Ultra’ Pteranodon for nothing it seems… Its paint job is very different from the Pteranodons featured in the JP III movie. However, concept art of that movie reveals an ‘Alpha’ Pteranodon character was conceived for the film, but was eventually dropped for some reason. The concept art’s colours look very similar to this creature’s paint job, so it seems Hasbro based this figure on the artwork for the Alpha Pteranodon that never made in into the final film. The smaller Pteranodon figure that came with Eric Kirby featured the same paint job, and was labelled an Alpha Pteranodon too, though it’s beyond doubt this large Alpha Pteranodon is the undisputed leader of the Pterosaurs.

Scientifically speaking, this figure is also quite accurate. There are some minor points of criticism though. The creature’s body is a bit large and plump, but this was of course done to accommodate the electronics and flapping mechanism. Also, the animal’s legs are a bit far apart and oversized. Interestingly enough, unlike the Pteranodons seen in the movie, this sculpt has no teeth, increasing accuracy, since Pteranodons did not have teeth in reality either (they’re called Ptera-nodon for a reason, meaning ‘wings and toothless’).

Repaint: no. However, the creature’s attack and wound sounds are reused from the regular electronic Pteranodon of this toy line, and would again be heard on the Tapejara figure of the JP III Wave 2 line. The Ultra Pteranodon itself would be repainted twice for the last two JP Dinosaurs lines.

Overall rating: 9/10. This is one of the coolest and most accurate Pterosaur models made for the JP toy lines, and it’s damn impressive due to its size and plethora of sounds and playability options. Also, it’s one of Hasbro’s finest pieces of work, which actually isn’t saying much since most Hasbro figures are rather disappointing by comparison. It’s highly recommended, though not always easy to get. It was given a wide release in the USA, but it’s sadly less common in other territories. Ebay usually provides a good and often relatively cheap solution.

Jurassic Park III: Ultra Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex)

Year of release: 2001

Description: this larger T-Rex figure measures some 25 centimetres in length and stands just over 15 centimetres tall. Its paint job is remarkably similar to that of the regular T-Rex figure from this toy line, giving it some internal consistency. The overall colour is green, with a dark green stripe running from its snout all the way to the end of the tail and numerous smaller stripes on its back, tail and neck springing out of this large stripe. Added to these colours are some soft red stripes on every part of his body. A black JP III logo is located on its right leg. It’s got a pair of small yellow eyes, and his claws are all black.

A very large dino damage would is found on its right flank, showing ribs and muscle tissue. The upper piece of exposed rib is actually a button which activates a shrieking roar, as if the creature is in pain. A second roar, more aggressive and imposing, can be made by pulling its right arm down: when doing so the mouth will also open. A third sound can be made by having the T-Rex stomp on the ground: logically it’s a stomping noise. The sound quality of all three sounds is not very good, some static is heard as well. The two roars are the same sounds the regular T-Rex figure produces.

This Rex sculpts stands in an attack posture, with its tail bent upwards and its head slightly tilted up, as if it were looking at something just above him. Its legs stand far apart from each other. This Rex is pretty skinny and has a tiny body. It’s mostly head, limbs and tail.

Analysis: this is not a great figure. It basically has the same flaws as the regular Rex (and in fact, most dinosaur figures from this toy line). The first problem is the pose it takes on: it’s far from neutral and diminishes playability. Especially the positions of the legs and tail are very irritating, as is the fact this figure has such a small skinny body.

The second negative issue are the sounds. The main problem here is the poor sound quality. The sounds of the smaller dinosaur figures were a lot better. The static indiscernible sounds this model produces hardly do the so called Tyrant King justice: it sounds like he’s got a nasty cold. Another issue is the fact the two roars are the same as the ones from the regular Rex, except weaker. It would have been more original if this figure could make different sounds.

A third problem: apart from the sounds, the other features are also the same as the ones from the smaller Rex. First of all, there’s the (in this case stupendously huge) dino damage wound with the button in it. Because of the size of the wound it really sucks you can’t cover it with a skin patch (like with the old Kenner models). It’s just there for all the world to see, and there’s nothing you can do about it (except for heavily customizing it, which seems very appealing at times…). Of course the paint job is also largely the same: so the designers either had consistency in mind, or ran out of paint job ideas (which seems unlikely given the large number of repaints Hasbro had done over the years). It’s a decent paint job, but nothing special. Then there is the mouth opening mechanism, which is still a very unoriginal feature for Tyrannosaurus models. This time it works better than with the smaller Rex though, because the arm is more accessible so it’s easier to open the jaws. It comes with a downside though: every time you move the arm again, the attack roar starts over again. Lame.

This model does include a new feature though, at least new for this toy line (because the old Red Rex from JPS1 had the same feature). When it comes into contact with the ground (or whatever you put it on) it makes stomping noises. But this too has a downside: producing this sound needs some force, so you have to really smack it onto something (quite violently at times) in order for the sound to be heard. This increases the risk of damaging the electronics of this figure. Again: lame.

Playability: not very great. Because of the stalking pose this figure takes on its playability is limited, though his limbs are all moveable. Fortunately the mouth attack action works fairly well despite the flaws. This figure is electronic so you shouldn’t play too rough with it if you want to keep it intact. Unfortunately it seems the designers didn’t care much for keeping it intact, because activating the stomping noises involves some pretty rough behaviour. But since those noises aren’t very good anyway it’s better to ignore that particular option.

Realism: this figure looks a lot like the smaller T-Rex sculpts for this toy line, so they make a striking family pair. However, this sculpt doesn’t much resemble the T-Rex from the movie, let alone a real life Rex. This is mostly because of the small body and oversized limbs attached to it. However, the T-Rex in JP III did look rather greenish, so the paint job isn’t too far off. The roars are the same as the roars from the smaller model, so that means they’re authentic Rex noises from the movie at least.

Repaint: no. This model would be repainted on several occasions though; once for the JP III CamoXtreme line (the Canyon Rex), and twice for JP Dinosaurs 2 and 3.

Overall rating: 5/10. It’s a disappointing model, though it’s not completely screwed up. It has some nice features, but also a lot of downsides. It’s not rare, so when needed it can be found quite easily, probably at minor cost.