Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Canyon Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2002

Description: this larger T-Rex figure measures some 25 centimetres in length and stands just over 15 centimetres tall. It's posed in an attack posture, with its tail bent upwards and pointing to the left 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 small body, it’s mostly head, limbs and tail. A very large dino damage would is found on its right flank, showing ribs and red muscle tissue. The upper piece of exposed tissue 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 this is called a stomping noise on the box, though it could also serve as a crash sound. The quality of all three sounds is not very good, since static is heard as well. The two roars are the same sounds the Arctic T-Rex figure produces.

This figure features an intricate paint job. Most of the top and lower part of the body (back, upper part of the tail, neck, back of the head, lower jaw, arms, most of the legs, belly, throat and lower part of the tail) are coloured grey, with this colour being somewhat darker on the torso. In between the lower and upper parts of grey, black colouring is applied, which for the most part gradually shifts into grey in the figure's lower regions (especially noticeable on the legs and flanks), while a similar effect is achieved by black spots on the throat. Most of the face and upper jaw is also black, with a series of white dots running around the upper jaws, facial ridges, snout and eyes. From the snout to the tip of the tail a row of black spots runs over the figure's top parts, each spot encircled by an orange line. These spots get increasingly bigger towards the centre of the figure, with the biggest spot located right above the legs, and diminishing from that point on. In a similar fashion, orange spots with black lines around them are found on both legs. A fairly small white JP III logo is located on its right upper leg. Rex has got a pair of small yellow eyes and the claws on both hands and feet are all painted black.

Analysis: like the other electronic CamoXtreme figures, this Canyon T-Rex, the biggest of the bunch, features a superb and original paint job, one that would not be surpassed afterwards. It has a very rugged and provocative look to it, establishing this T-Rex is not to be fooled around with, in canyons or otherwise. Of course, whether the creature would blend in in a canyon environment depends on what canyon it is, since not all canyons are alike (that would constitute a stereotype!). The Grand Canyon terrain for example is quite red in appearance, and this Rex would probably stand out there (which it probably would anywhere despite its camouflage, since it's not a small creature). A Canyon environment is kind of an odd choice on Hasbro's part, a volcanic area would probably suit this paint job more, though this Tyrant Lizard King looks cool in any environment. It's also good to see the JP III logo isn't as big as on the smaller electronic dinosaur figures from this line: this way it doesn't attract attention to itself very much. The only downside to the paint scheme is the split between the torso and tail sections of the figure's body: the black paint on the tail ends rather abruptly there, making it look phony. This is undoubtedly because of the way the legs are posed, since the black line seems to be continuing on the legs. Needless to say, in some poses the paint job reveals itself to be less detailed than it should. But it doesn't make this figure's first impression any less appealing and the overall paint job suffers little from it.

Apart from the paint job, this figure retains its former imperfections. The torso is too small and thin, making this animal seem disproportionate. The massive dino damage on its right flank is a major nuisance, as is the poor quality of the sounds. The stomping sounds produced by bashing this figure's feet down cause the figure's electronics to break all too easily. And lastly, the active pose this figure assumes hinders playability despite the usual range of poseable limbs. In a harsh judgement, this paint job basically deserves a better sculpt.

Repaint: yes. This figure was originally featured in the JP III toy line. It would be repainted twice again for JP Dinosaurs 2 and 3.

Overall rating: 7/10. Despite its many shortcomings, this T-Rex got a fantastic makeover making it appear much more awesome than its JP III predecessor (or any of its repaints to follow), even though there's still a lot to be said against this particular sculpt. The CamoXtreme Canyon T-Rex is definitely harder to find than most other CamoXtreme dinosaurs (except for the Night Raptor maybe) but you can still find them irregularly on eBay, though prices haven risen enormously of late. Unfortunately this figure was not imported in the Benelux or the UK like many other CamoXtreme figures, making it also much harder to find there.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Night Velociraptor

Year of release: 2002

Description: this dark Raptor figure stands in a dramatic pose when boxed, showing all its primal predator prowess, with its body straight upwards, its legs wide apart and its ferocious claws ready for battle action, while its head faces upward and looks to the right, jaws wide open (they can't be closed though). The tail is bent in a sort of 'S' shaped fashion. This sculpt has proto-feathers on the back of its head, following the design change of the JP III Raptors. Accordingly, it has two nasal ridges on each side of its head. A dino damage wound is located on the upper base of the tail, revealing some of its tail bones and dark red muscle tissue. Inside the wound a button is found: when pressed this produces an aggravated shriek. On its back this creature has a small lever, activating the slashing claws. This also produces a snarling sound.

