Older collectors no doubt remember the Land of the Lost TV series that ran from 1974-76 and younger collectors are probably aware of the 2009 film adaptation of the show, starring Will Ferrell, but in-between the two there was a reboot of the show that only 90’s kids probably remember. Also titled Land of the Lost, the show was created by Sid and Marty Krofft, who produced the original series. The show ran for two seasons on ABC, from 1991-92. Reruns were later aired on Nickelodeon.
I watched Land of the Lost as a kid and remember it well…I remember that it was pretty awful. The dinosaurs were its only redeeming quality. They were made with stop motion and puppets and looked decent for a 90’s kid’s show, but they also didn’t get much screen time. Recently, I saw the show being talked about on social media and learned that it had its own toy line. As a veteran dinosaur collector, I have no idea how it escaped my notice. My interest piqued, I immediately set off to eBay to see what was out there and discovered that they had a T. rex! Most of them were priced pretty high but there was one within my budget and after some hemming and hawing I decided to purchase it. Knowing that I could review it here also motivated me.
This toy is of Scarface, the Tyrannosaurus rex that constantly threatened the show’s protagonists. Scarface was basically a reboot of Grumpy, the Tyrannosaurus from the original show (and later movie). Scarface is blind in his right eye and has a giant scar running down it. With his white eye, scar, and menacing toothy grin, Scarface was a memorable character. Scarface wasn’t a tail dragger, but he stood at an angle, somewhere between a taildragger and the horizontal T. rex that wasn’t as prevalent in pop culture in 1991 as it would be two years later.
The Scarface toy was made in 1992 by Tiger Toys. He stands about 7.5” (19.05 cm) tall and a switch on the back makes his eyes glow red and repeatedly roar a Godzilla-esq roar. His arms move up and down, and his head turns left and right. My daughter says that it’s creepy and “demonic” despite a shelf in my room overflowing with dinosaur action figures. It makes for a neat little animatronic, but the roar quickly gets annoying. It’s kind of odd that both the eyes glow when one of them is supposed to be blind but it’s best not to overthink these things.
To be fair, my daughter’s assessment of the toy is not entirely unwarranted. The toy has a somewhat unsettling visage, with a wide toothy grin, and large soulless eyes that are made creepier by the glowing effect. Scarface looks like he wants to cause harm and would enjoy doing it. The snout is short, and the head is rounded with the eyes perched high atop the head, like a frog.
The toy is retro in appearance, as you should expect from a 33-year-old toy, but it looks even older than that. Like it’s from the 1950’s. It brings to mind other retro rexes, like the Sinclair Dinoland Tyrannosaurus, the T. rex sculpture in Cabazon California (made famous in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure), and the T. rex from Carnosaur, among other old dinosaur flicks. Fans of vintage dinosaurs should find a lot to appreciate here.
Scarface is wide in the hips thanks to the battery compartment, and the wide-legged stance also makes him stable. The legs can lock into place at various points and can rotate almost all the way around, but the arms prevent them from doing a complete 360. You can make him stand tall, sit down, or bend down for a snack.
Scarface is mostly detailed with large polygonal scales that look like dry cracked earth. His underside is detailed with wrinkles, as are his arms and legs below the knees. He has prominent bony bosses over his eyes, and his right eye has a wrinkled gash running down it. A ridge of scutes runs down the center of his head, neck, and back. Scarface is painted dark gray with a pale gray underside. His scar, teeth, and claws are all white.
Unfortunately, Scarface does have five visible screw holes along his back. I also think that it’s kind of lame that his mouth cannot open. Sure, it’s cool that his arms waggle around, but I think kids would have had more fun with him if his mouth wasn’t sculpted shut. Those are my only negative criticisms about the toy and considering its age they’re easy to dismiss.
This toy is easy to find on eBay for about $40-60 but I was able to get mine (in working condition) for $20. It’s worth staying vigilant for a bargain. Boxed specimens seem to go for hundreds of dollars, but the retro style box art is absolutely fantastic and might be worth pursuing for diehard fans of the show.
Scarface is a neat old-fashioned action figure from a long-forgotten toy line and TV show. Whether you’re a fan of the 90’s Land of the Lost or not, this Tyrannosaurus should appeal to collectors of vintage and unique dinosaur toys. Sadly, Scarface is really the only decent dinosaur that the toy line had to offer. Other dinosaurs in the line include a “pterodactyl” (Pteranodon) glider with a 29” wingspan, and a Triceratops and Muttaburrasaurus that are really just tweaked Definitely Dinosaurs Playskool toys. The show also featured a Stegosaurus and broken-horned Triceratops and it’s a shame that fun action figures weren’t made of those characters. I have no interest in collecting more Land of the Lost toys, but Scarface will look quite at home chilling with my Tyco dinosaurs.
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