Perhaps the most surprising addition to the Hammond Collection so far, today we’re looking at the Scutosaurus. Scutosaurus has never appeared in any Jurassic media aside from the Jurassic World: Alive augmented reality game but the Permian pareiasaur has popped up repeatedly in Jurassic franchise toy lines. Kenner was originally going to make one for the Jurassic Park Series 2 toy line, but it was cancelled and only prototype images of it exist. Kenner then released a Scutosaurus in a two-pack with an Estemenosuchus for The Lost World Series 1 toy line. Since getting the license to make Jurassic toys Mattel has produced three Scutosaurus figures. The first was in 2020 but that toy ended up being poorly distributed and highly sought after. Then, in 2023 Mattel released a repaint of their first Scutosaurus (that I reviewed) as part of the JP30 line, with a paintjob that paid heavy homage to the original Kenner Scutosaurus prototype. The Hammond Collection Scutosaurus is the third figure of the genus from Mattel. That’s four Scutosaurus toys in total for a movie franchise it doesn’t appear in.
Aside from the Jurassic Scutosurus toys, the only other mass-produced models of the genus that exist are all older figures that are out of production. They include a vintage figure by Starlux, a simplistic little toy by COG, and a highly sought-after figure by Safari Ltd. Wild Past is the only company that currently makes a Scutosaurus figure, although it seems like it’s only a matter of time before CollectA gives us one too. But all of this makes the efforts from Kenner and Mattel all the more commendable because without them there wouldn’t be very much Scutosaurus representation out there at all. So, while the Scutosaurus is an odd addition to the Hammond Collection, it is certainly a welcome one.
The Hammond Collection Scutosaurus possesses 14 points of articulation. The mouth can open and close and the head is articulated at its base, as well as at the base of its very short neck. The arms are articulated at the shoulders, elbows, and wrists while the legs are articulated at the hips and knees. The very small tail comes packaged detached from the rest of the figure and can rotate about once in place. The joints in the head, neck, and limbs are all universal joints that allow for a surprising amount of versatility on what doesn’t come across as a particularly flexible animal.
The HC Scutosaurus stands about 3” (7.62 cm) tall and measures 6.25” (15 cm) long. One of the largest terrestrial animals of the Permian, the actual Scutosaurus is estimated to have measured up to 9.8′ (3 meters), which puts the figure at 1/18 in scale.
As far as accuracy goes, Mattel does a decent job here. The body is large and barrel-shaped but a bit too short in the trunk. The limbs are stout and sturdy, the tail is short, and the five digits sculpted on each limb are also appropriately short. The compact head is proportionally a bit too large but is decently shaped with flared out cheeks and a broad snout. Mattel somewhat botches the size, number, shape, and orientation of the horns on the maxilla and cheeks, but this is an excellent effort from Mattel overall. I’ve seen some say that the teeth appear too “carnivorous” for an herbivore but the teeth of the actual Scutosaurus were rather pointed and not too dissimilar to what we see here.
The figure is covered in pebbly scales and cracked skin, with a wrinkly underside, and a generous layer of rough osteoderms over the back with a sparser covering over the limbs. The head is appropriately knobby and gnarly. The eyes are yellow glass inserts with black elliptical pupils and look better than they do on previous Hammond Collection toys of this size. The roof of the mouth and tongue are nicely textured, and the teeth are remarkably fine and pointy.
The toy is hunter green with an olive-green underside and dark green splotches across the back. It looks like forest camouflage, and it appears to have been inspired by the Kenner Lost World toy. The teeth are white, and the inside of the mouth is pink with a decent paint application. The horns are creamy white, and the claws are unpainted. It’s a naturalistic and conservative color scheme that suits the toy well.
The Hammond Collection Scutosaurus may have some Jurassic World fans scratching their heads as to why it exists, especially those only interested in the creatures seen on screen, but it should have an appeal to those with an interest in prehistoric life that extends beyond dinosaurs and the Jurassic franchise. For me, this is one of the coolest additions to the Hammond Collection and one of my new favorites. It’s decently accurate, well crafted, and possesses excellent articulation. Highly recommended, I doubt you’ll be seeing an articulated Scutosaurus from anyone else anytime soon.
Unfortunately, this is one of those toys that appears to have had a short window of availability. I feared I had missed out on it myself but was eventually able to get one through Target’s website. Target no longer has it listed, and I doubt they’ll get it in stock again. Although originally $15, it is available on Amazon and eBay for about $25-35 through the secondary market. I still think it’s worth that price and it’s probably only going to get higher. Get it while you can!
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