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What is the Mr. DNA Funko POP?
The Mr. DNA Funko Pop is part of the Jurassic Park Funko Pop lineup. Funko is a company that offers a massive line of collectible figures covering a wide range of licensed likenesses from sports stars to comic book characters to historical figures and much more. In this case, Mr. DNA is represented by a clear head in the classic Funko Pop! form, displaying the Mr. DNA face mounted on his multicolored form representing a chain of DNA.
But Who is Mr. DNA?
The Mr. DNA character first appeared in the initial installment of the classic Jurassic Park series in 1993. The film was adapted from the equally excellent novel by Michael Crichton. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring the like of Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neil, Laura Dern, etc. was a megahit at the time.
This movie was just so cool when it dropped. Resurrecting dinosaur DNA to build a dinosaur zoo was an awesome concept to start with. And, at a time when technology was evolving at an incredible pace, it seemed entirely reasonable that this outlandish theme may prove quite possible in the not so distant future. Tap Spielberg as director and computer graphics technology that had just begun to look convincing and there’s no wonder it was a major blockbuster, grossing over $900 million worldwide, a record at the time.
Mr. DNA really kicked off the story in that original film that’s ultimately driven the basic plot of the entire series, now including 6 feature films. A group of experts has been assembled mysteriously on a tropical island by a wealthy donor, John Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough. Mr. DNA is the animated character employed in the theme park’s welcome video to help explain how these creatures have been brought back from extinction.
His appearance marks the point in the film where the visitors begin to understand the gravity of the scientific advancement that Hammond has made and the situation they’ve been dragged into. Mr. DNA is really a fantastic aid in simplifying what would be a very complicated explanation of how Hammond’s researchers were able to successfully clone fossilized DNA, jumping the plot forward so that we can move on to the more engaging stuff.
Where Else has MR. DNA Appeared?
After that initial appearance, the Mr. DNA took a bit of a sabbatical until he turned up in Jurassic Park: the Game in 2011. He then started popping up a little more frequently again with the Jurassic World iteration of the franchise in 2015, appearing now in children’s books, the Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous kids show released on Netflix in 2020, and of course the Funko Pop!.
The Collectability of the Mr. DNA Funko POP
So beyond being a great character, a bit subtle, but deeply relevant to Jurassic Park fans and the Jurassic Park franchise in general, he also represents something of a classic moment in film history. This character ticks a lot of the boxes I’m interested in when evaluating a Funko character. It speaks to the true fan of the franchise it represents. It speaks to a broader historical topic. It has the capacity to elicit a powerful emotional response to those familiar with the character.
This isn’t a character that stands out like some of the others. Some younger fans may not really recognize him at all. Still, when you rewatch the classic first installment, the Mr. DNA animation is such a core element of the film, it just highlights Mr. DNA here as a perfect Pop target. I love the kind of figure where it can sit on a desk unnoticed until another true fan comes through and it just clicks, “oh shit that’s Mr. DNA.” That’s a big part of why this ends up being my favorite of the Funko Pop Jurassic Park lineup, narrowly beating out Ian Malcolm (Wounded), whom I prefer to think of as Ian Malcolm (Thirsty).
Seriously, it’s a tough choice. The Jeff Goldblum thirst trap shot has always appealed to me personally as wonderfully cheeky and this Pop portrays it in excellent fashion. He presents so calmly after being gravely injured by a Tyrannosaurus-Rex attack.
Are there variants of the MR. DNA Funko Pop?
There are 2 versions of this pop, the standard and the Diamond version, both originating from Target. Diamond version Pop! vinyls are a variant that has been dusted in glitter, presumably with a shorter production line, but production numbers are not released, so I wouldn’t count on it. If you’re unfamiliar with the common variants, take a quick peek at Funko’s official breakdown. As of this writing, the Diamond version of this particular Pop! actually looks to be a little easier to get ahold of.
When was the Mr. DNA Funko Pop Released?
Funko launched its Jurassic Park line in November of 2018 with the release of the Dennis Nedry and Dilophosaurus combo. This duo illustrates another iconic moment in the film, but we’ll leave the details of that to another day. Mr. DNA is a more recent addition to the lineup though with a release date of January 31st 2022
Mr. DNA is still pretty easy to find with a price tag in the $15-$20 range. Last I checked, they’re available through Amazon or the Target website.
Where can I get a Mr. DNA Funko Pop?
Mr. DNA Unboxing
I do understand a little of the criticism I’ve read on the actual structure of the Pop itself. It’s a little tough to identify this already obscure character. However, I think they really did the best they could in maintaining the funko form while approaching the character itself. Funko will always have trouble with characters with small heads and this character has barely any head at all.