Review
Torvosaurus Gigantic Thrashers Jurassic World Survival Review
Personally, I was not having any particular expectations from the Torvosaurus. The initial set of images tha were released were not very impressive but it is still a new species introduced in the Mattel lineup. It comes with a novel neck-twist action feature move that we have not seen before in figures this size.
🎮 About the Survival Line
📋 Sculpt Note
About the Toy
1. Sculpt and painting
Paint Scheme: Green, Beige, Gray and Red
The primary figure colour is green and then there is a sudden tone switch to Gray. The overall paintjob on the figure is quite dull looking but still, looks okayish in the Survival line concept.
The head sculpt features vibrant scale detail with varying sizes across different zones: finer texture toward the top of the head, a different style along the lower jaw, and basically, the most fun part of the paint job. The teeth use the newer, softer rubber material and look sharp, but are kids safe.
Moving back from the head, we can see multiple ridges and gray-painted osteoderms begin along the neck and continue down the sides. The skin texture is really good, and the color scheme does not hide it.
The arms, the fingers, and the claws are sculpted nicely, and the claws have a genuine sharp look to them. However, we are yet to see properly painted nails on Mattel figures.
The leg scaling is also very good with lots of different textures, which suits the Survival aesthetic really well.
The tail is one of the figure’s most distinctive visual elements. Rather than a standard smooth or scaly tail, the Survival Torvosaurus has fin-like ridges running along the sides of the tail given a reddish tone of color, creating almost a sail or fin appearance when viewed from the side. This runs the full length of the tail, with the ridges slightly spiky in profile.
2. Action Feature & Articulation
There are two separate action features. The Neck-twist jaw action which is triggered by a button on the shoulder area. It activates a turning motion across multiple neck joints simultaneously, opening the jaw as the neck twists. It is pretty fun and suites the figure design really well.
The second feature is the tail strike. A separate button on the tail produces a tail wiggle strike, which is not as impressive as the neck motion but still a cool move utilizing the very sharp-looking tail fins.
- Jaw (articulated)
- Multiple neck joints (action feature linked)
- Tail (action feature, separate button)
- Arms (forward and back)
- Legs (forward and back)
- Swivel ankles
Verdict Should I buy it?
Definitely a no brainer. The Torvosaurus significantly exceeds its pre-release image quality in hand. Its skin texture is genuinely impressive, the paint covers head to tail, the novel neck-twist action feature is unlike anything Mattel has done before on a Gigantic Thrashers figure, and the red tail fin ridges give it an unmistakable shelf identity. The slightly oversized head and abrupt arm color transition are the only real visual criticisms. As the first Mattel Torvosaurus ever, it is a strong and interesting entry into the line, even if a standard non-mutated version would have been the preference.
How to unlock
How to unlock Torvosaurus Gigantic Thrashers 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 Torvosaurus
"Torvosaurus means savage lizard. One of the largest predatory dinosaurs of the Jurassic, it would have been the apex hunter of the Morrison Formation, living alongside Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Diplodocus."
Torvosaurus is a genus of large megalosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 165 to 146.5 million years ago during the late Middle and Late Jurassic period. Two recognized species exist: Torvosaurus tanneri from the Morrison Formation of Colorado and Wyoming in North America, and Torvosaurus gurneyi from the Lourinha Formation of Portugal, with possible additional specimens from Germany, England, Tanzania, and Uruguay. It was named in 1979 by paleontologists Peter Malcolm Galton and James Alvin Jensen, with the genus name derived from the Latin torvus meaning “savage” or “cruel.”
Torvosaurus was among the largest terrestrial carnivores of the Jurassic period. T. tanneri measured around 9 metres (30 ft) in length and 2 to 2.4 metric tons in body mass, while the European T. gurneyi may have reached up to 10 metres (33 ft) and 4 to 5 metric tons, making it one of the largest known Jurassic predators. Its massive teeth, measured at over 8 inches when fully rooted, were among the largest of any predatory dinosaur outside of Tyrannosaurus. Torvosaurus was a megalosaurid rather than an allosaurid, meaning it belongs to a more primitive lineage than the better-known Allosaurus it coexisted with. It is thought to have been a particularly powerful and aggressive apex predator of its ecosystem.
Yes. The Survival Gigantic Thrashers Torvosaurus is the first Torvosaurus figure Mattel has produced for the Jurassic World toy line.
The figure has two action features. A button on the shoulder area twists the neck across multiple joints and opens the jaw simultaneously, creating a turning-bite motion. A separate button on the tail activates a tail wiggle strike. The neck-twist feature is particularly novel, producing a movement unlike anything seen on previous Mattel Gigantic Thrashers figures.
The Jurassic World Survival line depicts mutated versions of dinosaurs, tied to the Survival PS5 game concept. All Gigantic Thrashers in this line carry exaggerated features including fin ridges, unusual coloration, and modified body proportions. The Torvosaurus retains the basic theropod body plan but adds fin-like tail ridges, reddish highlights, and an exaggerated overall silhouette consistent with the Survival line aesthetic.
Both are Gigantic Thrashers theropods at the same approximate scale and price point. The Chilantaisaurus from Rebirth has a more realistic, non-mutated design with exceptional multi-tone paint. The Torvosaurus has a mutated Survival-line aesthetic with more exaggerated features but a genuinely novel action feature that the Chilantaisaurus does not have. Both are strong figures in their respective lines.
Open the Jurassic World Play App, tap the Scan button, and point it at the DNA barcode on the Torvosaurus figure’s foot.
