Even before Monolophosaurus was featured in Camp Cretaceous, Mattel was making toys of them and they started pumping them out with the first wave of Jurassic World toys in 2018. Since then, they’ve produced at least nine of them, maybe more. And they aren’t all repaints either. There are at least a few different sculpts with different gimmicks. I acquired and reviewed the Dino-Rivals Monolophosaurus in 2019 and have remained committed to only having that one in my collection, but then Mattel released one in 2024 that differed so much from its predecessors that I felt compelled to get it.
I wasn’t initially impressed with the Strike Attack Monolophosaurus. It’s rather cartoony even when compared to other Mattel Monolophosaurus toys. But then I saw one in person and found myself enamored with it. It has personality, and that goes a long way.
This Monolophosaurus measures 7.5” (19 cm) long and stands 3” (7.62 cm) tall at the hips. The actual dinosaur had an estimated length of 18’ (5.4 meters) which puts the toy at 1/28 in scale. It has odd proportions including a large head, short thick neck, short torso, short stocky legs, and short tail. The only thing that suggests it is a Monolophosaurus is the crest, which is more exaggerated than what you usually see depicted.
Pushing down on the body and against the legs forces the neck down and the jaw to snap open. It’s an action feature we’ve seen before, but it works especially smoothly on this toy. You don’t need to use much force and there’s minimal noise, aside from the snapping jaw. It’s rather entertaining actually. That’s all it does though.
Since the legs are tied to the action feature, they aren’t articulated. The arms are on ball joints that allow them to rotate around and swing in-and-out. The plastic used on this toy is soft with bits like the crest and extremities being somewhat flexible too. It makes the toy enjoyable to hold and touch.
The head is big and boxy with a cartoony overbite, but I find it charming here, rather than unsightly which is usually the case. I think it’s partly because it reminds me of the old Kenner Velociraptor. The little goatee of feathers on the chin also imbues it with personality and I can’t help but imagine this little theropod as having the ornery and mischievous personality of a Billy-goat. There’s a bit of a neck beard and chest fuzz too. Feathers also run down the midline of the back and tail, underside of the tail, and on the back of the upper arms. He’s a bedraggled fellow.
Scales of various sizes and shapes are present across the figure. Large irregularly shaped scales can be seen on the face and crest while small pebbly scales dominate elsewhere. But even those scales have slight variations in their size and shape depending on where you look. They’re largest on the thighs and smallest on the feet. A cluster of prominent feature scales are sculpted on the lower jaw. Skin creases, sags, and folds are evident along the lower neck, torso, and tail, as well as along the limb joints. He has a kind of chunky and saggy look to him, which adds even more personality. Bird-like tarsal scutes can be seen on the fingers and toes.
The body is painted an attractive steely blue color. Dark flecks are scattered about, as well as sparkly bits of silvery glitter that I don’t think I’ve seen on a Mattel toy before. They’re most evident in bright light but I don’t think you’ll see them in the photographs. The crest is dull red, and the lower jaw and feathers are maroon colored.
The eyes are orange with black elliptical pupils, the teeth are white, and the inside of the mouth is pink. The feathers on the underside of the tail and back of the arms are unpainted. The claws are also unpainted. It’s a simple paintjob but thanks to the painted feathers on the top of the tail, and dark flecks throughout, it looks complete enough. I like it. The paint application leaves a lot to be desired in some places though, and the scan tag slightly differs in color from the rest of the toy.
This is a toy that I expect won’t fair well with the star ratings, and it probably shouldn’t, but sometimes you just like a toy because it’s a toy. Mattel has taken a few steps back in accuracy with this one but a few steps forward in charm and personality. For me, this is the kind of toy that makes toy collecting fun. This Monolophosaurus is a whimsical little guy that makes me smile, and I honestly prefer it over the Strike Attack version that I also have.
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