I’m actually kind of serious when I say “to end all pranks.” Call me a buzzkill, but I do not like practical jokes. The person who is the subject of the prank generally has to be convinced that whatever misfortune just befell them is actually funny, and their acceptance of the humor often seems quite unconvincing. Not my type of humor. (Yes, I have been on the receiving end of more than a few pranks, and I prefer not to pay it forward.)

That said, this velociraptor prank at the very least gets points for serious effort. (It helps to have a programming budget, of course.) (I’m also allowing for the possibility that the whole thing is staged. The camera angles seem awfully obtrusive if the prankee were to remain unsuspecting.) I helpfully assembled it into animated GIFs:

Some commenters wondered how the prankee didn’t notice the obviously human legs sticking out of the bottom of the velociraptor’s body. All I can say is, go watch the video again, and see if you notice the legs at all while that toothy velociraptor face is pointed in your direction.

I do make some exceptions to my anti-prank leanings. Any prank played on Dwight by Jim, or on Gareth by Tim, is acceptable.

Just remember, it’s all fun and games until the target of your prank gets hit by a car trying to escape:

(Yes, that video is fake, but it still serves as an effective warning of the dangers of pranks. [Note that the “accomplice” is Jonas Quinn of Stargate SG-1 fame.])