Where does one even start with something as outlandish as this Xenosaurus..? It’s from Mexico. It’s weird and it’s lurid. It’s a bootleg action figure bootlegged from another toy which itself was a rip off of another unlicenced product that has its inspirational origin in fan art. Sure, that’s a mouthful but it’s a good place to start and sets the “WTF?” tone for this genuine oddity. Let’s take a closer look and gain a better understanding of this thing.
This toy is packaged as disassembled parts inside a 7 inch tall, translucent green Alien egg along with a couple of accessories. While you will need to piece it together yourself fortunately, it’s an easy process. That’s a good thing too, as no accompanying documentation exists in any form, whatsoever. When assembled, it has an overall length of 7 inches. This toy, for lack of any form of documentation and for want of a better name, I shall thusly dub, “X-Raptor”, simply for the ease of discussing it. It’s kind of what you might get if an Alien crossed with a dinosaur along with a colour selection as chosen by your neighbour’s four year old child. So, yeah. I’ll go with that.
Importantly, I’m using “X-Raptor” as a moniker for this item not just because the toy has no name but it definitely displays characteristics of, well, a “raptor” – or dromeaosaurid dinosaur to be more accurate. The basic morphology is there. The bipedal stance, the long rigid tail; and the clawed hands. It is “raptor-like” right down to the cruel enlarged sickle claws mounted on the toes of its feet. All given a biomechanical Xenomorphic make over. So, yeah. X-Raptor, for want of any real name as provided by the manufacturer will suffice. It also ties in thematically with Rebor’s wonderful X-Rex from which this item is derived and ultimately owes its existence.
It’s a fun item, if dubious in every way imaginable. The translucent plastic orange parts are highlighted in flourishes of bright green and dark blue paint creating a stark contrasting effect capped with silver tips applied to the toe claws to complete the lurid presentation. It’s wonderful stuff, just like a child’s kindergarten finger paint pictures. Surprisingly, it has a good range of articulation once assembled. The jaw opens and closes on a hinge, both arms rotate – as do both legs at the hips; and so too, do both feet rotate at the ankles. It’s a good set of movement for a weird little bootleg Alien dinosaur, um… thingie. It’s more than expected on an item of this nature and substantially more than what is offered on the original Rebor X-Rex figure on which it is derived which itself is largely statically posed.
Of course no action figure would be complete without accessories and surprisingly this item is well endowed in this area. Included in the package are a pair of equally dodgy extras that serve to amplify the questionable quality of this product. Included is a dinky little Predator and he’s a mini figure in his own right. So, let’s check him out, too.
He is intended to be used a mounted rider on the X-Raptor’s back, as suggested by his bowed legs and downward pointing toes. Except, he won’t fit anywhere on the X-Raptor’s back. Not at all. There is no provision whatsoever on the X-Raptor to allow the little guy to be seated. He won’t stand up on his own, either. Any independent ability on his part to remain erect on his own two feet is completely negated by his downward pointing toes and he will just fall over. He just doesn’t work. At all. At least he does have some articulation and will rotate at the waist. Not that it improves his ability to sit or stand. He can just lie down or be propped up against another object but any expectation he will serve the purpose he is intended is simply not met. Very strange. Then again, it is from Mexico and I learned a long time ago this simple fact is all you need to know and it explains everything on display here. Naturally.
Also included in the package is a small egg. It has a facehugger sculpted onto one side and it’s all somewhat rough, but I’m good with that. It’s simple and fun. Then there’s the wonderful package all this strange stuff is sold in. It’s a 7 inch tall egg that splits in half across the middle to access the contents within. This kind of thing has been done previously by various companies, Super7, Loyal Subjects come to mind along with several others. Except this Mexican “eggtainer” goes one step further. Underneath can be found a small switch which will operate a set of red, green and blue LEDs. The coloured lights will cycle through three different modes when activated: slow, medium and fast. It’s a light show that fully complements and completes an already odd product. So yes. The big egg lights up. It’s quite a light show.
Each of these accessories are all cast in the same translucent plastic and painted in a matching slipshod quality as the X-Raptor, itself; and I’ve long come to expect such quality from Mexican makers of these dubious products so I am duly rewarded with my expectations. The strengths here are in the weaknesses.
There’s always some head scratching and eyebrow raising when handling unlicenced Mexican product like this. This bootleg X-Raptor toy here is no exception. I think there is only one real disappointment to be observed from this item and Mexican bootleggers can’t be held responsible. This item was never made by Kenner during the 1990s and that’s saddening because the X-Raptor would have been a delight and right at home with all the other weird and wonderful, properly licenced and authorised ALIENS toys Kenner actually did manufacture that decade. Scorpion Aliens. Mantis Aliens. Bull Aliens. Rhino Aliens… Kenner did the lot. All they needed was Dino Aliens.
Where is our Mexican tribute X-Raptor, NECA? Where..?
Score: 8/10
This piece of weird junk is not normal. Well, if it was normal then it wouldn’t be “alien”, now, would it? …and that’s why I love it. It’s a long, long LONG way from being perfect but all of its inherent deficiencies add up to anomalous comedic virtues, all in its favour. It adds up to a very special kind of strangeness that can only come from Mexico.
