Review
Cryolophosaurus Jurassic World Survival Wild Roar Review
👑 This might be my favourite figure from the entire Survival line so far. The Cryolophosaurus Wild Roar is one of the single most striking-looking figures Mattel has ever produced. Vivid blue body, glowing yellow crest, quill and spine detailing along the back, lips, and a light-up feature that reveals a hidden speckling pattern only visible in complete darkness. Everything about this figure is exceptional.
⭐ Why This Figure Stands Out
The light blue sits against the yellow of the crest in a way that looks genuinely striking. The spiny quills along the back and neck add Survival-line distinctiveness without being as divisive as the thagomizer tail on the Metriacanthosaurus. The lips give the face a modern, almost predatory elegance. The dark gray markings over the snout and around the eye socket add depth to the face. The darker greenish-blue at the tail tip adds a finishing color note. In hand, at almost any angle, this figure makes a lasting impression.
About the toy
1. Paint Scheme and Sculpt
Paint Scheme: Blue, Yellow and Dark Gray
The vivid blue primary body is the most eye-catching element of the color scheme and one of the more striking base colors in the Survival Wild Roar range. Dark gray stripes over the snout, circles around the eye socket, and stripes downward, creating a patterned face that reads well from any angle.
The yellow of the cranial crest is vivid and, given the translucency of parts of the figure, appears almost to catch the light differently from the rest of the head, making it pop naturally. The darker greenish-blue at the tail tip is a lovely finishing detail and one of the figure’s best touches.
The head sculpt features impressive and varied scale detail throughout. From fine scales with osteoderms appearing here and there, larger scales visible along the jawline, scoots moving over the snout, and the nostrils sculpted clearly. The cranial crest is the defining feature and is rendered well, with the yellow paint applied cleanly and the crest elevated prominently above the skull in the transverse orientation characteristic of the real Cryolophosaurus. The lip presence is something I specifically love on this figure. The blue body and yellow crest, the lips give the face an unexpected detail that is just gorgeous.
The mouth closes with a slight gap visible, which is a minor imperfection but not distracting. The teeth are made of rubber material with a light yellow or off-white paint on both jaws.
Moving into the neck, the skin texture varies considerably, with bumpier scales and osteoderms at the top and finer detail toward the throat. The quills or spines along the top of the neck and back are the defining Survival mutation on this figure and they work exceptionally well. They look look quite sharp and painful to step on, but are rather flexible with just a sharp look without being dangerous.
The arms are held close to the body in a natural position and are made from a slightly rubbery material throughout. Arm articulation covers forward, back, and out away from the body. Muscle definition in the arm is visible and the elbow is sculpted cleanly.
The have one genuine complaint, though. The tail is far too short. The tail just looks way too short to have a purpose. It is painted in a darker greenish-blue coloration at the tip, which is genuinely attractive color combination.
2. Action Feature, Light-Up and Articulation
The light-up feature on this figure does something genuinely unusual. In normal lighting, it runs through the neck and stomach with a reasonably visible glow. In dimmed lighting, it improves considerably. But in complete darkness, it reveals a hidden speckling pattern across the body: slight variations of color and light intensity that are completely invisible under normal conditions, creating the impression of a bioluminescent texture embedded within the figure.
It looks like a hidden design is suddenly revealed. This speckling effect is not present on the figure’s surface in normal light and only becomes visible through the light-up mechanism, making it one of the most interesting light-up implementations in the Survival Wild Roar range.
The action feature is activated by a button and causes the neck to lift upward as the jaw snaps open, producing a strike-from-above motion that suits the Cryolophosaurus well. Sound effects accompany both the action and the light-up.
- Head and neck (lift upward, action feature)
- Jaw (snap open, action feature)
- Light-up with hidden speckling (body)
- Sound effects
- Arms (forward, back, out away from body)
- Legs (forward and back, stiff but smooth)
- Tail swivel (base only)
Verdict Should I buy it?
Without hesitation. The Cryolophosaurus Wild Roar is the best Mattel Cryolophosaurus ever produced and one of the most visually striking figures in the entire Survival line. The blue and yellow color combination is genuinely beautiful, the quill and spine detailing along the back is this Survival mutation at its best, the lips add character to the face, and the hidden light-up speckling pattern is a genuinely remarkable detail that rewards collectors who experience it in the dark. The short tail is a bit of a bummer, but not so bad to ruin the overall amazing impression.
Previous Cryolophosaurus Releases
How to unlock
How to unlock Cryolophosaurus Wild Roar in Jurassic World Survival Collection?
Open up your Jurassic World Play App (previously known as the Jurassic World Facts App), press the Scan button and point it towards the DNA code here:
3. About the Cryolophosaurus
"Cryolophosaurus ellioti is the first carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered in Antarctica. Its transverse cranial crest, curving forward and fanning outward above the eyes, prompted field researchers to nickname it Elvisaurus."
Cryolophosaurus ellioti (meaning “frozen crested lizard”) is a genus of large theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic Hanson Formation of Antarctica, dating to approximately 196 to 188 million years ago. It was the first carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica, excavated from Mount Kirkpatrick in the Transantarctic Mountains by paleontologist William Hammer and his team during the 1990 to 1991 austral summer, some 4,000 metres above sea level and approximately 640 kilometres from the South Pole. The species was formally named and described in the journal Science in 1994 by Hammer and William Hickerson, with the species name honouring geologist David Elliot, who made the initial discovery.
Cryolophosaurus was one of the largest theropods of the Early Jurassic, with the known subadult estimated at 6 to 7 metres in length and 350 to 465 kilograms in mass. Its most distinctive feature is a forward-facing fan-shaped crest that rose from the top of the skull just in front of the eyes, furrowed with ridges rather than smooth-surfaced. Unlike the paired lengthwise crests of Dilophosaurus, the Cryolophosaurus crest runs transversely across the skull, which is unique among known crested theropods. This transverse crest earned the animal the nickname “Elvisaurus” among researchers for its resemblance to the hairstyle of Elvis Presley. The crest is thought to have served a display function in species recognition and territorial or breeding contests. During the Early Jurassic, Antarctica was considerably warmer than today, with temperate forests and seasonal daylight variation, and Cryolophosaurus would have been the apex predator of its ecosystem, likely hunting early sauropodomorphs such as Glacialisaurus.
Cryolophosaurus ellioti was the first carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica, living approximately 196 to 188 million years ago during the Early Jurassic. Its distinctive cranial crest runs transversely across the skull rather than lengthwise like most crested theropods, fanning forward and outward above the eyes in a shape that researchers compared to the hairstyle of Elvis Presley, earning it the affectionate nickname Elvisaurus.
Yes. The light-up feature activates with the action feature button and runs through the neck and stomach area. In normal lighting, it is visible. In dimmed conditions, it improves significantly. In complete darkness, it reveals a hidden speckling pattern not visible under normal light, creating a bioluminescent effect with slight color variation across the body.
The action feature activates a neck lift and jaw snap with sound effects. The neck raises upward as the jaw opens, mimicking a strike-from-above attack. The light-up feature triggers simultaneously.
The short tail is a design choice rather than a species-accurate feature and is the figure’s most disappointing aspect. No clear explanation is apparent from the Survival line design premise. The Metriacanthosaurus from the same wave has a noticeably longer tail, making the contrast with the Cryolophosaurus particularly stark.
Open the Jurassic World Play App, tap the Scan button, and point it at the DNA barcode on the Cryolophosaurus foot.
