SPINOSAURUS - Schleich 2015 Large Size Dinosaur

Schleich's new Spinosaurus presents a striking look in nearly all aspects, clearly separating it from its previous incarnation. Where the earlier release sported drab colors, a basic pose and an uninspired level of detail, this new version takes all of those qualities to the extreme opposite...

Spinosaurus 2015 sports a lavendar color scheme with orange highlights transitioned with a lighter tan between. There are strategic scales painted orange along the flanks and along the top of the snout. The eyes are glossy black and the interior of the mouth is sculpted and painted a nice red. The teeth are individually sculpted and are painted well, though they are fairly blunt (understandable) and misaligned (though not as much as on the Papo Running V-Rex T-rex).

The jaw is articulated, but mine seems a little off at the hinge on the lower jaw (meaning that it isn't lined up perfectly).

The sculpt itself is really quite lovely. You can see all the fine details and variations to make the skin textures all across the snout. The nostrils appear to be placed about midway between the eyes and the tip, about where the ridges begin.

There's a noticeable seam where the top half of the head/neck is glued in place to seal the lower jaw in, but that's the price to pay for a hinged jaw.

The animal is sculpted pretty dynamically, with a really sharp twist of the head as well as the tail towards the left. The result is that the Spinosaurus only measures just under 7" long, while being about 6" tall at the top of its spine crest.

Another interesting result of the pose is the way the hands/feet/claws are done. There are three on the ground, and they are posed in a similar fashion, with the toes splayed wide. The final hand, the one up off the ground, has the fingers close together, and the result is that it looks much smaller, almost like it's out of proportion to the others. It's really not a big deal, but it is noticeable.

Schleich has also added another creative touch to the sculpt along the length of the sculpt. They've sculpted the individual plates of the spine to appear so they twist with the torso. They appear to overlap or flex as needed to accomodate the body. It's really neat, and adds a bit more to the dynamic nature of the pose.

I really like the new Schleich Spinosaurus. It looks great on the shelf and sports a seriously eye-catching design. I think kids would love the new look. Personally, I find the head sculpt a little too "dragon like" when viewed from the side, and with its mouth open, but it's otherwise a terrifically fun update. Much like with the new Giganotosaurus, the artistic license taken here serves to create a visual treat!

Scaled with Papo Standing T-rex.