It’s no secret that I love the Jurassic Park franchise. Though I find many of the LEGO® sets are hit and miss, I continue to collect the theme for the dinosaurs. Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape is a kit I was on the fence about for a long time. I already own a Baryonyx from Baryonyx Face-Off (75935). I didn’t know if I really needed a double of a species I already owned. However, the set included two characters from Camp Cretaceous, one of my favorite shows. Additionally, the Yaz character only appears in this set. Then, the baryonyx appeared in Camp Cretaceous as a pack hunter. Consequently, when the opportunity arose to get a review copy of the set, I jumped for it. I couldn’t have just one baryonyx anymore after all…
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. True North Bricks’ usual rating system applies (click here for more information).
BARYONYX DINOSAUR BOAT SUMMARY
- NAME: Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape
- SET #: 76942
- THEME: Jurassic World
- COST: $99.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 308
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- OF INTEREST: 1 baryonyx figurine
- RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2021
BARYONYX DINOSAUR BOAT QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 29% (You don’t get many bricks or much build time for the price.)
- BUILD: 75% (This is not a “build” set, it is a play set through and through.)
- MINIFIGURES: 99% (Wonderful characters, and a lot of them for a set this size.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (Wonderful set for kids and aspiring Jurassic Park MOCers.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 76% (Satisfactory set.)
BARYONYX DINOSAUR BOAT REVIEW
VALUE: 29%
Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape (what a mouthful!) costs $99.99 in Canada. With 308 pieces, the cost/brick works out to $0.32… ouch. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is not the worst value I have seen, but it is pretty close. On average, our cost/brick for a set is around $0.14. Consequently, the Baryonyx Boat earns 19%. Even in a comparison of only Jurassic World sets, this boat is not a good value. In fact, it has the highest cost-per-brick that I have seen in this theme. To give you an idea, our average cost/brick for Jurassic World is $0.18. In the theme comparison, I rate it at 11%. Averaging these two scores gives a cost/brick grade of 15%.
Why is this set so expensive? One can only speculate. However, it comes with a number of large, specialty pieces. The boat hull for one. Boat sets often come at a high cost/brick, just look at Ocean Exploration Ship. Additionally, you have specialty dinosaur parts. On top of that, you have licensing fees for the Jurassic World franchise. My guess is those factors add up on a set like this. It’s a price tag not even build time can save. I spent 57 minutes building this set. At full price, the cost/minute of build time is $1.75. That earns 52% compared to other Jurassic World sets, and 34% compared to LEGO® sets in general. Averaged, Baryonyx Boat’s build time earns 43%. Taken with the cost/brick score, Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape bombs in the value department with a grade of 29%.
BUILD: 75%
There isn’t much to build with this set. Most of it comes pre-assembled. The hull of the ship is one piece since it actually floats on the water. This might be a contentious issue for some AFOLs since not many of us play with LEGO® in the water. However, it is a major bonus for kids, I am sure. Additionally, I greatly appreciated the waterproof hull as I was photographing this set in the nearby river. It floats quite well. But a word of caution to those who’ll play in the water, there are a number of small parts that fall off easily.
You build the helm, which is raised above the deck towards the bow. Under it, you find a small storage space. The aft section of the ship is the holding rig for the baryonyx. I like the idea of it, but it needs to be more robust. While the neck brace is great, the rig has only one arm on each side of the dinosaur to hold the beast in place. Additionally, I wish it was more of a crate structure, or palette with similar holding arms. Basically, a structure you could remove from the ship. As it stands, those minifigs need to be certain that dinosaur is sleeping before trying to move it on or off the ship!
I love that this boat actually floats.
That’s pretty much it… no new pieces, no really new techniques. That is not to say that I did not like the build. I think the boat looks great and I love that it floats. I also like the Jurassic World stickers on the hull. If I ever build a custom brick Jurassic Park, this boat will look great at the dock. But, the main goal of this set appears to be play, not build. As such, I rate the build score at a satisfactory 75%. I might have rated it better with a more robust, removeable baryonyx holding structure.
MINIFIGURES: 99%
You acquire an odd assortment of characters in this set. There is an ACU officer based on the first film, Own Grady from the second film, as well as Yaz and Darius from Camp Cretaceous. Grady and the ACU officer go well enough together. However, they never meet Yaz or Darius in the Jurassic World continuity. I wish the wave of sets containing this Baryonyx Boat stuck more to Camp Cretaceous for inspiration. Especially since this version of Owen Grady comes in 14 sets to date. Darius and the ACU officer are rarer, each appearing in one other set. Yaz is exclusive.
Of the four minifigures, three have double-sided faces. Additionally, all four feature front and rear torso printing, and three have leg printing. These are nice minifigures. I especially like the exclusivity of the Yaz character. However, her legs really needed dual molding. The skin printed on the front does not extend around the sides, and it doesn’t look very nice. I also wish Darius and Yaz had shorter, moving legs since they are meant to be teens. In terms of accessories, these characters come with a baby dinosaur, two eggs, three crates of varying size, two fish, a dart gun, two darts, a dingy, two life vests, a two-way radio, and a pair of binoculars. Detailed designs and loads of accessories easily earn these minifigs a design score of 100%.
This set includes an exclusive Yaz minifig from Camp Cretaceous.
Four minifigures and a large dinosaur with moving parts means the Baryonyx Boat includes five playable characters. In a 308-piece kit, that’s about 62 bricks/fig. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is an excellent character count. Compared directly to other Jurassic World sets, it fares a little worse, but remains excellent overall. You get a lot of nice characters to play with in this set. Plus, Yaz is a huge draw for avid Camp Cretaceous fans. I rate the ratio score at 97%. Averaging this with the design score gives an overall Minifigure grade of 99%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 100%
Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape is not a set for AFOLs seeking advanced builds. However, it does offer a lot for Jurassic Park/World fans and kids. The fact that the boat floats adds a lot of play value. LEGO® did not float when I was a kid. But you can be sure that my pirate ships would have been in the pool if it did. As an adult fan, I love getting a boat with Jurassic World logos on it. Especially a dinosaur transport. In the original books and first two films, the franchise establishes that dinosaurs were originally created on Isla Sorna, not Isla Nublar. If I plan to build a LEGO® Jurassic Park, a dinosaur transport sitting at the dock fits the narrative really well.
You also acquire a green and tan baryonyx. The original baryonyx was bluish grey with darker blue blotches. I can’t say that I like one more than other. However, I am happy to have two members of the species that are distinct. Again, they’ll go well together if I ever build a park. Even though you do not see them until Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, both the first movie and novel suggest they are on the island in a pen the visitors don’t see. The baryonyx is not my favorite of the LEGO® dinosaurs though. In my first baryonyx review, I noted that the rehashed Indoraptor body felt like a bit of a copout and didn’t join smoothly to the new headpiece. I still feel the same. But for the reasons mentioned earlier, I’m happy to have it. I’m entertained by this set, so I rate it at 100%.
OVERALL SCORE: 76%
The biggest negative about Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape is the price tag. You do not get many bricks or much build time for $100. Additionally, you won’t get much in terms of an actual build either. Most of this set is the solid, waterproof hull. However, Baryonyx Boat really shines for Jurassic Park/World fans and kids. The floating boat is an amazing play feature. Additionally, you get a Jurassic World branded ship to transport dinosaurs! That is amazing for anyone planning to build their own Jurassic Park. I don’t know how many of you JP MOCers are out there, but this set put my mind spinning with possibilities and story connections to the books, movies, and Camp Cretaceous. I like this set because it made me geek out. What do you think of Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape? Let us know in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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