Carnegie Baryonyx Review

Looking at Safari Ltd.'s shop listing, you would think this model would stand on two legs, in a full bipedal stance.

Used with written permission from Safari Ltd.

So, when my Baryonyx arrived in the mail, I was disappointed to find that he needed to either rest forward on a front leg (with the other hovering very near the ground) or on his tail.  His tail seems a bit longer and thinner than in the product image as well.

Compared to the Schleich and Invita Baryonyx produced, though, I find this model more realistic, as it does try to avoid the now outdated quadruped stance.

I would prefer it to be completely in a bipedal stance, and hope to soon give mine some plastic surgery and see if I can get him to balance well enough to stand on his hind legs alone.  Look how handsome he is as a biped (with a little help from me).

Based on a 2008 review by Dino Toy Blog, this model seems to have gotten a slight upgrade since that model was produced.  The model still seems a little on the thin side in the top view, but it's tail is less curved in the top view.  I do love the slight curve from tail to head of the model as seen from the top.

The best upgrade in my opinion is the head, face and mouth which now has far more detail, including individually sculpted teeth instead of painted teeth on a solid gum line.

The eye does remain a solid black, which I personally find attractive, if not necessarily accurate.  The tiny ear hole, outlined with orange is also a nice touch.  I do wish the snout had a bit more of the unique angle found in the fossils, but they did at least try to include it to a degree in the model.

The paint color seems to have gone through a minor change as well, though the green hasn't changed much, the quite attractive markings have gone from a chocolate brown to a orange-brown tone.  Of course, we don't know the color of the Baryonyx, so color is merely artists license, but it is nice to see something a little different than your normal solid brown or green.

The belly is now a lighter green as opposed to yellow and the claws are a dark yellow instead of white.

Aside from the the fact that the Baryonyx must rest on it's front legs, the front legs seem quite realistic in comparison to the fossils.  The distinctive claw that gives them their name is done well.

The hind legs are well muscled, but the feet aren't even in the right position to appear that it is in a bipedal stance.  The toes actually don't make contact with the floor when the front foot is resting on the ground.  I hope to correct this in my own model as well, in hopes that lowering the toes will allow him to stand without the need for his front feet, leaving them free to fish.

The bottoms of the feet are also sculpted, not just being flat but including detail.  The feet may be slightly small in comparison with the rest of the body, but since the feet bones are missing from the fossils found to this point, it is hard to tell if they are realistic or not.

The thing I really like about this model in comparison to some of the others, in addition to the realism compared to the skeletons, is the "action pose" of the model.

Unlike the static quadrupeds  this Baryonyx looks like he was captured in motion.  With one foot forward, ready to snag a fish out of the water and his mouth open and ready to bite, this model is ready for action.

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