Jurassic Park 2009: Dino Trackers: Dino Glide Billy Brennan VS Pteranodon

Year of release: 2009

Accessories:

-Hang Glider

Description: Billy wears a grey sleeveless shirt adorned with dark blue spots, dark blue trousers with some tears on them, a black belt around his waist and brown shoes. He has red hair and eye brows and black eyes. He has some asymmetric details, including belts around his torso, a wristband (right arm), a glove (left arm), a shoulder patch (left arm) and a backpack with a hole in it so the glider can be attached to the figure: all this detailing is coloured black. Most notably, his left arm can move differently from the average human figure, not only forward and backward, but also up and down. The figure stands in an odd position with its legs wide apart and appears to be looking down. The glider is coloured black, covered in various light blue spots and shapes on both sides, revealing a yellow frame work around the edges. It basically resembles a large triangle. Billy can carry it on his back, so it appears he's hanging onto it.

The Pteranodon is positioned with its claws open and its head looking to the right, the left wing raised significantly upwards compared to its right wing. It's mostly coloured light yellow, while the back, most of the legs and feet, the arms and the fingers, the neck and most of the head are painted orange. On their top side the wings feature several brown stripes. The beak is painted brown, except for a triangular area around the nostrils which is pink instead. The figure sports two small brown bands around its head crest. The Pterosaur has small black eyes, a pink tongue and a black JP logo on the underside of its left wing.

Analysis: apart from Alan Grant, the only other actual character from any of the JP movies to reappear in JP 2009 is Billy Brennan. As before, he comes with a hang glider (inspired by the para-sailing scene from Jurassic Park III no doubt) and a left arm that has additional poseability options compared to the other human figures produced by Hasbro. His paint job is quite close to the one used on the original JP III Billy figure (though he's a red head now), except a little darker and more detailed. He looks pretty gritty and tough, as does his hang glider, which features a radically new and detailed paint job compared to its previous incarnations. At least it looks good this time, even though its actual use is still limited: Billy can carry it on his back and pose his arms like he's flying with it, but it looks totally unrealistic and rather goofy.

His Pteranodon companion also got a new paint job, which is far more brightly coloured and cheerful by comparison. It has vague echoes of the JP III Pteranodon paint jobs (the regular ones, not the Alpha Pteranodon sculpts'), but that seems a mere coincidence. Apart from the various colours on the head and the stripes on the wings, this paint jobs is less detailed than the rest of the set. The odd posture of the Pterosaur doesn't help playability, though it can still use his feet to grab a hold of the glider or Billy's left arm. For originality's sake, it's good to see this particular sculpt pop up after it's been neglected for eight years while almost all of the other JP III miniature creatures got countless repaints. There's plenty of Rexes and Raptors already in this toy line...

Repaint: yes. This set is identical to the Billy Brennan set of the JP III line (Wave 1). Billy himself has been repainted once before for JPD2 (along with his hang glider). The Pteranodon is a first time (and until so far, last time) repaint though.

Overall rating: 6/10. Billy remains a fairly good sculpt, though not overly originally repainted. While the hang glider is a bit of a silly thing, it features a splendid new paint scheme. The little Pteranodon has a less appealing paint job, but it's nice to see this sculpt again for a change. Otherwise there's nothing new to be found here. This set is not rare and can still be found with little effort. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that might change eventually, but probably not for the next decade.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: (Ultra) Pteranodon

Year of release: 2005

Description: measuring almost 50 centimetres in wing span, this flying behemoth 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. It also has poseable legs to match. Qua action features it’s not particularly imaginative: it's mostly the usual 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. Third, the fold-in wings: the outer half of each wing can be folded inward (outward too, but that just looks silly), 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 inwards. Additionally, there are the sounds, four in total. 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 (located on its right flank, revealing four white ribs and red muscle tissue). 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.

Green is the colour of choice for this Pteranodon. Except for its underside (lower half of the throat and belly), which is painted white, virtually all of the body is green. The torso, hands on the wings and base of the wings are coloured dark green for the most part, while shapes, spots and stripes of this colour are also found on the rest of the figure, most notably on the wings. Light green covers the remaining body parts, most obviously on the rest of the wings, the head and the legs. Neither shade of green could be called dominant though, both gradations of green play an equal part. The top half of the crest on the head is painted blue, covered with dark green spots, while below this blue colouring blue spots are found on the base of the crest. The figure has a long pink tongue, small yellow eyes with black pupils and a large white JP logo on its left upper leg.

