Well, with yet another Jurassic World movie coming out this summer, I figured I had better review this toy now rather than later. Yes, it’s another of the many Tyrannosaurus rex variants that Mattel has churned out since 2018. Specifically, it’s the Hunt ‘n Chomp one from the 2023 Dino Trackers series. Its normal retail price has been $55-$60 Canadian, which I would not have gone for. However, I just so happened to come across one at an Indigo store a year or so ago that was on clearance for $24. I ended up giving to my younger son for his fifth birthday earlier in this year and he was quite pleased with it. So much so that it has the distinct honour of residing in his bedroom as opposed to in the basement with most of the other Mattel toys.
This T. rex measures 50 cm long and stands 19.5 cm tall when posed in a horizontal stance, making it about the same size as the Extreme Chompin’ and Extreme Damage versions and smaller than the Epic Roarin’ one, as shown in the images below. The build and sculpt are basically the same as those first two, with an overly long neck, undersized torso, really oversized feet, and of course, the same familiar head. The body is covered in lots and lots of wrinkles, with scutes covering the feet and twin ridges running down the neck, torso, and tail. The head is scaly and bumpy with visible scars around the mouth. The palate is ribbed, the tongue is slightly bumpy, and the rows of teeth are rubberized. And there’s no scars on the neck and torso, so that’s one sign that this individual is definitely not old Rexy.
The colour scheme is an even bigger sign. While most of the toy is coloured the usual light brown with very minimal grey wash, there’s a large splash of sandy yellow over the cranium, neck, and back. Dark brown stripes run from the neck to the hips. The hind claws are a different shade of dark brown. And a third shade of dark brown is used for the large patches over the orange eyes. The teeth are yellowed and the mouth is maroon. Mattel officially calls it “desert terrain deco” and while it’s not a radically different colour scheme from many of their other T. rexes, it is enough to make this one stand out.
The arms rotate at the shoulders, the legs ratchet at the hips, and the feet rotate inward a bit–although really, what’s the point of even doing that? The tail is on a ball joint at the base which allows it to be moved up, down, and from side to side, which I rather like. The pull-out scannable “tracking code” is concealed along the spine just before the hips.
Pushing firmly on the large button located on top of the hips causes the T. rex‘s head and neck to cock rapidly to the left, its jaws to open and close shut, and one of several distinct roaring sounds to emanate from its body. Pushing the button a second time just as firmly causes the head and neck to cock to the right and activates a different roar sound. While it’s a fun enough gimmick, I personally don’t like how the jaws only open for a split second before clamping shut again. I like it better when a toy’s jaws remain open so long as your finger’s pressing on the button. But then, this isn’t my toy, and its true owner has not yet expressed any dissatisfaction with it, so there you go.
Finally, here’s the dark brown tracking/control harness, similar to the ones that came with the Elasmosaurus and the Sinotyrannus. It attaches over the T. rex‘s head and neck, and thankfully does not impede the gimmick in any way. Both my sons have declared that the small tube on the left side of the harness is in fact a powerful laser blaster, and that strikes me as far more fun than a mere control device. After all, the only thing cooler than sharks with lasers attached to their heads is a Tyrannosaurus rex with a laser attached to its head.
Overall, I don’t reckon that the Hunt ‘n Chomp T. rex is the very best tyrant that Mattel has come up with, but it’s most definitely a solid one that any dinosaur-loving child would thoroughly enjoy playing with. For certain I would have adored it when I was a lad. It is still available online as well as in physical stores here and there, so you shouldn’t have much trouble adding it to your own collection if you so desire.
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