The predominant colour of this critter is very dark grey, almost black in fact. It covers the figure's entire body. It is adorned with grey stripes on both arms and legs. It also has a grey stripe running from the snout all the way to the tip of the tail, which also covers the lever on its back, while it's split in two around the feathers on the back of the head. Along this main back stripe, a thinner red stripe follows its entire trajectory on either side. Additional grey spots are applied around the nasal ridges, while smaller red stripes are located on the facial ridges and the top of the proto-feathers. The animal has black claws on both its fingers and toes. It has rather large feet. The inside of the mouth is pink, with beige teeth. On its right upper leg it has a black white logo. This Raptor has green eyes, and around these three circles in black, red and grey are found.

Analysis: CamoXtreme delivers another superb paint job on this Night Raptor figure! It's fairly minimalistic, mostly simple dark colouring with some colour details to spice things up, but it works very well, making for one sexy nocturnal predator. Its dark and gritty paint job is more believable to work under lightless conditions than in the case of the Chaos Effect Raptor Alpha figure, which used a similar starting point that worked out completely different (though still sublime). The little paint details, like the rings around the eyes and the small stripes and spots on the head, make for effective decoration while not hindering the creature's ability to stalk unsuspecting prey in the dark. It's also good to see the claws are painted, while it's not unlikely they could have gotten away with remaining unpainted in this case. The only thing that hinders hunting at night times is the white JP III logo on the leg, but a black logo would of course be hard to spot.

Apart from the stupendously neat paint job this otherwise still isn’t a great Raptor figure. It’s quite disproportional: both its feet and head are too big. It stands in an awkward pose with its legs wide apart, making it look rather fat. The head is turned to the right and can’t be posed another way, while its mouth can’t be closed. This severely limits playability. The attack option is as good as it was before, though the way the neck is posed too close to the lever is a bit inconvenient. Interestingly enough, the sounds have switched places: the attack shriek is now activated by the wound button and the snarl accompanies the slashing claws. Why this was done is anyone's guess, but it doesn't matter all that much.

Repaint: yes. This figure was originally featured in the JP III toy line. It would be repainted again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 8/10. This figure once again proves that sometimes all you need is a great paint job to make for an attractive figure, even though there's little else of interest in the set. Despite its many shortcomings, this Raptor got a very successful extreme makeover making it much cooler than its predecessor (or any of its repaints to follow). The CamoXtreme Night Raptor is definitely harder to find than the other CamoXtreme electronic dinosaurs but you can still find them irregularly on eBay, though prices vary quite a lot. Unfortunately this figure was apparently not imported in the Benelux like most other CamoXtreme figures, making it also much harder to find there. For some reason they can be found in surprising numbers in the UK though, so it seems they were mostly dumped there instead.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Jungle Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Description: this Spinosaurus features an overall reddish brown paint job with black stripes and shapes all over its body (most notably on the legs), while its underside (belly, base of the tail and throat) is painted beige. On the legs, especially around the feet, a darker shade of brown is mixed in, giving those parts of the animal a muddy feel. Most of the upper jaw and facial area, as well as the neck, tip of the tail and sail are coloured black. On the head, around the eyes and mouth, as well as on the sail, blue lines are found in a symmetrical pattern. The creature has small yellow eyes, white teeth and the inside of the mouth is painted pink. Its claws on both hands and feet are black, while a white JP III logo can be found on its left upper leg. A dino damage wound is located on the left flank, showing white bones and red muscle tissue. A small button is found in this wound: when pressed, the figure emits a high pitched shrieking snarl. Another button is located in the throat: pushing this button makes the mouth of the creature open and produces a vicious attack roar.

The Spinosaurus stands in a bent pose, as if stalking prey, or waiting to jump on its victim. The tail, which is rather short, is bent to the left, as is the head. The animal has large arms with very nasty big claws. The snout is quite elongated and resembles a crocodile’s head. The figure is very thin and has little body mass. It’s also out of proportion: the head and especially the arms are too big compared to the body.

Analysis: another medium sized electronic dinosaur figure that benefited from Hasbro's creative juices and wild paint schemes in the CamoXtreme line is the Spinosaurus, which, like the Rex and Raptor figures of the line, makes for a vast improvement over its predecessor, which featured a rather bland paint job by comparison. Though the original disappointing features of the sculpt remain (i.e. the dino damage wound, its awkward tiny body and silly short tail compared to its huge arms, and its impractical button to activate the attack roar), at least the figure looks great this time around.

It has a much more 'natural' paint scheme; the muddy feeling the legs give and the successful interplay between brown and black makes for 'butch' predator. Details like claws have not been omitted. The blue lines, which do add some colour and diversity within this paint scheme, do seem out of place on a jungle figure where blue isn't that common a colour: green would have seem more logical, but it's a nice touch regardless. The one thing that feels awfully out of place is the white JP III logo, but considering the more usual black version would have been hard to spot this is an understandable though unfortunate addition to the overall fantastic paint job. Incidentally, this figure could also have worked as a Lava Spinosaurus: the black and reddish brown paint job does also have a bit of a 'lava flow' feeling to them.

Repaint: yes. This figure was originally featured in the JP III toy line. Surprisingly, it would not be repainted again, despite Spinosaurus' rising popularity.

