Jurassic World Rebirth - ZORA BENNETT!

Jurassic World Rebirth - Spinosaurus Danger Set (Zora & Henry) - Mattel 2025

In 2025's Jurassic World Rebirth, the traditional gender roles of the two main characters swapped. In every movie so far, the lead "hero" was male with a secondary female character being a brainy sidekick (who is also consistently shown as a formidable adventurer, but that's never the primary characteristic). In Rebirth, Scarlett Johansson plays a secret ops agent tasked with leading a dangerous clandestine mission into an abandoned island overrun with dinosaurs. And her sidekick is the brainy paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis played by Jonathan Bailey. The best part about this swap is that I didn't even bat an eye - I only really acknowledged it when I was distributing the accessories in set and assumed all the weapons belonged to the female character - not a subconscious thought I often have. I love how prolific the modern Mattel Jurassic line has been. The actor likenesses are never the best, but the sheer quantity of female figures is amazing. Let's check out Zora Bennett below!

Jurassic World Rebirth - ZORA BENNETT!

Jurassic World Rebirth - Story Pack - Zora Bennett & Velociraptor - Mattel 2025

I thought Jurassic World Rebirth was a refreshing return to what I love about the Jurassic franchise. After years of movies in atypical settings and with casting choices I've grown weary of (not you, Bryce), it was nice to have a stand-alone movie largely taking place in a tropical jungle and with a fantastic cast. From the trailers, I expected there to be a little more of an added Indiana Jones vibe with ancient temples and ruins, but that was unfortunately only one small scene. Scarlett Johansson plays Zora Bennett, a freelance former government operative who is tasked with safely escorting some scientists and civilians on an expedition to an off-limits South American island where the dinosaurs from a former inGen facility have taken over. It's a simple plot and small cast of characters - so the environment and the dinosaurs get their time in the limelight. I just watched it for the second time yesterday as a refresher from this Summer and, although much more enjoyable on a big screen, I still highly enjoy it.

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom - CLAIRE DEARING!

Jurassic World - The Hammond Collection - Claire Dearing - Mattel 2024

I have a pattern where I stockpile figures in my basement - essentially ignoring that I own them - until I realize I've assembled a small group from the same line and feel the urge to open and review them asap. I pretty much buy every female figure in the modern Mattel Jurassic line. That's no small feat considering how many there have been in the 7 years and how many have come in large expensive playsets. As a reference, it took the G.I.Joe line 21 years to produce as many female figures as the Jurassic line did in 7, and a large portion of the G.I.Joes were repaints. Claire Dearing has been a great character in the Jurassic World movies. Of all the main characters, she has shown the most growth; from a (somewhat) heartless businesswoman in a white skirt-suit to a geared-up survivalist and outlaw. The Hammond Collection offers deluxe versions of their 3.75" figures. Claire features swappable parts to give us two of her iconic looks from Fallen Kingdom. Let's check out Claire below!

Jurassic World Dominion - MAISIE LOCKWOOD!

Jurassic World Dominion - Maisie and Velociraptor 'Beta' - Mattel 2022

Maisie Lockwood is a very interesting character. We first met her as Sir Benjamin Lockwood's granddaughter in 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Lockwood was an old associate of John Hammond and we eventually learn that Maisie is in fact a clone of his daughter who had passed away. With the scientific advancements made by the Jurassic World scientists over the years, it shouldn't have been so much of a surprise that someone had attempted to clone a human, but it sure was. By the time Jurassic World: Dominion came out in 2022, she had been taken in by Claire and Owen as their adoptive daughter and hidden away from the same poachers that hunt down all the dinosaurs for their genetic material. She is a surprise focal point of the movie. This figure is especially great for the representation of a teenager - particularly in comparison to her previous figure when she was an adolescent. The subtlety of scale is impressive. Let's check out Maisie Lockwood below!

Jurassic World Dominion - DR. ELLIE SATTLER!

