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Monthly Archives: May 2010

Allosaurus (Wild Safari version 1 by Safari Ltd)

Posted on May 26, 2010 by plesiosauria | 2 Comments

Review and photos by Rugops

Allosaurus is one the most popular dinosaurs ever. Because of this it has appeared in many different sculpts, one of them being this model from 1996. The body, neck, and head are made of rigid plastic, while the arms, lower legs, and tail are made of softer, slightly pliable plastic. The skin has wrinkles, and a series of small bumps run along the back of the model.

The arms are not very detailed and the hand has short round fingers with small claws. The hands lack the enlarged thumb claws that the real animal had. The feet are poorly detailed with very small toe claws, and the right leg is slightly bent inward. The end half of the tail curves downward to form an unfortunate tripod stance, although it can, with some coaxing, stand on its own two feet.

The head is the best part of the model, being fairly accurate and large. The crests are very pronounced, and painted in a milky red color that makes them stand out. Its teeth are nothing special, individual but very small, and there is a tongue roughly sculpted inside the mouth. There are four different little black holes that are ears and nostrils. On either side of the back of the head are to protrusions painted milky red like the crests. Yellow is the overall color on the Allosaur. The underside is tan, and the throat is brownish. There are light blue gray stripes and dots running down the back of the model.

Comparison between the two versions of Wild Safari Allosaurus

Compared to the new Wild Safari Allosaurus the old one is much more heavily built, and not as streamlined, favoring the Walking With Dinosaur version in its proportions. Both versions are around the same overall length (about 16 cm). This figure is a lot of fun to look at, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Allosaurus.

Available on eBay here

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Posted in Safari Ltd, theropod, Wild Safari

Tagged allosaurus, dinosaur, safari ltd, toy

Iguanodon (Bullyland)(2010 Version)

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Dan | 6 Comments

Perhaps best known for their prehistoric mammals, Bullyland of Germany has been taking gradual steps to improve their line of dinosaur figures. Few figures exemplify this better than their latest version of Iguanodon, released in 2010.

Happily plodding on all fours, this gentle giant actually treads in the realm of action figures with an articulated left forearm. Although this results in a prominent seam, it shouldn’t turn away collectors looking for an exciting new rendition of the famous herbivore. The obvious impression one might receive, as Randy Knoll points out, is that Bullyland is emulating the playability of the Papo dinosaurs. Since it may prove costly to compete with Papo’s level of sculptural detail, Bullyland seems to favor the flashier paint schemes. This Iguanodon’s orange and green ornamentation certainly jumps out in any display or collection, even among its Bullyland kin (though the color combination does bear a strong resemblance to Bullyland’s Stegosaurus).

Tragically, Iguanodon has rarely been considered worthy of articulation or “action figure” status – at least since Disney’s heavily merchandised “Dinosaur” film. Even among the plethora of Jurassic Park figures that have been produced, no Iguanodon “action” toy could be found. This historically important species is often regarded as too plain or boring to deserve much attention from manufacturers, but the vivid tropical patterns on this figure seem to slap those assumptions in the face. He is back, and ready to stab you with his thumbs.

At 21 centimeters long, he fits in pretty well within collector displays. The alert stance is also somewhat difficult to come by in iguanodont reconstructions, so this figure’s dynamic posture also should provide good diorama potential. The articulated forearm is held off the ground, as is the tail. Positioned correctly, he even seems to be thrusting his fingers into the camera, as though rehearsing a hip-hop music video. The tongue is visible within the cheeked jaw, and the pupil glistens slightly – often a problematic area in other Bullyland dinosaurs.

Although the textural details could be a bit finer, this Iguanodon is easily one of Bullyland’s best dinosaurs. The beautiful balance of authenticity, playability, and aesthetic refinement make him worth the attention of collectors young and old.

Available on eBay here