Overall rating: 7/10. This figure proves that a great paint job can make an otherwise lousy figure much more appealing. Despite its many shortcomings, this Spinosaurus got a nice makeover making it seemingly more impressive than its rather dull coloured predecessor. The CamoXtreme Jungle Spinosaurus is not always an easy find. You can still find them at times on eBay for various prices. This figure was also imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making it easier to find there.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Arctic Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2002

Description: like many of Hasbro’s bigger dinosaur models, this figure doesn’t stand in a neutral posture. It's posed in a bent position, head, arms and tail posed to its right, as if circling potential prey. Its predominant colour is white, which is found all over its body except for the upper part of the head, neck, back and tail. The latter three are coloured dark blue with stripes and spots running out of this colouring over its flanks, neck, upper legs and tail in a rugged, random pattern. Between the white and dark blue a hue of light blue is used to make it seem the white colouring gradually shifts toward the dark blue. This effect is also used on the lower legs. The upper jaw and face are painted light blue (in a darker shade near the nostrils), making this part of the head really stand out. At the back of the head it features a fiery orange spot while five small orange dots run over its snout. Around the eyes and along the upper jaw a series of darker blue spots is found. This Rex has orange eyes, beige teeth and the inside of the mouth (tongue and all) is coloured dark pink. Grey claws stick out of its toes and fingers. A black JP III logo is found on the upper right leg. It has a large dino damage wound on the right flank, showing bones and red muscle tissue. Inside this wound a button is located: when pushed it activates a rather high pitched growl. A second button is placed on its throat. Pressing this button produces a fierce attack roar, and makes the jaws open.

Analysis: JP III's medium sized T-Rex figure is back with a vengeance! It features a much different and more original paint job than its predecessor, making it look sporty and slick. Apart from the blue and orange colouring on the head this figure looks fairly well adapted to an icy environment (though of course the best camouflage in such a case would be all white, but that might have been overly dull). The decision to only paint the top part of the head light blue gives it a bizarre but certainly distinctive look, while on its back the dark blue paint scheme with its various spots and stripes established a sort of 'blizzard' pattern, hiding it while hunting in raging snow storms. Details like the claws are not forgotten, while other little things like the specks on the edge of its facial ridges and on the snout make for a more elaborate and appealing paint job. This is about as good as CamoXtreme ever got: if you don't like it, this toy line is just not your thing entirely.

Though the paint job is a huge boon to this formerly rather poor figure, the original shortcomings remain: an annoying posture making it mostly fit for dioramas while hindering overall playability despite its range of poseable limbs, and a big open wound on the right flank which cannot be covered up, making this figure perpetually wounded. The half decent action features remain untouched (some chomping activated by a button placed in an inconvenient spot basically), though the sound system may have been beefed up somewhat: it appears louder than before.

Repaint: yes. This figure was originally featured in the JP III toy line. It would be repainted again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 8/10. This figure proves that sometimes all you need is a great paint job to make for an attractive figure, even though there's little else of interest in the set. Despite its shortcomings, this T-Rex got a very successful extreme makeover making it much cooler than its predecessor (or any of its repaints to follow). The CamoXtreme Arctic T-Rex is not always an easy find but not (yet) excessively so. You can still find them irregularly on eBay for various prices. This figure was also imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making it also fairly easy to find there.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Swamp Spinosaurus & Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-'Swamp' Collector's Card (no number)

Description: the T-Rex stands in an aggressive posture, its head curved to the left and its arms outstretched as if attacking something. The tip of the tail is bent pointing upwards and to the left. The majority of this Tyrannosaurus figure is painted basic green, while the belly, throat and base of the tail are coloured beige. A series of thick dark green spots and dots are found all over its body in a seemingly random and asymmetrical pattern. On its snout and above the eyes the Rex sports red colouring. It has small yellow eyes and white teeth (inside of the mouth not painted), as well as black claws on both arms and feet and a white JP III logo on its left upper leg. Its feet are supported by extra small plastic bases in the same dominant green colour, so it can stand on its legs more easily.

The Spinosaurus is positioned in a crouching move, its right arm resting on the ground, possibly stalking potential prey. Its left arm is raised upwards and its mouth is opened wide. It too sports a paint job dominated by a single shade of green, while its sail features a darker green colour, which ends in a stripe running over its tail as well as smaller stripes running over the flanks and dots on the side of the upper part of its tail. Additionally this Spinosaurus has similar dark stripes on its lower arms and legs and the same colour is also found all over the head. Yellow colouring adorns the back of the head, while a single yellow stripe is found on each flank. The figure has white teeth (inside of the mouth not painted), small red eyes with yellow eye lids and a white JP III logo on its left upper leg. Its claws are not painted.