Jurassic World Dominion - Epic Battle Pack - Dr. Ellie Sattler - Mattel 2022

Ellie Sattler was always the most memorable character from Jurassic Park for me. I loved one of the earliest scenes where they are in a jeep entering Jurassic Park and she is so taken aback by the prehistoric leaf she has found that she is not even noticing the dinosaurs. I can totally relate to this level of obsession and distraction. I also loved her acrobatic sprint to turn the power back on and her search for berries in the Triceratops poop. I just thought she was so cool. And I give all credit to Laura Dern, because I had read the book when it came out a few years before and the character barely registered with me. I was very happy to see the original trifecta of Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, and Dr. Malcolm resuming their roles almost 30 years later in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I'm glad so many of the characters got action figures. Ellie was definitely the hardest to get since she's exclusive to a large pricey boxset, but she's worth it. Let's check her out below!

Jurassic World Dominion - KAYLA WATTS!

Jurassic World: Dominion - Kayla Watts & Pyroraptor 2-Pack - Mattel 2022

I really enjoyed Jurassic World: Dominion. I think the franchise has gotten to the point where every viewer has their own specific recipe of expectations for these films that are impossible to live up to. I have several diehard Jurassic fans in my life and they were all highly disappointed, but I was happy. I thought the energy good, the story was engaging, there was a great variety of dinosaurs, and none of the actors (except for Chris Pratt imo) were annoying. That sounds like a successful Summer blockbuster to me. My favorite of the new characters was Kayla Watts. she is an ex-Air Force pilot who now specializes in dino transport. She doesn't have strong allegiances initially but gets pulled into helping Owen, Claire, and Maisie. I recently read that her character was inspired by Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and Sarah Harding - and that totally makes sense and explains the appeal. I wouldn't hate it if she was the lead character in the next movie. She certainly has the screen presence to pull it off. Let's check out Kayla below!

Lost World: Jurassic Park - SARAH HARDING!

Jurassic World Legacy - Dr. Sarah Harding & Stegosaurus - Mattel 2022

Leading up to the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, I made an effort to re-watch all the movies. The surprising thing was I quickly realized I had never actually seen The Lost World: Jurassic Park. My vague memories lead me to think I was protesting the movie because I had read about the differences from the book. I was a pretty big Crichton fan in my teen years and I think I was appalled at the (perceived) insult to the source material. Of course my memories of the book are even fuzzier now and I enjoyed the movie quite a bit now that I finally saw it. Julianne Moore plays Dr. Sarah Harding, a behavioral paleontologist and Ian Malcolm's girlfriend. She is a strong-willed character who puts the pursuit of knowledge before her own safety, much to Malcolm's dismay. She is a great character for a movie like this, because she gets into trouble and is a catalyst for good drama, but she never comes across like a damsel in distress. This toy was unexpected, but much appreciated. Let's check out Sarah below!

Jurassic World Dominion - SOYONA SANTOS!

Jurassic World: Dominion - Release n' Rampage Pack - Mattel 2022

I have tickets to see Jurassic World: Dominion next weekend and I'm very excited. Even if the plots aren't great, and even if certain (popular) unnamed actors annoy the crap out of me, as soon as I see dinosaurs on the big screen I am a kid again watching Godzilla and Ray Harryhausen movies. Surprisingly I didn't see the first Jurassic Park movie in the theatre back in 1993. Rather, I saw it a year or so later at a local auditorium in my hometown where they would play second run movies for free on a big screen, I instantly regretted not seeing it with the full sound and picture experience and vowed never to make that mistake again. This character of Soyona Santos is a mystery. There have been no images of her from the film; only this figure, and a Lego set. Even IMDb only included the character name recently. Dichen Lachman plays Soyona. I am unfamiliar with this actress but her roles in nerdy sci-fi shows is impressive (The 100, Altered Carbon, Supergirl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Being Human, etc)

Jurassic World Dominion - CLAIRE DEARING!

