Kenner Jurassic Park The Lost World Chasmosaurus Action Figure Kenner, 1997
Day #172: June 10, 2011
Chasmosaurus Code Name "Plateface"
Jurassic Park The Lost World Electronic Dinosaurs
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:Kenner Includes:n/a Action Feature:Move leg, and head rears back while figure roars Retail:approx. $10-$15 Availability: 1997 Other: Surprisingly cheap if you can get one
I'm a big fan of dinosaur toys, although it comes in spurts-- during the Jurassic Park franchise I mostly just bought clearance humans and Ian Malcom because Jeff Goldblum is and will always be one of the more awesome people to walk the Earth-- but I digress. I finally got a Chasmosaurus on a trip to Phoenix around 2010 when I dropped in to Toy Anxiety and darned if these loose dinosaurs aren't cheap! This guy was essentially (at the time) a variation on the Triceratops with a "terrifying cry," I think was what the box said. It's not really terrifying, but it's worth noting the battery still works nearly 15 years later.
The Lost World toy line was a mix of new molds (like this one) along with repaints and some abandoned, previously unreleased toys from the first movie. As toy lines go it was pretty much in like with the late 1980s and early 1990s philosophy best evidenced in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is that the bulk of the releases were never seen in the movies or comics but they sure as heck looked like they might fit in if you moved the camera a little to the left. With its giant head, the Chasmosaurus doesn't get a lot of love in the toy world, although he did make it in to Dino-Riders and the occasional PVC toy exists too. Kenner's figure has 5 points of articulation, although the head is geared in to one of the back legs for a "let's make him roar" action feature that the kids apparently liked. Me, I'm not a big fan of electronics in my toys, but that has to do more with keeping them in good shape for the long haul than anything else. It's a fun, not-too-loud sound that probably won't annoy the living daylights out of parents until the toy came on a road trip and would eventually be tossed out the moving car's window.
Deco is about normal for a Kenner product of 1997, if not slightly better than usual. The horns and, er, toenails are all the same off-white color, while the eyes are nice and small with some black and rusty skin coloring giving the figure a little more life. The sculpting in the scales is quite good, and there are little folds and creases absolutely everywhere on his person. It's worth noting he also has the obligatory "JP" tattoo, which was part of the marketing to set these toys apart from other, presumably lesser offerings. The leg marking reads "Site B JP .21," and I'm not sure if the number itself has any significance. The "Site B" refers to the second island, where the movie took place.
Due to the sheer volume of new toys, I rarely find myself looking back to buy older releases but I have to say that the Jurassic Park toy lines from the films and beyond are really fun. They're simple, sure, but they actually feel like toys and not fragile collectibles. This makes me feel good. If you can get one of these cheap (say, under $10) I believe you'll enjoy it, too.
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