Analysis: the most obvious type of camouflage is the one featuring different hues of green to avoid detection in a forest environment featuring heavy plant growth. A swamp usually qualifies as such, so it's no surprise to see this duo of carnivores adapted to a green environment. This swamp 2-pack is probably the least original of the CamoXtreme sets and also doesn't feature the most appealing paint schemes.

Both paint jobs are far from wildly imaginative. The Rex's especially is rather dull, except for the red colouring on its snout which hints to its bloodthirsty nature. Though Hasbro didn't forget to paint its claws, like they did on the Spinosaurus, the inside of the mouth is sadly forgotten (also on the Spino). The pads on its feet are still more of a nuisance than a useful tool and plenty of Rexes keep falling over despite them. On both figures, the white JP III logo looks totally out of place: a black logo would have made more sense, even though it would be harder to spot.

Spinosaurus has a more intricate paint job, but only on the top half of its body. Its underside has been totally neglected, apart from the cute little dark green stripes on the lower arms and legs. The two shades of green work well together but that doesn't apply to the yellow colouring which would more easily reveal this creature in a swampy setting. The coloured eye lids are a nice surprise though, since those are usually ignored on dinosaur paint jobs. This is the lesser of the two small JP III Spinosaurus figures Hasbro produced (the whole crouching pose just feels un-Spinosaur like), but its addition to the CamoXtreme line instead of repainting the other Spino figure again does add a little more diversity.

Incidentally, every once in a while a Swamp Raptor figure is mentioned. This refers to the unreleased CamoXtreme Tropical Velociraptor, a JP III Wave 2 Pack Raptor repaint which featured a similar paint job to this set (as far as we could tell from the only known picture), but was never actually named a Swamp Raptor, so technically - and literally - this figure does not exist.

Repaint: yes. Both figures were originally featured in the JP III toy line. The Tyrannosaurus came with the Military General figure in Wave I of that line, while the Spinosaurus was released later on along with the Military Diver figure for Wave II. Both dinosaur figures would be repainted again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009, the Spinosaurus not nearly as frequently as the T-Rex though (in fact, it was altogether absent from JPD3).

Overall rating: 5/10. If you don't own the original JP III sculpts yet this set might be interesting for you: if not, it's really nothing special, except for the new collector's card completing this set. The CamoXtreme 2-packs are a bit harder to find than most other Hasbro JP dinosaur 2-packs, but not (yet) excessively so. You can still find them irregularly on eBay for a fair price. These 2-packs were imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making them also fairly easy to find there.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Lava Tyrannosaurus Rex & Velociraptor

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-'Lava' Collector's Card (no number)

Description: the T-Rex stands in an aggressive posture, its head curved to the left and its arms outstretched as if attacking something. The tip of the tail is bent pointing upwards and to the left. The majority of this Tyrannosaurus figure is painted basic brown, while the belly, throat and base of the tail are coloured almost a yellow type of brown. A series of thick black stripes runs from the neck over the back and the first half of the tail, with additional black highlights on the head, also around the eyes and on the lower jaw, as well as near its knees and the back of the lower legs. On either side of the figure, a pair of long red stripes runs from the base of the neck almost to the end of the tail, while seven smaller red stripes are located on the upper legs. The facial area around its small yellow eyes is also painted red. The inside of the mouth is not painted, but the figure has white teeth, as well as black claws on both arms and feet and a white JP III logo on its left upper leg. Its feet are supported by extra small plastic bases in the same dominant brown colour, so it can stand on its legs more easily.

The Velociraptor stands in a stalking pose, its right arm and leg stretched outward and its head raised upwards with its mouth open, as if it means to jump onto something. The tail is raised upwards and bent leftwards at the tip. Most of this figure is coloured black, except for its throat and belly, which are painted reddish brown, and the very top part of the neck, back and base of the tail which is bright red and ends in a fork motif right above the cat like yellow eyes. The Raptor is equipped with a series of grey stripes, spots and dots of various sizes all over the black parts of its body. Both the claws and inside of the mouth are unpainted. The creature has white teeth and a white JP III logo on its left upper leg.

Analysis: this Lava 2-pack is one of the less successful entries in the otherwise fairly impressive CamoXtreme repaint line, both in regard to the paint jobs of the figures as in the overall idea. The original JP III T-Rex mini figure sported a paint job not all that dissimilar from this Rex, also with black stripes and a lot of brown (though of a more passive hue). The red stripes add a little bit, but are distributed in a rather dull fashion. Sadly, the Rex remains equipped with feet supports, which still quite often don't keep it from falling over.

The Velociraptor also isn't blessed on the front of originality with its new paint job. In fact, the red stripe on its back is virtually identical to the stripe on its predecessor. The black and grey motive adds more diversity though, but it's a real shame details like the claws and inside of the mouth were wholesomely neglected.

