Ray Arnold

Ray Arnold

Jurassic Park - Amber Collection

Mattel

Like the Star Wars Black Series, did Jurassic Park really need to be in a larger, more costly scale?  It may limit the variety of dinosaurs (or starships) we can get, but what we do get sure does look purdy.  Take this figure, for instance...Sam Jackson is back for the third or fourth time in this scale (Pulp Fiction, several Marvel Legends) and he has never looked better.

Mattel has really outdone themselves for a company that got by with the same suited body over and over again in the past (DC, Ghostbusters).  Ray Arnold appears to be totally unique, and sports a surprising amount of articulation for a character that is just seated at a computer for most of his screen time.    Double hinge elbows and knees, upper arm and leg swivels, torso ball joint, head ball joint, waist swivel...he can take service calls and leap into action to switch service breakers on a dime!

The head sculpt is great (particularly nice is the fade from hair to bald spot on top), really only hurt a bit by the execution of the glasses.  Glasses have always been hit and miss on action figures, but this one fares a bit better than others.  A lab coat and gray pants don’t make for an exciting toy, but the details sure make up for them.  Just check out that JP patch!  Pens in the pocket, tie design, striping on the shirt...nice attention to detail!

This figure doesn’t come with a stand like the others in the line...at least I don’t think he does.  I had to double check the packaging/trash just to be sure.  I assume they had to save plastic for his huge hunk of an accessory:  a 90s desktop PC tower/monitor!  It’s big, but hollow, and it’s made of a flexible, rubbery plastic.  It has a JP grid system map sticker on the monitor and, I’ll have to verify with Lex, an interactive CD-ROM!  Mr. Arnold also comes with a removable headset and a change of hands.  Sadly, he does not come with cigarettes or a hand to simulate smoking.  Yes, it is a harmful habit, but this is yet another one of those characters that it would just enhance that much more.  Delivery of “Hold on to your butts” and “PLEASE!  God dammit, I hate this hacker crap!” just wouldn’t be the same without them.  C’mon, they even get their own close-ups:

It is a bit strange that Mr. Arnold gets a figure in this scale before Hammond, or even Sattler and Grant.  It’s a testament to all Sam Jackson brings to this smaller part.  Let’s give him a hand or...oh...I forgot a key accessory:

Let’s review:  Dismembered, bloody limbs good, cigarettes bad...got it.

Take a look back at smaller scale Jurassic Park/World offerings from Mattel:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2018/06/jurassic-world-dinosaurs.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2018/06/more-jurassic-world-dinosaurs.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2018/06/dinobots.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/05/jurassic-world-iii-primal-clash.html

Jurassic World III: Primal Clash

Jurassic World III:  Primal Clash

Mattel - Lanard Toys

Lanard Toys (the makers of the awesome looking, budget friendly Rampage line) proudly presents:  Jurassic World III:  Primal Clash!  Or they just dusted off the Dino Riders concept with an absurdly awesome plot that would totally fit with the just plain absurd Jurassic Word:  Fallen Kingdom plot.

The basic Primal Clash dinos run about $8, and the larger ones $14.  They don't have much articulation (some heads and jaws), but they are solid, heavy figures and the paint and sculpting is fantastic for the price.  They also scale very well with Mattel's JW figures.  The weapons and saddles are removable.

They also come with some post-apocalyptic CORPS figures, which are nothing to write home about but do have added bang for the buck.  Dinos gotta have some generic characters to eat, right?

"Raptor Pack, attack!"

I assume they bring back Muldoon as a clone...or he has a twin brother in the same line of work like "City Slickers II:  The Legend of Curly's Gold?"

"So, what do you think of my six-foot turkey now?!"

Getting these were also an excuse to take pictures of all the other dinosaurs and Jurassic World humans I have amassed since my initial line reviews:  part I and part II.  Keep it coming, Mattel!  But please steer clear of Target exclusives!  Dr. Malcolm was a pain to track down initially but, months later I see several cases of him clearances out for $3!  Target sucks.

Albertosaurus is big and features double dino damage!  Skin to ribs to squishy guts!

The magnet in the beak activates several tear open panels on the copter...spinning blades at the push of a button and working winch, too!

Para sports the new "dual-attack" action gimmick.  Tail wagging and head butting features! 

A scale JP jeep at the low price of $15.  A working winch and rolling tires...not a lot of bells and whistles needed.

Yes, I do realize that mammoths, sabertooth tigers, and such didn't live in the same era as this and that.  Lighten up, and don't talk about Jurassic Park like it's so much bigger on scientific accuracy than the Flintstones.  These toys are awesome.  Primal Clash is a Walmart exclusive and should be readily available at your local stores.  Get 'em now before they go extinct!  

More Jurassic World Dinosaurs!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Mattel

 

I told ya this initial push for Jurassic World figures was appropriately massive!  Too big to contain with just one post!  Picking up where we left off last time, let's jump head first into the Wal-Mart exclusive "Dino Damage sub-line.

 

These are a little bit bigger than the $8 budget dinos and cost a bit more for the cool action feature.  This is a bit of a throwback to the Kenner figures, which had rubbery "skin" and a patch where you could remove a whole chunk, revealing some bloody guts and sometimes bone.  I'm sure that when you see these vintage figure on ebay or second-hand shops, the kids of yesteryear had made sure these chunks are lost to time.  Well, there's no fear of that happening with these homages, as the damage feature is a spring-activated, flip panel.  More along the lines of the old-school Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor figures.  Pretty cool, but they do have a little extra bump that stand out on account they need something to catch for the mechanism to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Indoraptor is the new movie villain.  He's another cross-breed, in the vein of the Indominus Rex from the first JW.  He's mostly a larger, smarter raptor with a scary paint job and some extra spines to make him look "cool."  His slick, black look really reinforces the slimy reptilian stereotype.