Jurassic World: Dominion - Claire Dearing and Dilophosaurus - Mattel 2022

I love Bryce Dallas Howard. I first took note of her in The Village back in 2004 and she has been a favorite ever since. Every few years I see her in a performance and am in awe of her talent. She's definitely not just coasting on a family name. My favorite was the Nosedive episode of Black Mirror. She was just brilliant in that and I've watched it 10 times. I'm saying all this because I know most people might only know her from the Jurassic World franchise. And as a fan of both the actor and the movies, I can admit that these roles don't utilize her talent to the highest level and therefore she might be underestimated by the audience. But kudos to her for getting that franchise cash and taking on a role that gets you repeatedly immortalized in plastic. This is the third action figure of Bryce as Claire Dearing (plus one Imaginext figure). I know she technically had a figure in the Twilight line as Victoria the Vampire, but I always had a sneaking suspicion that figure was based off actress Rachelle Lefevre who originated the role.

Jurassic Park - LEX MURPHY!

Jurassic World: Legacy Collection - Kitchen Encounter Pack - Mattel 2022

When you watch Jurassic Park, it's easy to focus completely on the dinosaurs. But I was surprised to recently learn that there is only 15 minutes of dinosaur time in the entire movie. What makes the movie so engaging are the human characters. And when you think about those really iconic scenes like the raptors fogging up the glass, the Brachiosaur eating the tree, or the water rippling as the Tyrannosaur approaches, the young characters Lex and Tim are right in the middle of the action. That's why it is so surprising that we haven't seen these two characters in toy form until recently. Tim was released in a big set last year, but Lex just appeared for the first time last month - that's 29 years after the movie hit. On a side note, Ariana Richards plays the lead love interest in Angus, one of my favorite movies from my high school years, so I will always be a fan. The actor likenesses at this scale are never spot-on, but I think this figure captures the spirit of Lex well. Let's check out this long-awaited figure below!

Camp Cretaceous - BROOKLYNN!

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous - Brooklynn & Monolophosaurus - Mattel 2021

When I first started seeing graphics for Netflix's CGI animated series Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, my eye was always drawn to the pink-haired girl in the background. It's interesting that among all the various human characters introduced in the Jurassic franchise, no one has ever sported an alternative look. I guess they don't want the pesky humans stealing attention from the dinos. Not that Brooklyn is even alternative, she just has unnatural hair, but I'm here for it. Brooklynn is a peppy, social-media-savvy travel vlogger. Animated characters that fill those modern 'celebrity' roles are often my least favorite. I don't personally relate to a relentless quest for fame so I find most of the antics and self-absorption annoying. But Brooklyn isn't too bad. Plus I know the intended audience of this show is obsessed with YouTuber (now Tiktok) culture and she's very popular. This figure marks the 8th female from the modern JW line.. and there are 5 more on the horizon! I can't wait. Let's check out Brooklynn below.

Camp Cretaceous - SAMMY!

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous - Sammy & Velociraptor - Mattel 2021

Who would have thought the Jurassic Park franchise would translate well into a kid's cartoon? I was certainly caught off guard. But when you consider the endless appeal of dinosaurs to young audiences, it doesn't surprise me that the JP/JW license would take the reigns. Plus the dinosaur market for the gap age range between preschool and teenager has been inexplicably underrepresented. Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous features a group of kids on special VIP visit (think Willy Wonka's golden ticket) to Isla Nublar, when the events of the movie take place and chaos ensues. It's a great adventure series with diverse characters and a lot of science. On the surface, Sammy is a camper who is super enthusiastic to be on this adventure. But you'll have to watch to see where her story arc goes. She's one of the most interesting campers. I'm excited that Mattel is making all the main characters in their 1:18 line. It's an unexpected but welcome surprise. Let's check out Sammy below!

Camp Cretaceous - YAZ!