The whole idea of dinosaurs living in a 'lava' environment is generally both cliché ridden and ridiculous. Apart from the silly backward notion that the Mesozoic age was filled to the brim with active volcanoes on every corner, as often seen in comic strips and old Saturday morning cartoons, the thought of dinosaurs (or any animals for that matter) residing in a hot spot of fiery chasms and lava flows, as pictured on this set's collector's card, is stupendously idiotic. Tough and nasty as Rexes and Raptors were, lava would just kill them anyway, nor would many potential prey venture in such territories. And evolving alongside dormant volcanoes would not yield such fiery paint jobs. Hasbro undoubtedly intended the idea of a 'Lava' environment to spawn awesome paint jobs, but unfortunately the result certainly failed in that regard.

Incidentally, a large Lava Pteranodon figure was once planned for release for this CamoXtreme line, but it never got off the ground (yes, pun intended). No specimens are known to exist. That's what hot lava does to you if you're not careful, flight capability or otherwise...

Repaint: yes. Both figures were originally featured in the JP III toy line. The Tyrannosaurus came with the Military General figure in Wave I of that line, while the Velociraptor teamed up with Alan Grant, also for Wave I. Both dinosaur figures would be repainted over and over again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009, up to the point we couldn't care less about either sculpt.

Overall rating: 5/10. If you don't own the original JP III sculpts yet, this set might be interesting for you: if not, it is a rather bland addition to your collection. It's just not nearly as good as some of the other CamoXtreme paint schemes and has little to offer beyond that, except for the nice new collector's card completing this set. The CamoXtreme 2-packs are a bit harder to find than most other Hasbro JP dinosaur 2-packs, but not (yet) excessively so. You can still find them irregularly on eBay for a fair price. These 2-packs were imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making them also fairly easy to find there.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Desert Spinosaurus & Velociraptor

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-'Desert' Collector's Card (no number)

Description: the Spinosaurus stands in a walking posture, with its left leg posed forward and the left arm raised, its mouth opened as if roaring and the end of the tail bent pointing to the right. It sports a mostly tan or beige paint job, which covers practically the entire underside of the figure, except for the second half of the tail, which is black, while the tan covers the upper part of the tail. The other top parts of the figure (back, neck, upper jaw, part of the sail) reverse this paint scheme and are black instead. This black colouring ends in bent triangular stripes over the figure's flanks. The sail is festively adorned with white and orange stripes: additional orange highlights are found on the creature's head around the eyes and nostrils, while the lower part of the eye sockets is white, with small yellow eyes. A black stripe runs around the lower jaw from one side of the jaw to the other, while the Spinosaurus has white teeth and the inside of its mouth is dark pink. A black JP III logo is found on its right upper leg. Its claws on both hands and feet are not painted.

The Velociraptor stands in a stalking pose, its right arm and leg stretched outward and its head raised upwards with its mouth open, as if it means to jump onto something. The tail is raised upwards and bent at the tip. Most of this figure is coloured bright yellow, while its back, most of its head, the larger part of the upper tail section and the claws on its feet are painted black. The claws on its hands remain unpainted though. A yellow stripe runs on each side of its face, while blue stripes run around the jaws. Its throat is also coloured blue. A series of six white spots runs over its back. The eye sockets are white, with fairly large orange eyes and cat like black pupils. The inside of its mouth is simply painted black but has white teeth, while a black JP III logo is located on its left upper leg.

Analysis: Hasbro's fascinating take on camouflage paint jobs continues in this 'desert' themed 2-pack. It must be said, the previously fairly dull coloured Spinosaurus steals the show in this pack and looks remarkably good. Its intricate zebra or tiger like paint job makes an excellent addition to the CamoXtreme line. This little Spinosaurus might very well disappear in savannah grass (which is not the same thing as a desert environment though): it would have to be pretty tall grass to hide an adult Spinosaurus though, which is probably why the unreleased adult Desert Spinosaurus of this line featured a totally different paint job. At least it would work on a juvenile, though this Spino figure, despite its size, has too many adult features to ever have worked as a baby figure. Despite its inventive new paint job, Hasbro got lazy and ignored the claws, but that's a small oversight considering the paint scheme is still highly attractive.

The Raptor has a less successful paint job, though still much more original than its predecessor. Compared to the Spinosaurus it looks rather boring. At least it has painted claws on its feet, though the claws on its hands also were left unattended. Like the Spinosaurus, its paint job would work well in a dry grassy setting - which isn't a hallmark of most deserts: this 2-pack could have used a different name - but the blue colouring around its mouth might give it away. The way this blue is used looks silly anyway, like the Raptor had something with blue blood for dessert (get it?) and forgot to wipe its jaws clean. Also, the inside of its mouth definitely needed more work.

Aside from the paint jobs, there is little else to warrant attention to this pack. Both figures are nothing new and have zero playability options. The Spinosaurus is still a decently realistic miniature figure while the Raptor is about adequate but not particularly attractive. It must be noted, as it was above, that Hasbro planned to release a larger Desert Spinosaurus (which was a repaint of the JP III Wave II Aqua Attack Spinosaurus) for the CamoXtreme line, but it got scrapped. A single specimen appeared and got people speculating quite a bit, so when you read or hear something about a rare and valuable Desert Spinosaurus, it usually concerns that figure instead of this not so rare smaller Desert Spinosaurus, even though this one has a better paint job - by far.

