The media could not be loaded. 2022-2023 Mattel Jurassic World Dino Trackers “Wild Roar” Eocarcharia This is another figure that I am very late on. For whatever reason, it just didn’t peak my interests as much as the others. (That, and this entire line remains annoyingly difficult to find around here.) Amazon recently placed all of these initial “Wild Roar” figures on discount, so I couldn’t pass it up any longer! Eocarcharia is a medium sized Carcharodontosaurid from Early Cretaceous Africa. It had large, blade-like teeth, very similar to those of sharks. This is where Carcharodontosaurs get their name: “shark toothed lizards”. This is a very interesting figure by Mattel. It actually has a pretty decent likeness to a Carcharodontosaurid as far as its skull and body structure. However, Mattel has opted to give it a fluffy coat of feathers. While I personally think it’s perfectly plausible, it just seems like an odd choice to feather a dinosaur which is related to some of the dinosaurs that we know were, at least mostly, featherless. Especially given that they’ve left other animals featherless that were very likely to have had feathers! That said, the detail on this Eocarcharia is exceptional! There is some beautiful scale detail along the snout of the animal. The scalation transitions smoothly and naturally to feathering just past the eyes. A triangular patch of feathers starts atop the head, and flows back into full feathers. There’s a bit of a feathery crest at the back of the head, which flows down the neck almost like a mane. That same feathery detail continues across nearly the entire figure. The only unfeathered areas are the underbelly, and underside of the tail, as well as the front of the arms, and the backs of the legs. All of these areas trade in feathers for traditional scalation. I particularly like the pebbly scales on the legs, and the way the feathers hang realistically on the tail. Articulations are the standard for the “Wild Roar” assortment. The arms can move forward and back, and can swing outward. The legs can also move forward and back, and can pivot outward slightly. The tail can also rotate, but that movement is pretty much pointless. The rest of the movements are tied to the action features. To activate the actions, simply move the switch ( located on the back of the toy) right or left. The dinosaur moves and roars more aggressively the further you move the switch. Along with the roar, the head twists and bites. It’s not my favorite action gimmick, but it’s a decent one. The paint applications on this one are actually pretty good. It definitely looks much better in person. The coloration is said to be a mountain camouflage, and I guess this would work well on a snowy mountaintop. However, it looks like it would be more at home in the arctic! I like the splashes of red on the head, especially around the eyes. The eyes themselves are a bit weird, and is the biggest thing that turned me off from this figure for so long. The way the pupils are designed just looks unnatural, and I still don’t care for it. I do like that there is some black between the red patch on the face, and the eyes themselves. The eyes would just blend into the red otherwise. However, it also gives it an almost eyeliner effect. This makes it look a bit like a mime to me. Another issue I have is the transitions between the light and dark colors. It’s just a sudden stop. I wish the colors had been blended for a smooth transition. My favorite bit of coloration is the tip of the tail. Not only is it a major relief to actually have some tail paint, but I also love the way it is applied. While this certainly isn’t my favorite from Dino Trackers, it’s still a solid figure, and I regret putting it off for so long. It’s well worth a purchase for any collector who has been holding back like I was!