Analysis: just a year after its JPD2 repaint release, this big Pteranodon sees the light of day again for JP Dinosaurs 3. Why ignore a good sculpt if you can milk it dry after all? But if repainting has to happen, then it's preferable seeing good sculpts getting a makeover. This Pteranodon has a solid new paint job: though green is an unusual colour for Pterosaurs, it suits it well enough. The paint scheme is not that dissimilar to that of its JPD2 predecessor, but not an exact match either and the colour use is definitely a completely different thing. The random interplay between both shades of green works well and gives it a sort of natural chaotic look. The blue coloured crest is also a good addition, maybe hinting at this Pterosaur's social status or desire to mate (though that's undoubtedly not the feeling Hasbro was aiming for). Overall, some extra detailing might have been nice, like differently coloured claws on hands and feet, or the inside of the mouth, but this paint job looks good regardless. Too bad the dino damage wound remains ever present, but surely we got over this nuisance by now. All original action functions are also still in use, including the biting beak, flapping and folding wings and the four different sounds. However, as is the case with the other electronic Hasbrosaurs from JPD2/3, the used electronics are of poor quality, making it increasingly difficult to find specimens in working order. A real shame, but this sculpt provides enough fun otherwise.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Ultra Alpha Pteranodon figure. The sculpt has been repainted for JPD2 prior to this third release. So far, it has not been repainted since.

Overall rating: 8/10. This is still one of Hasbro's finest sculpts, impressively sized and loaded with playability features. The new paint job is quite different, but also rather good. Like the other big JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs, this figure was common a few years back, but, insofar as availability, its numbers are in swift decline. With luck, you can still find one for a decent price, but don't expect this situation to last much longer.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: Pteranodon/Compsognathus 2-pack

Year of release: 2005

Description: the Pteranodon is rather large for a creature that originally came with a human figure. The second half of each wing can fold in and out, and when folded to their full (realistic) length, the figure has about a 15 centimetre wing span. It has a small hand on each wing, which however is situated far too much towards the end of the wing and should have been placed closer to the body. The Pterosaur has two long legs which end in claws that can grip human or dinosaur figures' limbs as if it is lifting them off the ground. It has a rather thick plump head on a rotatable neck. Most of this figure sports a brown paint job, mostly a darker shade of brown, though there's also a lighter shade mixed in on various parts of its body (most notably on the chest, arms and head). The underside of the figure (lower side of the wings, tail and most of the legs) is white, which gradually shifts into light brown the closer you get to the arms. The claws on the hands are painted black, while the Pteranodon has red eyes, a purple tongue and a small black JP logo on both the upper and lower side of its left wing.

The Compsognathus is a rather skinny little critter, much smaller than the Pteranodon. It stands on a small base resembling a log or a rock, posed in an aggressive stance as if it's leaping off the base onto its prey, its mouth opened and its left arm outstretched. Its underside (most of the throat, belly and inner parts of the limbs) is coloured beige, while the rest of the body is mostly dark brown (particularly the tail, flanks and limbs). A tick black stripe runs from the back of the head over the neck and back almost to the end of the tail, with round shapes running out of it over the neck, flanks and tail. The Compy's teeth and inside of the mouth are white, while its eyes are yellow with black pupils. It has a black JP logo on both upper legs.

Analysis: haven't seen these figures in a while! After the countless repaints of the Rex, Raptor and Spinosaurus figures from the JP III line we've seen so far, you'd tend to forget Hasbro actually made other creature figures to team up with their human figures back in 2001. Two of these are packaged here together: the result is a mixed bag. It's good to see both figures again for a change, but the Pteranodon is still not a very good figure, especially considering the wonderful job Hasbro did on the other Pterosaur figures (why couldn't they just have repainted those...!?). It's larger then most of the other dinosaur two-pack figures since it originally came with the smaller Eric Kirby human figure and it was supposed to lift him into the air. This “action feature” (i.e. gripping claws) has been retained and still hardly works since prey figures just slip out all too easily. The folding wings feature also has been kept intact, saving space but looking silly and unrealistic. And the Pteranodon's new paint job is just ugly. Brown and white just don't go well together, and there's little variety or detailing in this figure otherwise (except for the eerie and weird purple tongue and red eyes).