Repaint: yes. Both figures were originally featured in the JP III toy line. The Spinosaurus came with Amanda Kirby in Wave I of that line, while the Velociraptor teamed up with Alan Grant, also for Wave I. Both dinosaur figures would be repainted several times again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 7/10. One excellent paint job, one decent enough, plus a nice collector's card are the only interesting things in this set, unless you don't own the original JP III sculpts yet. The CamoXtreme 2-packs are a bit harder to find than most other Hasbro JP dinosaur 2-packs, but not (yet) excessively so. You can still find them irregularly on eBay for a fair price. These 2-packs were imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making them also fairly easy to find there.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme Arctic Spinosaurus & Stegosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-'Arctic' Collector's Card (no number)

Description: the miniature Stegosaurus is basically coloured in four layers. The lowest layer (the belly, throat, most of the lower jaw and underside of the tail) is painted light grey. Above that, the second layer is white, covering the legs, flanks and both sides of the tail. A number of grey spots and stripes adorns the white parts of the figure. The top layer is coloured black, covering the creature's back, upper jaw, top of the tail, and most notably, the plates and tail spikes. In-between the white and black parts of the Stegosaurus there's the final layer, an orange line on either flank of the figure, running from the neck to the end of the tail, ending just under the last set of plates. The eyes are yellow with black pupils and a black JP III logo can be found on its left back leg. The animal stands in an active posture, with its body bent and its tail dangerously sticking out, like it’s defending itself from an aggressor.

That aggressor could be the Spinosaurus that completes this 2-pack. It stands in a walking posture, with its left leg posed forward and the left arm raised, its mouth opened as if roaring and the end of the tail bent pointing to the right. It sports a mostly light blue paint job, which gradually turns into black on the animal's back, neck and upper parts of the tail and head, and dark grey on its belly, throat, inner side of the legs and lower part of the tail. It has a row of orange stripes on either side of its sail. Its claws are painted black (something they did not bother to do with the Stegosaurus), and it has yellow eyes with black pupils, white teeth and the inside of the mouth is coloured bloody red. A black JP III logo is found on its right upper leg.

Analysis: Hasbro's long time affinity with dinosaur 2-packs started with the CamoXtreme line, which delivered some of the very few actually appealing 2-packs ever produced. This Arctic 2-pack is among those. Though the Stegosaurus lacks some detail (unpainted claws, spikes and even plates), both figures sport an interesting paint job which very well might help them blend in in an icy environment (except for the orange highlights maybe). Aside from the paint jobs, there is little else to warrant attention to this pack. Both figures are nothing new and have zero playability options. The Spinosaurus is still a decently realistic miniature figure, which in a lesser regard applies to the Stegosaurus as well, though its front legs are still overly long compared to its hind legs and it has a rather goofy expression on its face.

Repaint: yes. Both figures were originally featured in the JP III toy line. The Spinosaurus came with Amanda Kirby in Wave I of that line, while the Stegosaurus had to wait for release until Wave II when it was paired with Amanda's (ex-)husband Paul Kirby. The Spinosaurus would be repainted several times again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009. The Stegosaurus would only be repainted for JP Dinosaurs 2/3: interestingly enough, this Arctic Stegosaurus would be reused in its entirety (so no additional paint work at all) for the JP Dinosaurs 2 'Electronic Brachiosaurus with Micro Stegosaurus' set.

Overall rating: 7/10. Nice paint jobs and a funky collector's card are the only attraction in this set, unless you don't own the original JP III sculpts yet. The CamoXtreme 2-packs are a bit harder to find than most other Hasbro JP dinosaur 2-packs, but not (yet) excessively so. You can still find them irregularly on eBay for a fair price. These 2-packs were imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making them also fairly easy to find there.

Jurassic Park III Exclusive Dinosaur Tracking Set

Year of release: 2001

Accessories:

-Velociraptor figure

-Triceratops figure

-Bola Launcher set with double bola, harness and support stick

-Aerial Net Trap set with net and smart bomb

-Four pieces of capture gear

-Dino Tracker figure

Description: the dinosaur figures of this exclusive set, both repaints, sport a somewhat darker and grittier paint job with more detail than we’re used to, especially in comparison to the paint jobs of their original TLW predecessors. This set comes with two different dinosaurs: a Triceratops and a Velociraptor. Each comes with its own attack action, though in both cases the attack consists of a head movement.

