Jurassic World

Dancing Jeep to Jeep: 76958 Dilophosaurus Ambush vs 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery

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Nobody will deny that Dinosaurs are the principal non-human characters in Jurassic Park. They make the place unique and provide the narrative with a sense of drama. The humans share in their part of the heroics, but the Dinosaurs steal the show. There is, however, something else that contributes to the Character of Jurassic Park: The vehicles. They give the humans a way to travel at speeds that might be able to escape a rampaging Raptor, a terrifying Tyrannosaurus or a stationary Stegasaurus… wait- scratch that last one.

After years of waiting, the iconic Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler – used as a utility vehicle around the park – has finally arrived in LEGO® form, in not just one, but two sets.

They are 76958 Dilophosaurus Ambush and 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery. Priced at $USD19.99/AUD42.99 and $USD79.99/AUD139.99, respectively, they represent the entry-level and premium sets in the range. One comes with a single minifigure, while the other has 3; one has a small side build, while the other dedicates half its part count to a most delightful tree. But they both have a JEEP WRANGLER, and that is what I want to focus on today.

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Jurassic world Dominion: 75950 Triceratops Pickup Truck Ambush

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One of the challenges, when LEGO Sets come out a couple of months ahead of a cinematic release, is the lack of context for the sets. Some might be alluded to in the trailer, others portraying part of a massive set piece in the action while others might represent a scene that never occurred, but provides an opportunity to include figures and dinosaurs that were featured in the movie.

An advantage of the sets coming out well in advance is the way that people are unlikely to have had their opinions influenced by the actual critical reception of the movie.

I have just come home from seeing Jurassic World Dominion, and while it was a passable film, it seemed a little unsure of its identity: Family Drama; Bond Film; Action; Monster Movie; conspiracy fodder or an ethical fable. Yes to all. And possibly also no. The Story was passable, and ultimately made sense, but there was none of the wonder that we had when we first saw Jurassic Park. Perhaps they have just become so good at their job that we have become complacent: Of course that creature looks like a dinosaur. If it did’t, we wouldn’t be doing our job.

Ultimately, Jurassic World sets are about providing an opportunity for consumers to pick up LEGO Dinosaur toys. Sticking to the film is not too important.

Today we take a look at set 76950: Triceratop Pick up Truck Ambush. This set has 210 pieces and has a list price of $79.99AUD/$39.99 USD.

So, while the star if this set is the Triceratops, what else do we have, and what’s missing?

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76956 T. Rex Breakout [Hands On Review]

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It’s the mid 90’s, Ann (Knoller-in-Chief and fundamental emotional support for The Rambling Brick) and I are visiting some friends: she is a former work colleague of Ann’s. He is an audiophile, and has just bought a brand new CD Player, sound processor and a sub-woofer. We are listening to a demonstration CD including a collection of recordings, including amongst other things, the 1812 Overture – one of the gold standards up to this time for testing the bass response of your Hi-Fi system. Included on the CD is an audio extract from Jurassic Park – from around the 1 hour, 2 minutes and 10 second mark. The sound of running water – the rain – and a low frequency boom. Another. And Another. The glass of wine on the table starts to vibrate, and I am taken back to that night in the cinema a few years earlier. Lightning flashes, thunder sounds, and the Dinosaur roars before the track ends and the sound shifts onto the Blue Danube. At least I think it was the Blue Danube. It was a while ago and I was having a delightful evening.

But that scene: drama and danger, screaming and the shouting preceded by a low ground vibration remains one of the iconic scenes of the film. The T.Rex breaks through the no-longer-electrified fences, scaring the kids, eating the insurance company’s lawyer and knocking the car hither and tho. This new set, available in late April/early May, 2022 (pre order now on LEGO.com in some markets), has 4 minifigures and 1212 pieces. I am grateful to the LEGO Group’s AFOL Engagement team for sending me a copy for early review.

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“LEGO Jurassic World:Legend of Isla Nublar” Mini Series and Sets Announced [News]

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We continue the week of New York Toy Fair, where too much news of new LEGO Sets is barely enough… we have another press release, and announcement of a new theme and media property.

LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar is set a few years before the events of Jurassic World, and features a new series of 13 episodes.

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Dig a Dinosaur: Stygimoloch Breakout [75927]

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In which I revisit dinosaur nostalgia, realise I missed a lot of LEGO® Dinosaurs, before finally getting on the band wagon with the Jurassic Park Fallen Kingdom sets.  We breakout the Stygimoloch, and take her out into the wild.  Then, we look at the latest ‘Iconically Jurassic’ contest over at LEGO Rebrick.

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I was once, it will come as no surprise, a 6 year old boy. Like many such creatures, at one point I developed a fascination with dinosaurs. They consumed my waking hours, my conversations and dominated my visits to the local library.  I could draw and spell them all by heart.  If I wanted to watch dinosaurs on television, I was limited to watching Valley of the Dinosaurs (a 1974 Hanna Barbera cartoon where a whirlpool in the Amazon transported a teacher and his family into a land that time forgot)  or Land of the Lost – from the crazy team that brought us HR Puf’n’stuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. For me, The Flintstones didn’t really cut it for me: it was really just a sitcom wearing animal pelts.

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My favourite book of this era, the Ladybird Book of Prehistoric Animals and Fossils, was a favourite. Portable and sturdy with its yellow hard cover, there was always room for it in my school bag, or clenched between my knees when we went for a drive to the shops. It was a long night when I accidentally left it at school.

I read this book time and again, able to recite portions off by heart.  The final pages offered sage advice: If you have enjoyed this book, why not look further afield to continue expressing your interest – why not go searching for fossils or build a model kit; perhaps try making a paper mache diorama of a prehistoric landscape.  Put a small lizard in it, and pretend it is a massive dinosaur.  (to be fair, some of these ideas may have come from other books of this era).

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