Review
Metriacanthosaurus Jurassic World Survival Wild Roar Review
A throwback to 2017 we have had the Metriacanthosaurus in the Mattel Wild Roar line before, but now 9 years later this Survival version is the best looking Metriacanthosaurus Mattel have released. Get ready for a detailed figure like never before with an amazing light up feature, mutated tail and beautiful coloring.
The Tail: The Most Divisive Design Choice
The thagomizer-style spikes on the tail are this figure’s defining Survival mutation and the element most likely to determine whether you buy it. They are numerous, prominent, and unmistakably unusual for a theropod. The tail is long for a Wild Roar figure, which is genuinely a plus, but the spikes dominate the visual and give the figure almost a Kentrosaurus-tail-meets-theropod look that is unlike anything else in the Wild Roar range.
About the toy
1. Paint Scheme and Sculpt
Brown, Light Gray, Dark Orange
The primary brown runs throughout the body with a light gray on the lower jaw that leads down along the underside of the throat.
Moving further back through the hip and thigh, an dark orange accent appears before tapering off into the tail. It is not an especially memorable color scheme overall, but the multiple tones are applied well and the transitions, while not always perfectly gradual, create variety across the figure.
The head sculpt is one of the real strengths of this figure. The scale detail is varied and impressive throughout the face with fine scales and skin texture across most of the face, contrasting with larger rocky osteoderms appearing here and there, scoots over the top of the head, and ridges and osteoderms leading off the back of the jaw.
The Metriacanthosaurus crests are clearly visible. The teeth are kid-safe and made of rubber, although looking quite sharp. The neck transitions from the head with an almost armored look continuing through the back of the neck, complete with scoots and a scoot-like appearance over the top.
Moving through the body, the armored appearance continues with a mix of smaller fine scales and larger rocky osteoderms visible throughout. The wrists are correctly positioned rather than pronated, which is a noticeable and welcome improvement. The fingers are fairly short but the claws are nicely sculpted.
The legs are also looking pretty tough, covered with armored scoots, and osteoderms. Leg articulation is notably stiff and can extend both forward and back to a good range, though there is no outward movement away from the body.
The tail is longer than average for a Wild Roar figure, which personally, I adore. The thagomizer spikes run along the tail from mid-way to the tip, and are numerous enough that they dominate the visual of the tail entirely. The detail within the spikes themselves is well executed. A swivel joint at the base of the tail provides the only tail articulation.
2. Action Feature, Light-Up and Articulation
The Metriacanthosaurus comes with an action feature that activates a head-turning jaw snap with sound effects. The neck articulation is part of this mechanism. The simultaneous inner light-up feature runs through the body and looks really good under normal lighting, but in a dark room it becomes genuinely impressive. The light becomes glows like amber through the body and is one of the best if not the best light-up color in the Survival Wild Roar range.
- Head and neck (turn/jaw snap, action feature)
- Jaw (action feature)
- Amber light-up (body, button activated)
- Arms (forward, back, out away from body)
- Legs (forward and back, stiff but smooth)
- Tail swivel (base only)
Verdict Should I buy it?
Yes. Even though that I can see a lot of collectors dislike the mutated tail it has it charm and mutated look and fits perfectly in the Survival lineup. This is by far the best Wild Roar Metriacanthosaurus Mattel has produced. The wave partners Stomatosuchus and Triceratops display very well alongside it. For Metriacanthosaurus fans specifically, this is a must-have version of the species.
Previous Therizinosaurus Releases
How to unlock
How to unlock Metriacanthosaurus 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 Metriacanthosaurus
"Metriacanthosaurus, known only from fragmentary remains discovered in Dorset, England, remains one of the more enigmatic large theropods of the Late Jurassic. Because no skull has been found, everything about its face is educated guesswork."
Metriacanthosaurus parkeri (meaning “moderately-spined lizard”) is a genus of metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Oxford Clay Formation of Dorset, England, dating to approximately 159 to 154 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period. It is the only metriacanthosaurid currently named from outside of Asia.
The species name honours fossil collector W. Parker, who first discovered the remains near Jordan’s Cliff at Weymouth in the 19th century. The fossil material consists of an incomplete hip, a leg bone, and parts of a backbone: no skull has ever been found, meaning all facial reconstructions including those used by Mattel are based on related Asian species.
The genus takes its name from the Greek metrikos (moderate) and akantha (spine), referring to vertebral spines that are taller than in many other carnosaurs such as Allosaurus but much shorter than in high-spined dinosaurs like Spinosaurus. At one time Metriacanthosaurus was thought to be the same as Megalosaurus, but later studies showed it was different enough to merit its own genus. It is estimated to have reached around 7.5 to 8 metres (25 to 26 feet) in length and over a metric ton in body mass, making it one of the larger predators in the Oxford Clay ecosystem alongside the megalosaurid Eustreptospondylus.
Its closest relatives are Asian metriacanthosaurids including Sinraptor from China. The Survival line’s thagomizer tail is a deliberate mutation, but there is a faint science connection: the real animal’s defining feature is its distinctive vertebral spines, and the Survival designers have taken that spinal theme to an extreme conclusion.
The Jurassic World Survival line depicts mutated versions of dinosaurs, and the thagomizer-style spikes on the tail are this figure’s Survival mutation. Interestingly, while no real Metriacanthosaurus tail is known from the fossil record, the real animal is named for its moderately tall vertebral spines. The Survival designers taking that spinal feature and exaggerating it to a full thagomizer tail is a stretch but not entirely without inspiration from the actual species.
Yes. The Survival Wild Roar Metriacanthosaurus has the most impressive fine detail, correctly positioned wrists, a particularly effective glossy claw treatment, and an amazing light-up feature not present on earlier releases. The thagomizer tail is the one design element that divides opinion.
A button activates a head-turning jaw snap with sound effects, combined with an light-up in the body. In dimmed or dark conditions, the glow is particularly impressive and is one of the more attractive light-up colors in the Survival Wild Roar range.
No. The only known fossils of Metriacanthosaurus consist of an incomplete hip, a leg bone, and parts of a backbone. No skull has ever been discovered, meaning all reconstructions of its face, including the version used by Mattel, are educated guesses based on related species from Asia.
Open the Jurassic World Play App, tap the Scan button, and point it at the DNA barcode on the Metriacanthosaurus feet.