The Triceratops gives a head butt, raising its head upwards when its right hind leg is pulled back. The creature stands in an attack posture, with front legs braced for action and its head lowered in anticipation of an aggressive enemy. This Trike features a mostly green paint job, consisting of various tones of green all over its body, darker in some areas (the legs, its belly). Tiny speckles of black, resembling dust, and dark hues are mixed in with the green, most notably on the head and limbs. Vague orange spots are found on the back and upper front legs, as well as on the frill and side horns on the head. The claws on its feet are white, as are the three horns on the head as well as the beak, except these grey speckles and spots, giving them a very dirty and used look, as if this animal has a history. The Triceratops has a pink tongue and tiny black eyes, and a small black JP III logo is located on its upper left hind leg.

Like the Trike, the Raptor stands in an attack posture: the left leg is posed backwards and the right leg forwards, while the left arm is stretched out and the right arm held back. Its mouth is opened (and can’t be closed), revealing a large pink tongue. Scratches and scars are found all over the creature’s body (it’s a repaint of the TLWS1 Cyclops Velociraptor, which was basically a battle scarred Raptor), as if it has dealt with attacks from larger carnivores or aggressive pack members all its life. This figure too has an attack action: moving the tail side to side makes the head move in a similar fashion, as if the Raptor is biting at its prey. The figure sports a diverse paint job. Its underside (belly, lower part of the tail, throat, lower jaw, most of the limbs) is coloured grey with darker tones mixed in to give it more detail. A large black stripe runs from its snout all the way over its back to the end of the tail. Its flanks and sides of the neck and tail are yellowish brown, with a slightly darker and more pronounced variant of this colour located on the legs and upper part of the arms. The upper parts of the legs are black, located right under the black stripe on the creature’s back as if being a part of it. On either side of the body, a white stripe runs from the end of the face (say, the ears) to about halfway the flanks. The Raptor has black claws and bright red eyes with black irises and a black circle around the red. A small black JP III logo is found on its left upper leg.

The Dino Tracker figure, being a repaint of JPS2 Harpoon Harrison, is out of proportion with the other human figures Hasbro produced for the JP III toy line. Also, the figure’s paint job shows this man has a darker skin, hinting at a different ethnicity compared to the other human figures of this toy line (and in fact, almost all figures of any of the JP lines). The figure stands in a more or less neutral pose, except his right leg is positioned in a forward move as if the Tracker is bracing himself for something. He sports a beard and wears a cap, as well as a brown vest with no shirt underneath, revealing his chest. He also sports grey shorts (with pockets and a knife on them) and black boots with grey socks sticking out, and a black belt. The figure has no special attack option himself

This play set comes with two different sets of weapons, a Bola Launcher and an Aerial Net Trap. The first set of weaponry consists of a bola launcher with double bola, a harness so the figure can handle the bola and a support stick to keep the figure from falling over when the contraption is attached to him. The launcher is coloured black, while the bola itself is shiny metallic grey, as is the support stick. The harness is brown. A small brown button is found on the launcher: pressing it causes the bola to be fired, hooking itself around anything in its path. The Aerial Net Trap is basically a black backpack with a yellow arm and brown straps sticking out. Via the straps the Tracker can carry the set on his back. The pack comes with a net, which is held together by two brown pipes: with these the net can be loaded onto the arm. Pulling the arm back and releasing it makes the net being launched over a short distance.

This set also comes with four small pieces of capture gear, all coloured shiny metallic dark grey. Two of these pieces are the typical “handcuffs” that have come with many dinosaur figures since JPS2. The other two are leg pieces, used to restrain limbs.

This set consists of 14 pieces in total.

Analysis: like the TLW line, the JP III toy line features an exclusive Dino Tracker Set, featuring two dinosaurs, a Dino Tracker, two sets of weaponry and some capture gear. When comparing both sets, the TLW Dino Tracker Set is definitely the best: it featured creatures previously unreleased, while this set comes with two dinosaurs which have been released and repainted before (and would be again). Also, they’re not the best sculpts (especially the Raptor) and would most likely not been anyone’s first choice when considering what sculpts to repaint for a set like this.

This set may not be a winner as far as originality is concerned, but qua repainting style it’s one of Hasbro’s better jobs (and given Hasbro’s long line of repaints, that’s saying something). The paint jobs of both dinosaurs is more elaborate and detailed than any creature in the JP III toy lines, giving the creatures a dusty and more natural feel, as if they’ve been around for some time fighting other creatures. Even if these figures hadn’t sported the somewhat gritty look they’ve got now, they would still feature original paint jobs. This is especially the case with the Raptor, sporting red eyes, a strange white stripe on each flank and an unusual combination of brown, black and grey. The Dino Tracker also doesn’t look bad, though a bit monotonous as far as colouring goes.

Both sets of weaponry were featured in the TLW Dino Tracker Set as well, and in this case, both of them feature new paint jobs (which wasn’t the case with the Bola Launcher the last time). Unfortunately Hasbro didn’t bother to use the original net launching system of the Aerial Net Trap, so we’re stuck again with the feeble new version which doesn’t have a button but requires one to launch the net by hand with often lame results. Fortunately the Bola Launcher is still one of the best and most functional weapons, repainted or not.