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous - Yaz & Velociraptor Blue - Hasbro 2021

I've been hearing good things about Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous on Netflix since it first debuted back in 2020, but I just started watching it this week. I know it's intended for a young audience, but beyond the juvenile banter of the campers, it has some pretty mature and dark themes. The show follows a group of young teenagers at an exclusive camp on Isla Nublar. It seems to take place concurrently within the first Jurassic World movie. The campers are a diverse cross-section of modern youth: a nerd, a rich kid, a vlogger, a dino geek, an antisocial athlete, and an overly energetic cowgirl. Yasmina 'Yaz' Fadoula is the antisocial athlete. I'm only a few episodes in and I'm not yet sure what sport she plays (Track & Field I believe), but she always wears athletic duds, is formidable in the action scenes, and hates having her picture taken and has trouble communicating with the others. There are three female campers, and the other two should be out any day now. Let's check out Yaz below!

Jurassic Park - DR. ELLIE SATTLER!

Jurassic Park - Amber Collection 6" Series - Dr. Ellie Sattler - Mattel 2021

I'm probably alone in this, but my favorite scene from Jurassic Park is when Doctor Ellie Sattler (played by the amazing Laura Dern) is driving into the park for the first time and is distracted by the prehistoric foliage.  The way she reaches out of the moving jeep and grabs a low hanging leaf just reminds me of something I would have done in that scenario. She gets sucked into something that interests her and shuts out the world. It's also one of those classic moments where the female character is discovering something very important and no one is listening. Oh Hollywood. When Hasbro announced the 6" Amber Collection, I immediately started getting excited for Dr. Sattler. I knew she was a shoe-in for inclusion in the line and it was just a matter of time. While none of the actor licenses in this line are particularly great, I still think this is a very fun toy of a very iconic character. I wonder how her Holdo figure scales with this for a potential face-swap. Let's check out Dr. Ellie Sattler below!

Jurassic World Imaginext - MAISIE!

Imaginext – Jurassic World – Indoraptor and Maisie – Fisher-Price 2020

There was one delayed release from 2018's flood of Jurassic World products that I was worried I would never get. I'm a big fan of Fisher-Price's Imaginext line, but I must admit distribution of final assortments can be dicey. I had chalked up this Maisie and Indoraptor set as being lost to the abyss of missed-movie-momentum. But then in Spring of 2020, right as the pandemic lockdown began, she started showing up in discount stores like Big Lots. What was really special about this Maisie figure is that she is the first female Imaginext on a smaller juvenile body. The Indoraptor is also a sought-after toy. The original Indoraptor in the Imaginext Jurassic World line was a big complicated contraption with wheels and posts to simulate a walking action. So this smaller free-standing versions was much more conducive to imagination play. So the rarity of this set, the unique body for Maisie, and the desirability of the dinosaur all convinced me that this set was worth of a post. Let's check out Maisie below!

Jurassic World - ZIA & MAISIE!

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom - Maisie & T-Rex, Zia & Triceratops - Mattel 2018

This quarantine is a affording me a lot of time to go through my basement of unopened toys and finally review a bunch of figures I had skipped over recently. Mattel's Jurassic World and Jurassic Park lines were such a fun and unexpected addition to the toy aisles. It seems that as the years go on, less and less movies have associated toy lines. Back in the day every random movie had toys (Think back to Congo, Virus, Lost in Space, Battlefield Earth, etc. Movies that that would never get merchandise today.) But the new Jurassic properties brought it all back. Not only did they release a wide range of product for the modern movies, but they did a classic line as well with all the characters from the 90's franchise. These two figures, Zia Rodriguez and Maisie Lockwood were late to the line and didn't show up in most stores until well after the movie craze had dwindled. Maisie stayed scarce, but Zia almost became a shelfwarmer (but she still was gone after a couple months). Go figure. Let's check them out below!

