Jurassic World! This license has had some ups and downs, with some of the most expensive toys on the secondary market from the original three films. (Seriously, look on eBay for some of the dinosaurs.) Seeing as how the popularity was almost entirely within the creatures, Hasbro has decided to opt out of the humans almost completely other than as "food" in some sets. Indominus Rex is one of few hybrid dinosaurs in the line, but there's also a Hero Mashers segment which allows you to mash up your own brightly colored dinosaur. (If you liked Chaos Effect, this is for you.) It's worth noting that the Indominus Rex has a "color change" feature in the form of some light-up LEDs on his torso. I'm not sure if it's supposed to represent some form of octopus-like reflex or not, but it ends up looking a lot like he swallowed Christmas lights. So just leave the batteries out, and you'll enjoy it.
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There's a new Tyrannosaurus Rex in addition to repacks of the Kota dinosaur line from Playskool in Jurassic World boxes plus raptors galore. By and large Hasbro has carved out new size classes while also making "action battler" $10 toys that fit right in with other releases from Marvel and the like from recent big properties. In short, it looks like there's a lot of fun here and if collectors ignore it they'll get expensive again.
A Jurassic World playset is coming, modeled loosely after the original one from the 1990s. That's the one that was a fence - this one is also a fence. For $25, it comes with an exclusive mini $10-scaled T-Rex which may make it worthwhile if it's on sale or if you need a gift for a kid who believes dinosaurs must be kept in cages, not unlike teenagers at good rock shows.
For the first time in a Kenner/Hasbro line, roleplay toys are included. Little dinosaur hand gloves will be sold along with head puppets which can be used to bite things. It's a pretty solid idea, really, odds are it'll do crazy business with the kids while other toy fans will look at them awkwardly, in a manner that suggests they're trying to escape.
--Adam Pawlus
