The LEGO® Store re-opened in my neck of the woods recently after the COVID-19 lockdown. On my first visit, I was pleasantly surprised to find the summer 2020 Jurassic World sets already on sale. I was not expecting them until early August. Consequently, I pick up the set at the top of my list: Indominus rex Vs Ankylosaurus. Apart from the two Jurassic Park themed sets, Jurassic World kits have all focused on whatever iteration of the Jurassic franchise is current. 2015 sets were based on Jurassic World. 2018 sets featured Fallen Kingdom. 2019 sets dealt with The Legend of Isla Nublar. This summer’s selection breaks the mold. The sets deal with subject matter from varying points in the Jurassic franchise history. This Indominus rex set jumps back to 2015’s Jurassic World. I hope this mishmash of movie sets is a taste of things to come.
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INDOMINUS REX VS ANKYLOSAURUS SUMMARY
- NAME: Indominus rex VS Ankylosaurus
- SET #: 75941
- THEME: Jurassic World
- COST: $139.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 537
- MINIFIGURES: 5
- OF INTEREST: 1 Indominus rex and 1 Ankylosaurus
- RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2020
INDOMINUS REX VS ANKYLOSAURUS QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 38% (This set is the worst value that I have seen in four years of reviews.)
- BUILD: 80% (Nice idea but has functionality issues.)
- MINIFIGURES: 87% (Great character selection but more detail and accessories needed.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 95% (Movie accurate set, but bad build feature inhibits play.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 75%
INDOMINUS REX VS ANKYLOSAURUS REVIEW
VALUE: 38%
My first thought on picking up the box was “expensive”. This Indominus rex kit costs $139.99 in Canada, yet only contains 537 pieces. Consequently, each brick costs a walloping $0.26. That is the worst value I have ever seen for a Jurassic World set. Prior to buying this set, my average cost-per-brick for Jurassic World was $0.154. Indominus rex VS Ankylosaurus upped that average to $0.166. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick across all themes is currently $0.139. Jurassic World was an expensive theme to begin with. This new set does not help. Not only does this set fail, it bombs in terms of value. I rate the cost-per-brick at 39%. This set ties the City Mountain Arrest for the worst value-per-brick I have seen.
I assembled Indominus rex VS Ankylosaurus in one hour and 24 minutes. The resulting cost-per-minute of build time is $1.67. That does not even tie for worst. It is the worst build time value I have ever seen. That earns 36%. I was so excited to get this set that I threw my usual Jurassic World caution to the wind. I almost always wait for a sale before buying any Jurassic World kits. This time I certainly paid for the dinosaurs I love so much. Averaging the scores gives an overall value rating of 38%.
BUILD: 80%
The main build consists of a line-up area with a little hut over the boarding platform. Additionally, the set has a play feature that launches the gyrosphere. Two arch bricks cradle the ball, and turning a knob releases it onto a small stretch of roller coaster tracks. A flexible rail guides the gyrosphere along and off the tracks. At least that is how it is supposed to work. The rail causes too much friction and does not allow the gyrosphere to roll. Additionally, the track has no incline. Therefore, even if you remove the rail, the gyrosphere still does not roll itself off the track. You need a lot of force when turning the knob to gain some functionality. In my opinion, it should not be difficult to get the play feature to work.
The other build is two trees framing the gyrosphere ride sign. The trees also have a play feature. Pulling a pin out from under each tree causes the tree to fall. This way you can simulate the Indominus rex breaking through the trees. This play feature works easily, and the set-up looks nice too. The tree building technique is not complicated, but it works. I like it.
Overall, I like the idea of this build. A starting point for the gyrosphere ride is important for anyone building their own Jurassic Park. Additionally, the building looks nice. It could use some railings in the queue area to guide Minifigures lining up though. While you can add this yourself, the horrible value of this kit would certainly improve if they came ready in the set. Additionally, the lack of functionality is a huge disappointment. I rate this build at 8/10 (80%).
MINIFIGURES: 87%
Indominus rex VS Ankylosaurus comes with five Minifigures. I am upset that Grey has stumpy legs that do not bend. Grey rides the gyrosphere in the movie. He should be able to do the same in this set. Both the Harry Potter and Monkie Kid themes employ shorter bending lends. I see no reason why Grey cannot have them in this set. Otherwise, all characters have the standard parts. All except the park employee have double sided faces. Additionally, each character features front and back torso printing. However, only Owen has leg printing. Accessories are also scant. Counting the dinosaurs and the gyrosphere towards the accessory score, there are six accessories included. Overall, that gives a design score of 58/75 (77%).