Jurassic World - CLAIRE DEARING (v2)!

Jurassic World - Series 02: Claire Dearing & Stegosaurus - Mattel 2018

With my recent long-awaited purchases of the Maisie Lockwood and Zia Rodriguez Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom figures, I realized that I never posted my pictures from this second version of Claire Dearing. This figure is very similar to the original release (the Deluxe Pack with Gyroscope), except that she is wearing a different coat. The coat is repainted yellow and noticeably longer than the previous version and the yellow sleeves are not pushed up like before. I've only seen the movie once (so far) and as far as I can tell she only wears this coat in one brief helicopter ride, but it's a fun variation and I'm glad we got a toy of it. I normally avoid subtle retools, but I think when compared side-by-side, the two variations look significantly different. Plus, I like supporting this line because I would love to see more product. I'm curious to see if we might get some additional figures from the older films now. Sarah Harding, Amanda Kirby, and Kelly Curtis would all make great additions to the line. Let's check out Claire (v2) below!

Jurassic Park Imaginext - DR. SATTLER & CLAIRE!

Imaginext Jurassic World/Jurassic Park - Claire & Dr. Sattler - Fisher-Price 2018

Imaginext is not a toy line that should be overlooked. I've been collecting toys for a long time and I've seen product lines come and go. But there is something special about Imaginext that I think has the potential to outperform some of the most successful action figures lines of all time. They are fun, consistent, very playable, and they are released at a very commendable pace. Many years ago they started releasing licensed figures in the DC SuperFriends brand. But more recently they've branched out and started releasing the likes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Scooby Doo, and now Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. I love how the smaller scales make the actual dinosaur toys more accessible. In the first wave of products we got the classic Dr. Ellie Satter and the current heroine Claire Dearing. I'm hoping we get a few more ladies before the license disappears. I know that main action figure line is getting a Zia and Maisie, so I guess their the most likely to show up next. Let's check out Claire and Ellie below!

Jurassic World - CLAIRE DEARING!

Jurassic World - Deluxe Series 01: Gyrosphere & Claire Dearing - Mattel 2018

There's almost nothing I love more than a phenomenally talented actress. I especially love it when they are from my generation. A few great ones come to mind: Kate Winslet, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, and of course Bryce Dallas Howard. I first saw her back in The Village in 2004 and I was instantly smitten. Something I also love about all these particular actors is that they intermix serious Oscar-worthy roles with lighthearted playful ones. Us nerdy folk probably best know Bryce as Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man 3, Victoria from Twilight, and Claire from Jurassic World, none of which are particularly powerful roles, but if you want a taste of her skills check out the Season 3 premiere of Black Mirror (Nosedive) on Netflix. She is just brilliant. I'm glad that Mattel waited until this second movie to get the license and create a thorough line of action figures. Claire's white executive outfit in the first movie was ridiculously iconic, but I honestly don't won't a toy immortalizing it. Let's check out this more utilitarian version below!

Jurassic Park - DR. ELLIE SATTLER!

Jurassic World Legacy Collection - Series 01 - Dr. Ellie Sattler - Mattel 2018

I love when a new movie in an old franchise comes out and suddenly it prompts toys from all the classic films. When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out, Hasbro dove deep and gave us great action figures from all three previous movies. Then the more recent Power Rangers Legacy series from Bandai did the same thing (and will continue to do so until the property transfers to Hasbro next year). I completely missed out on all the Jurassic Park toys in the 1990s. I was obsessed with the movies and books, but for some reason I never thought to buy a single toy. By the time I had the idea to collect them all years later, they cost too much on the secondary market (mostly the Sarah Harding figure). So I was super excited to see that alongside all the modern Jurassic World figures hitting the shelves, Mattel was unveiling a Legacy collection which would finally give me a Dr. Sattler. Now we just have to hope for a Sarah Harding, Amanda Kirby, etc. Time will tell. Let's check out Ellie below!