The Compsognathus faired better for this set, but is also not as good as before. The signature green paint job which looked quite good on it has been replaced by a rather dull and uninspired brown paint job with black colouring on top, something we've seen before all too often. Details have been neglected (claws, inside of the mouth, etc.), but at least the sculpt is still pretty good and a lot different from the other smaller dinosaur figures JPD2 and JPD3 offer. As to who would be most likely to survive a conflict between the two, it depends on the situation. If the Pteranodon managed to swoop down on the Compy with stealth and speed it might be able to grab it or peck it to death easily enough, but the tricky little bastard would probably see it coming well in advance and choose to run and hide. It's probably better if both creatures stuck to eating what they eat best: know-it-all boys for the Pterosaurs and cocky Marlboro men for the Compies to feast on in large numbers.

Repaint: yes. Both figures are repaints of dinosaurs that originally came with human figures for the JP III line. The Pteranodon originally came with Eric Kirby, while the Compsognathus is one of two different Compy sculpts that teamed up with Alan Grant (the Wave 2 release). Both figures are first time repaints, and ironically enough also last time repaints in the case of these sculpts, though the exact same Pteranodon (identical sculpt and paint job) was featured with the Electronic Velociraptor figure of this toy line.

Overall rating: 6/10. There's nothing new to both sculpts, nor are these paint jobs especially appealing. However, it's nice to see different sculpts repainted for a change instead of the same old Rexes and Raptors all the time. The Compsognathus is still a fairly good figure, the Pteranodon less so. Like most dinosaur two-packs from JPD2 and JPD3, this is one of the more common releases and it can still be found with little effort, usually for low prices – not surprisingly – because they're just not very popular sets.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: (Ultra) Pteranodon

Year of release: 2004

Description: measuring almost 50 centimetres in wing span, 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 highly playable toy. It also has a pair of poseable legs to match. Action feature wise it’s not particularly imaginative: it's mostly the usual 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. Third, the fold-in wings: the outer half of each wing can be folded inward (outward too, but that just looks silly), as if the creature is adjusting its flight style. It looks very much like the Pteranodon is diving towards its victim when the wings fold inwards. Additionally, there are the sounds, four in total. 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 (located on its right flank, revealing four white ribs and red muscle tissue). 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.

The main colour for this large Pterosaur figure is a greenish beige, which can be found all over the body, except for the very top of its back, which looks to be more light grey. Dark red stripes and shapes of various sizes cover this main colour, mostly rather diffused to make it feel more natural. Most obvious are the lines on the wings, while obvious concentrations of red are found around the legs and on the head. White colouring is located on the lower part of the wings (on both sides). The pins in the poseable parts of the wings, just under the fingers, are painted black. The top of the crest on the head is painted light yellow, while spots of the same colour are found right under this, running from half way of the crest to the nostrils. The Pteranodon has small yellow eyes (with black pupils), a pink tongue and a black JP III logo on its left wing.

Analysis: apart from the T-Rex, another big prehistoric creature returns for JP Dinosaurs 2. This fabulous Pteranodon sculpt might have been neglected for Camo-Xtreme, but at least it didn't remain totally forgotten. It's still one of Hasbro's best works, very large and rather detailed, as well as equipped with various cool action features and sounds. Aside from the paint job, it offers nothing new of course, but with a sculpt this good, that can be forgiven. The new paint scheme is quite original and imaginative. The overall pale colour adorned with dark red gives the flying beast a touch of death, underscoring the danger of a Pterosaur this big (certainly compared to the small Hasbro human figures, which look minuscule in comparison to this critter!). The way most of the red paint is applied, in rather vague smears instead of the more usual definite lines and shapes, gives it a more naturalistic, authentic look instead of the obvious artificiality of the usual paint job. The white colouring on the lower side of the wings feels redundant though. It seems such an odd place for extra colouring, unlike the yellow on the crest which could indicate the animal's social status, willingness to mate or age (though it seems unlikely Hasbro actually considered such realism).