While I do not rate dinosaurs on design, I do include them in the brick-to-fig ratio. As the set name suggests, you get an Indominus rex and an ankylosaurus. Both feature multiple points of articulation. The ankylosaurus even has a thrashing tail. The dinosaurs bring the figurine count for the set up to seven. Consequently, you get 77 bricks per figurine. By comparison, my average brick-to-fig ratio is currently 155:1. So, you get a lot of characters for a set of this size. That earns a ratio score of 96%. Averaging the ratio and design scores gives an overall Minifigure rating of 87%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 95%
When the summer 2020 set announcements started rolling in, I was excited about this one. It marks the second time that Indominus rex appears in a set. The first time was the Indominus rex Breakout in 2015. Interestingly, that set cost $149.99 in Canada. It also included a gyrosphere but had more than double the number of bricks. It was only $10 more than this set. Based on my current average, this set should only have 71 fewer bricks. I very much doubt that an ankylosaurus is equivalent to 548 LEGO® elements, but I digress…
I now have four Jurassic World sets that include a gyrosphere. Of those, this is the most movie accurate. The gyrosphere launching platform is in the movie. Additionally, this set does a good job of replicating it. Including a gyrosphere launch in the Indominus rex Breakout did not make sense. The gyrospheres were nowhere near the Indominus pen on Isla Nublar. Then there was Dilophosaurus Ambush. Apart from a hologram, the dilophosaurus did not appear in Jurassic World. Finally, Carnotaurus Gyrosphere Escape. While the carnotaurus did encounter a gyrosphere in Fallen Kingdom, it was not set at the ride launch site. So, from a fan’s perspective, I am happy with the accuracy of this set. The dinosaur selection and build all represent a sequence from the move well. The only inaccuracy is Owen’s face print. This is a Jurassic World set, but he looks like a Fallen Kingdom Minifigure.
This set is surprisingly movie accurate.
I love dinosaurs. Not only does this set include the return of Indominus rex, but you also get a new animal. This is the first time ankylosaurus appears in LEGO® form. Additionally, the design looks great and the swinging tail is an excellent feature. Conversely, Indominus rex is not a new mold. The body is identical to the original in all but two details. The coloration is different, and so are the arms. The original Indominus was white with grey scales. The arms consisted of two parts: the arm proper and the hand. The wrist rotated, and the hands were soft plastic. A minifigure fit into the dinosaur’s grip.
With the new Indominus, the dinosaur’s base color is grey. The scales are more akin to the baryonyx than the original Indominus. Additionally, the scales are metallic silver. The eyes have a more cartoonish look to them as well. Finally, the arms consist of only one piece of solid plastic. However, they can still hold a Minifigure. There is a stud molded into the palm allowing the dinosaur to hold an upside down Minifigure. Each version of the Indominus rex has features that I like. I do not know which I prefer more. Perhaps overall, the new one has a cleaner design.
Comparing the old Indominus rex to the new one:
All that to say that the set is entertaining. Previous Jurassic World sets were fun, but they lacked movie accuracy in many cases. This set satisfies the fanboy in me. I also enjoyed photographing this kit more than many others. However, in fairness, I often feel that way about Jurassic World sets. Additionally, since the set features a scene from a newer film, younger collectors will relate to it as well. Sadly, the poor launch feature will inhibit play though. I rate the entertainment score for this set at 95% (AFOL = 100%, KFOL = 90%).
OVERALL SCORE: 75%
As a Jurassic franchise fan, I really wanted this set. I knew it was a bad value-per-brick before buying it. However, the horrible build-time value really left me doubting my choice to pay full price for this set. Without question, Indominus rex VS Ankylosaurus is the worst value set I have ever reviewed. Sadly, you need to wait for a sale of 46% off for this set to classify as an average value. Good luck finding that sale. I have found a Jurassic World set at that discount level before, but only once. Remember, I have run a deal post every week for the last four years. I do not catch every sale, but if 46% off on Jurassic World was common, I would have seen it more than once.
With that said, I still like this set. You get a lot of characters, including two awesome dinosaurs. One of the dinosaurs is new on top of that. Additionally, the scene depicted is movie accurate to satisfy the fans out there. I recommend this set to Jurassic World enthusiasts, but do not be impulsive like me. Wait for a sale. Just do not wait too long, because 46% off is not likely to happen. At 25% off, the value becomes passable.
Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of Indominus rex VS Ankylosaurus (75941) below.
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