The capture gear this set comes with is very disappointing. The cuffs are redundant as always, leaving only the leg restraints. Neither of them really fits with these dinosaur sculpts, which isn’t surprising since these restraints, both repainted, came with different creatures originally (see the ‘repaint’ section of this review). It would have made more sense to have this set feature the capture gear that came with the original TLWS1 Triceratops and Cyclops Velociraptor figures, which wasn’t great either, but at least felt compatible.

All in all, this play set isn’t horrible, but lacks imagination. Now it feels like some figures and pieces of sets thrown together disguised underneath funky repainting. Though I almost always prefer Kenner figures over Hasbro’s and am glad to see Kenner’s work again making its way into the JP III toy line (like with the Raptor Attack Play Set) this set could have used more work and consideration.

Playability: good enough. Neither figure stands in a neutral pose, but since this set features not only two dinosaurs, but also a human figure, capture gear and weaponry, it’s bound to score higher qua playability than most of Hasbro’s sets. The Aerial Net Trap isn’t great and works only when lucky, but the brilliance of the Bola Launcher makes up for it somewhat. Unfortunately, the capture gear is just plain useless. Both dinosaurs feature an okay attack action and poseable arms and legs, as does the Dino Tracker.

Realism: both dinosaurs looks different from their counterparts in the JP movies (JP III or otherwise), especially when looking at the paint jobs. The Raptor’s paint job is totally made up and looks nothing like any of the movie Raptors’ colour patterns (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in this case). Its size compared to the Dino Tracker is more or less in line with the size the Raptors in the movie featured, but the shape isn’t entirely correct: for one thing this Raptor has feet which are way too large, and the sickle shaped claws on them, the trademark of any Raptor, are too bulky and small.

The Trike’s paint job also differs from the Ceratopsids seen in the movies (particularly the first JP), which sported mostly brown colour patterns. This Triceratops also is quite undersized, so one supposes it’s either a juvenile or a midget. It’s reasonably accurate in regard to its shape, though the horns are a bit too close to each other.

The Dino Tracker isn’t supposed to represent any character or actor seen in any of the JP movies and is entirely fictional. The same goes for the weaponry and capture gear.

Repaint: yes, this entire set consists of repainted elements from different sets from various earlier toy lines. Ready for a long deconstruction of the history of each part of this set?

The Velociraptor was first seen in the TLWS1 toy line, then labelled a Cyclops Raptor because of its battle scarred appearance (it was blind on one eye, which this Raptor isn’t though scratches on the eye can still be seen). It would first be repainted for the original JP Dinosaurs line, and this is the second repaint. A third repaint would be released in the second JP Dinosaurs line. Interestingly enough, the same goes for the Triceratops sculpt. It too was first released as part of the TLWS1 line, a first repaint following in the first JP Dinosaurs line and a third one in the second JP Dinosaurs line, making this the second repaint of this particular sculpt.

The Dino Tracker figure is a repaint of the JPS2 Harpoon Harrison figure, which would first be repainted for the TLW exclusive Young T-Rex set, making this the second repaint. The Bola Launcher was first seen on JPS2 Bola Launcher Alan Grant and would be reused for the TLW Exclusive Dino Tracker Set. This is the second time the Bola Launcher was used again, but actually the first time it got repainted. The Aerial Net Trap followed a different path. Released with JPS1 Alan Grant, it would first be reused for JPS2 Alan Grant and was later repainted as well as redesigned for the TLW Exclusive Dino Tracker Set (the net launching system was changed, sadly not for the best). This play set uses the same (inferior) launching system and sports a third paint job.

The capture gear comes from various figures, and all four pieces are repainted. The cuffs came with several figures since the JPS2 line. The longer piece of leg restraint originally came with the TLWS2 Ornithosuchus (which in itself was repainted capture gear from the JPS2 Ornithosuchus which never got released), and would get repainted along with this creature for the first JP Dinosaurs line. The other leg restraint originally came with the JPS2 Scutosaurus, which was unfortunately denied a release. That error was more or less corrected when the TLW Exclusive Dino Tracker Set made it to stores, featuring both the Scutosaurus and its capture gear repainted. It’s quite odd this set comes with these pieces of capture gear, since both dinosaurs originally had capture gear of their own.

Overall rating: 6/10. Qua repainting this is quite a good set, and it also brings back fond memories of Kenner’s old toy lines. However, the set comes with useless capture gear and lacks originality, especially since these dinosaurs have been repainted before. There were other dinosaur figures which might have been repainted instead, or better yet, totally new figures. Being an Exclusive, this set isn’t very easy to find, especially in parts of the world were it wasn’t released. It is less rare than the TLW exclusives though (maybe because it’s more recent). It occasionally fetches high prices, but being all repaints, you should consider whether you really want this set before trying to get your hands on it.

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.