Even the best Hasbrosaur has a few downsides though, and this figure sadly does too. Most obviously there is the annoying dino damage wound which can't be covered up, making this Pteranodon scarred for life (literally). More attention could have been given to the claws on the toes and fingers, as well as the inside of the mouth, though it's acceptable as it is. The most lousy thing are the screws that hold both halves of the wings together, right under the creature's hands. They should have been coloured to match, but were woefully ignored, making them feel hideously out of place. Overall, this is a fine, solid paint job, but there's just a few irritable little things. It's an excellent figure regardless and definitely worth your while if you don't own this sculpt yet.

Repaint: yes. This is a first time repaint of the JP III Ultra Alpha Pteranodon figure. The creature would be repainted again for JPD3.

Overall rating: 8/10. This is still one of Hasbro's finest sculpts, impressively sized and loaded with playability features. The new paint job is quite different, yet pretty appealing. Like the other big JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs, this figure was common a few years back, but now it's running out fast. With luck, you can still find one for a decent price, but this may very well change in the not too distant future.

Jurassic Park Dinosaurs: Pteranodon

Year of release: 1999

Accessories:

-Two Pteranodon hatchlings

Description: this flying reptile is positioned in a neutral and almost symmetrical posture. It measures about 15 centimetres from the tip of one wing to the other. It has a small body with equally small legs and a tiny tail (if you can even call it that). It has a large head with a blunt elongated crest sticking out and a pointy beak with no teeth (which is accurate). Pulling the crest makes the beak open, while releasing it makes it shut with a snap. Like any Pterosaur it has a pair of large wings on the side of its body, basically arms (including fingers, bent inward) ending in one very long finger which holds the skin of the wing together. Each wing consists of two moveable parts. On its back the Pteranodon features a large button: pressing it makes the wings flap. The claws on its legs are posed in a gripping posture.

No blue for Pteranodon this time. This Pterosaur sports a more varied colour scheme. Most of the upper side of its body (back, tail, arms and claws, and the lower part of its wings) are painted dark brown, while the rest of the top part of the wings, the fingers, the neck and the head are all green. The figure's underside (throat, belly and underside of the wings) are all grey. The inside of the mouth (including the tongue) is also dark brown, while the figure has white eyes with big black pupils and a black JP logo on the underside of its right wing.

Along with this figure come two adorable little Pteranodon hatchlings. These animals can stand on their legs and have their wings outstretched, ready to take flight. They sport a very simple paint job, being almost entirely painted in a dark brown paint job, except their chests are coloured beige. They do not have a JP logo, since they're nothing but accessories to this set.

Analysis: yet another golden oldie finally got a makeover for the first JP: Dinosaurs line. And this one is not alone! He got company from two identical hatchlings last seen in the TLWS1 line. This is undoubtedly done to fill in the void left by the absence of capture gear. It's an original move, though the choice of hatchlings seems odd. The TLWS1 Pteranodon babies are made in a different style than the JPS1 Pteranodon and apart from the basic features they're not the best match, especially the head sculpts. The JPS1 Alan Grant's Pteranodon hatchling would have made a more likely choice.

They share similar paint jobs though. And sadly, both are rather dull. The hatchlings are almost entirely monochromatic, except for the chests. They're also exactly the same, which is rather boring though of course cost effective. Applying different paint jobs on them, even with only minor differences, would have given them more character. The adult Pteranodon also isn't much of an improvement over its predecessor. Its underside isn't that different from the original, and the combination of green and brown gives it a kind of swampy look, not reminiscent of an airborne creature. The eyes look wholly fake, and more detail (mouth, claws) would have been welcome. To sum up, this is just an overly simple and ugly paint job, though the hatchlings still got it worse. The adult Pteranodon's action features are left unchanged. The biting action is decent enough, but the flapping wings still look somewhat silly. Overall, not a very successful makeover for this figure.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the original JPS1 Pteranodon, with repainted hatchlings from the TLWS1 Nick van Owen figure (which only came with one hatchling). The figure would not be repainted again, nor would the hatchlings.

