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!