 

He definitely stands out from the other figures in the line, as they went all out in the articulation department.  I'm talking Marvel Legends articulation here...from Mattel!  I know...shocking!  You can get him in all sorts of poses, and there's no action feature to hinder any of it.  The balance on this thing is great.  You can get him in some pretty low, stalking or running poses and he stands sturdy.

 

The biggest figure in the line so far is the Mosasaurus, who is about 28 inches long.  He's pretty hollow, but only $30.  His flippers rotate and hinge out and his mouth opens an closes.  No action feature aside from being huge and cool looking, but that's enough! 

I hope he isn't the last of these larger-scale figures as we definitely need a brachiosaurus or apatosaurus or brontosaurus...any of the huge, long-necks will do.

Oh, he also makes an appropriate mount for six-inch scale Aquaman!  I'm sure Mer-man from Masters of the Universe could use him in his ranks of undersea minions as well.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for more JW toys from Mattel in the next year before it cools off.  Even if this were the end, that's quite a lot of product that hit all at once!  I am pleased, but more, please!  The park is closed for now.  Please make your way to one of these Matchbox vehicles to return to port.


Raptor claw courtesy of Dinosaur Park, Rapid City, SD.

 

 

 



Jurassic World Dinosaurs

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Mattel

Jurassic Park sequels are, for the most part, turkeys.  The Fallen Kingdom may disappoint in the end, but it's already got some great dinosaur toys from Mattel fueling the hype train!  Mattel?! Now, I do enjoy their DC Universe toys, but they are notorious line bunglers.  I guess they learned something from Hasbro's pathetic JW attempt because I dare say these rival the original JP Kenner offerings.  So many different dinos of different size and features right out of the gate!

The smaller dinosaurs lack any action feature and are fairly skimpy in the articulation department.  They are appropriately articulated for the price point ($7)...and like you needed the gallimimus to do anything but be in a perpetual running stance!  Dimorphodon scores a bit higher with his posable wings and opening jaw. The dilophosaurus is my favorite here with his hinged frills and removable "spit."

The "Roarivores" are mid-sized dinos with button-activated jaws and electronic roars.  The first wave features Triceratops, Baryonyx, Allosaurus, and the hard-to-pronounce-at-first-glance Metriacanthosaurus.  They all have added articulation in their arms and their legs are able to hinge out at the hip.  I kind of wish that the jaws were closed and the button opened them instead of the other way around, but that's a minor gripe.  Chomping action is cool, not matter how you get it!

While triceratops is "tops" for most dino enthusiasts, especially in having a memorable poop scene in the original Jurassic Park, I'm going to say the winner here is Allosaurus.  He's got my favorite paint detail of the group and has some gnarly equipment.  He may not be as big as the T-Rex, but he's still top of the food chain.  I read that he would ambush attack large prey and bludgeon them by using his upper jaw like a hatchet.  Cool!  Also, I bought a replica Allosaurus claw while on vacation to Dinosaur National Monument in Utah once...works together as a neat display piece! 

There are human characters in this line from the whole film saga.  Unfortunately, the "Legacy" characters are Target exclusives.  Target is my most hated of retailers and I cringe every time I hear they are getting an exclusive.  It's pretty much guaranteed that I will have to pay higher prices on Ebay to complete a collection, mostly due to the poor stock at my local store.  Dr. Grant is packed out the most...I've yet to see Ellie and Muldoon on the pegs, and I have little hope of seeing Ian Malcom as he wasn't in the line debut.  Sigh.  It's a shame, because for 3.75 inch scale figures they don't look too bad. 

Grant comes with a small, rubbery Compy figure that can clip to his arms or legs.  This baby T-Rex was also a Target exclusive.  Ugh!  Exclusive dinosaurs!  I really hope this doesn't lead to trouble in getting a Spinosaurus later.  Anyway, Baby Rex has a button-activated chomp action sans sound.  He also has a cool muzzle accessory that fits on his head pretty snug.

The Carnotaurus, Stegosaurus, and T-Rex are a couple of the largest figures in the line and feature button-activated attacks.  Carnotaurus' neck bends downward as he takes a snap forward with his jaws.  He might be my favorite dino in the line because of this fun feature...okay, it might also have something to do with his reddish color and devil horns.  His shrimpier-than-tyrannosaurus arm have some articulation where they join to his body, which I find hilarious.  I mean, what use are they anyway to merit some extra plastics engineering there!

Like the triceratops, stegosaurus is probably one of the more popular types.  Spikes and spines, and a great sculpt all around!  His action feature is great as well:  a multi-jointed tail swipe.  This low-rider must have been a tough meal to get.  Definitely don't wanna get down on his level...WHAM!

This T-rex was a Walmart exclusive, with a special "battle damage" paint job and packaged with a smaller figure, monolophosaurus.  It's one of the more posable dinos, with an extra joint section in the neck for increased head movement.  It's jaws open at the push of a button, and shows off a pretty long and gnarly tongue before taking a bite out if it's prey.  There are several different sizes and variation of T-Rex in this line, but I feel this one might scale the best with the rest of the figures.

 There are lots of Raptors to be had in this collection, with different action features, sculpts, and paint jobs.  They all feature moving jaws and some leg/arm articulation.  The green one here has spring-loaded legs to simulate a jumping action.  The gray one is from the more basic line like the gallimimus.  And Blue is from the Walmart exclusive "dino-damage" line. 

We'll take a look at the "dino-damage" figures and more Jurassic World goodness in the next installment.