Overall rating: 5/10. A classic figure returns, but it wasn't the best then and it isn't now. The hatchlings are a nice addition and a welcome change from capture gear, but the paint jobs in this set leave a lot to be desired. It's certainly one of the lesser sets in the first JP: Dinosaurs line. As a Wave 1 release this figure wasn't hard to find, though also not overly common.

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: 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: Pteranodon

Year of release: 2001

Description: a medium sized Pterosaur model with a wingspan of almost 40 centimetres. It’s mostly tan coloured, with some brown and green paint on the wings, including a JP III logo on the underside of its left wing. It’s got some black stripes on its back, as well as a dino damage wound: a red spot with some white points in it, making it appear as though this animal has been injured. The head has some orange and dark green spots on it, and its eyes are yellow. Three small fingers stick out of each wing, and it has a very small tail. This Pteranodon has two legs.

Analysis: this is one of the better Pterosaur figures of all the JP toy lines, and certainly one of Hasbro’s best models. It “stands” in a neutral position, unlike most of the Hasbro dinosaur sculpts, so it’s easier to play with. The colouring is good enough; not very detailed, but reminiscent of the colour the Pteranodons in the movie had. It has some moveable body parts, including the legs, but the wings get extra credit: they can move in almost any direction, so that the animal can take on various flying positions. There’s no flapping wing action like the previous Pterosaur models had, but with wings like this, that’s hardly a great loss.

The animal has a biting action: if you press on the crest on his head, the head will move forward and its beak opens, at which point the figure makes a screeching attack noise. A second sound can be heard by pressing the little white button in the middle of the dino damage wound on its back, allowing the figure to make two similar screeching noises.

Unfortunately the creature has a bit of a large belly, but that’s because it needs batteries to produce the sounds. Another little point of irritation is the fact the dino damage wound cannot be covered by a skin patch, like the Kenner dinosaurs featuring similar damage had. Both points are minor nuisances for such a good model.

Playability: the playability is quite high, mostly because of the almost omni-directional wings. The neutral pose it takes on is also a plus in this matter. One of his feet is oddly positioned though, making it appear this animal is pushing off on something. The other foot is positioned more traditionally, and it’s possible to have the Pteranodon clutch human figures with that foot. The two different sounds also enhance the playability possibilities, though playing too rough with this figure is out of the question if you want to keep the electronics working.

Realism: the Pteranodon looks a lot like the Pteranodons featured in JP III, both in shape and colour. It’s a little too large compared to the human figures produced for this toy line though, but that doesn’t really matter. Paleontologically speaking its also relatively accurate, but the legs might be a bit too big, and the arms certainly are too long: the hands (the point where the three fingers stick out of each wing) should be positioned closer to the body.

Repaint: no. This figure would not be repainted either. A repaint was planned for the JP III CamoXtreme line though, but it was unreleased.

Overall rating: 8/10. It’s a very good figure, and certainly one of the more realistic and playable Pterosaurs of the various JP toy lines. It comes recommended and fortunately isn't rare, so be sure to find one yourself, even if you’re not fond of Hasbro’s JP III toy lines, because it’s worth it.

Jurassic Park III: Billy Brennan & Pteranodon

Year of release: 2001

Accessories:

-Pteranodon figure

-Hang glider

Description: this figure wears a grey sleeveless shirt, blue trousers with two scratches in it, and black shoes. He has brown hair and very bright blue eyes. He has some asymmetric black details, including belts, wristband (right arm), glove (left arm), shoulder cap (left arm) and a backpack with a hole in it so the glider can be attached to the figure. Most notably, his left arm can move differently from the average figure, not only forward and backward, but also up and down. The figure stands in an odd position with his legs wide apart and appears to be looking down. The glider is coloured bright red with silver highlights. It basically resembles a red triangle. The Pteranodon figure is tan brown with green spots and stripes, and an orange head. It’s got a black JP III logo on the underside of his left wing. It’s positioned with its claws open and its head looking to the right, its left wing raised upwards.

Analysis: this is an interesting figure. Though it still stands in an awkward position, like most of the JP III human figures, the left arm with additional movement possibilities is a plus. The figure is well painted, though the asymmetric detailing is a bit weird: why is he only wearing one glove and shoulder cap?

The answer lies in his relation to the Pteranodon figure, which can grab his left arm, so that it looks like Billy is holding it and looking at it, while the animal looks back at him. Sort of. It works nice when he’s holding him, but hinders playability options, since both figures are in an odd position when cut loose from each other.

The glider is nothing special. It’s little detailed and its colours are pretty dull. The glider can be attached to Billy’s back, but when it is, it doesn’t look like Billy is flying with it, but merely standing up with a large red triangle on his back. In fact, it looks very fake. The Pteranodon can also grab on to several parts of the glider with its claws.

Playability: it’s fifty-fifty in this case. Though the extra arm movement certainly adds some points, the fact that the figure stands with his legs wide apart and the odd pose of the Pteranodon takes some points away. The glider doesn’t add much unfortunately. Luckily Billy can hold stuff with both hands, though one hand is kind of pointing at something.

Realism: this figure does resemble the Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola) in the movie, even though his eyes are way too blue. However, this Billy sports an entirely different outfit than his movie counterpart. Billy’s lucky pack is unfortunately missing. There was no glider in the movie, but there was some parasailing equipment (like a parachute). It would have been a lot cooler if this figure has a parasailer instead of a glider, but that would have been harder to make, so undoubtedly Hasbro opted for this instead. Disappointing, but we’ll have to live with it. The Pteranodon looks similar to the adult Pterosaurs in the movie (except with more green), but doesn’t resemble the hatchlings we saw in the awesome bird cage scenes much. It looks more like a miniature figure of an adult Pteranodon. It also resembles the larger Reak-Atak Pteranodon figure released for this toy line, so at least there is consistency.

Repaint: no. Billy and his glider would be repainted once for JP Dinosaurs 2 though, and again for JP 2009, this time including the Pteranodon figure (making that its only repaint, unlike most other small Hasbrosaurs).

Overall rating: 6/10. It’s a fairly decent figure, and better than most of the JP III human figures, but as stated above it could still use some work in certain areas. It’s not really rare, so if you want one, you’ll find it relatively easily and probably not at huge cost. The only reasons I recommend it for are the cool left arm, nice paint job and the neat Pteranodon figure.

Jurassic Park Series 2: Quetzalcoatlus

Year of release: 1993-1994

Accessories:

-Three pieces of capture gear

-Collector’s Card # 32

Description: this big Pterosaur figure features a long, skinny body ending in a small tail. Right under the tail it has a pair of thin, long legs, each with three claws. Two of these claws are poseable, with the third one positioned opposite the others, so the creature can grab things like human figures or small dinosaurs with these claws. On its left upper leg this critter is marked with a large white JP logo, numbered .18. The whole body, including its legs, arms and neck, is coloured grey, light grey on its underside (belly, throat and lower part of the tail) and dark grey on the rest of the body, almost black on its back. The claws on its feet are not painted differently.

The front part of the body ends in a thin neck with a big head on top of it. This head sports huge beak, not in a spiky shape as with the various Pteranodon figures, but of a much more elaborate and detailed, somewhat boxy, design. The head ends in a small pointy crest, but the most noticeable feature is the fiery crest on top of the skull, above the little black eyes. Most of the head is coloured bright red, except for a small area under both eyes and the very lowest part of the beak, while the crest on its head is mostly yellow with some red at the bottom, reinforcing the 'fire' feel of this figure (hence its nickname, Firebeak). The inside of the mouth is not painted.

Most noticeable are the wings of the Quetzalcoatlus. On each side of its body, a black clamp is positioned, to which a thick arm is attached, ending in four fingers, the last of which is very long and runs to the tip of the wing, where a small rectangular pin is found. The pins can be pushed into the small holes next to the creature’s legs, creating a wings-folded-in system. The wings can fold out with force by pressing the large button on the back, which also controls a flapping wings mechanism. The rest of the wings consists of a fine cloth, coloured similarly dark grey as most of the figure (though a variation with dark beige, almost light brown, cloth also exists), with a plastic strip in the middle of the wing holding it together, though giving the wings a bat like motif.

This figure comes with three pieces of capture gear. There's the typical small cuff, which comes with every JPS2 dinosaur in one shape or another. Also included is a big head piece, which fits around the beak and partially over the head so the Quetz can't open its mouth. Lastly, there is a small leg piece that restrains both legs.

Analysis: the JPS1 Pteranodon was a rather disappointing Pterosaur sculpt, but Kenner showed it was capable of doing better by giving us this vastly superior Quetzalcoatlus figure. It has a much different feel and looks fabulous, especially the head sculpt with its bright fiery paint job. The rest of the figure features a somewhat monotonous paint job though (too much grey, some additional colour schemes would have helped), but it's still a wonderful sculpt with plenty of action features, some good, some only decent.

Like the JPS1 Pteranodon, and in fact almost every Pterosaur sculpt, this Quetz has a large beak that can be opened for grabbing prey. The beak is big enough to catch most human figures, and thanks to its mouth's serrated inside (but no teeth) figures won't slip out so easily. As if the beak isn't enough, this figure also comes with large claws on its feet for grabbing additional victims. These can really hold a figure tight and they’re strong enough, so when “in flight” the catch doesn’t shake loose and fall to the ground (though its legs are less stable and usually bend down when the Quetz is lifted up, but this doesn't hinder the claws' effectiveness).

Then there are the wings. Though their design is original, they're less of a success then the rest of this sculpt. They're unfortunately rather small (also because the torso is just too long), and though the cloth is a nice touch, it’s more susceptible to damage and dust, so rough play is not recommended. Also, the arms are way too thick compared to the rest of the body, and thanks to the extra strip of plastic in the middle of the wings this figure has a sort of bat like quality to it, unlike real Pterosaurs had. The clamps next to the body make the wings look too artificial. So far the look of the wings, but now for their use. The flapping wing mechanism works much better than the one the JPS1 Pteranodon featured, though a smoother button would have been preferable, because now it hurts the fingers when the button is pressed too long. The unfolding system is a bit odd; though in real life Pterosaurs could fold their wings in some fashion too (in order to walk using their hands), it would probably not be very healthy for a Quetzalcoatlus to fold its wings in this position. But the unfolding looks cool, and it certainly saves space when the creature’s wings are folded in. Overall, credit has to be given to the Kenner designers for the originality of these wings, but as for their use they could have done a better job.

That leaves the capture gear, three pieces in total. The cuff like tag that comes with this figure like it comes with all JPS2 creatures is a redundancy, since the figure itself already is tagged with its JP logo. This tag is only a nuisance, since it's so small it gets easily lost and as such makes complete Quetz figures harder to find. The other capture gear is more useful. The leg piece restrains both legs, but not the claws. The head piece works well and totally subdues the figure's head, with no way of getting rid of it (in fact, it's really a tight fit and not always easy to remove). There's no capture gear included to restrain the wings however, so basically the Quetzalcoatlus can just fly away. Maybe the wings-folded-in system was designed to take care of that, but since the Quetz can just fold them out, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Playability: this figure provides for more playability options than most other Pterosaur figures. It has poseable claws and legs, its mouth can be opened, its neck twisted 360 degrees (though there's no real reason to do that other than sadism). The flapping mechanism works fine, and the folding of the wings is an interesting additional option, though of limited use. Added to this are the three pieces of capture gear, one of which serves no real purpose, while the other two do an effective job restraining specific areas of the body, but overall won't stop the creature from escaping.

Realism: Quetzalcoatlus was not a creature seen in the first JP movie, or its sequels, so the Kenner designers got to be imaginative on this one. They were bound to get a few things wrong as such, but nothing major. The shape of the beak is inaccurate, since Quetz had a more typical elongated 'spiky' beak, like the various JP Pteranodon figures. The shape and size of the crest on this figure are not far off, though the crest on the end of the head is also wrong. The length of the torso and the shape of the wings are off, while its neck is too short, but the overall size of this figure compared to human figures is reasonably accurate.

Repaint: no, this sculpt is new. It would be partially repainted for the TLWS1 toy line, as the Giant Pteranodon figure (body, legs and wings, but not the head). The Quetz's head sculpt and capture gear would not be repainted.

Overall rating: 8/10. An excellent new Pterosaur figure, with a cool head sculpt and a lot of playability, though it has some minor downsides. This figure is well worth getting, but it's quite rare and usually fetches high prices, especially for MIB and complete samples, so be warned.