From my perspective, 2023 has been a slow year in terms of LEGO® releases. I know many will not agree, but I have not felt excitement about any of the waves of sets the LEGO® Group announced. For sure, I was hyped about individual sets. The Jazz Club, the Great Wave, the A-Frame Cabin, and Rivendell come to mind immediately. However, in terms of a full wave? Not so much. All that changed this morning. The Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary sets were announced. I am drooling. Granted, we’ve seen sets based on the original film before, like T. rex Rampage, Velociraptor Chase, and T. rex Breakout. But this is a series of sets I have dreamed about since the LEGO® Group started making Jurassic World kits. Let’s take a look!
VELOCIRAPTOR ESCAPE
- SET #: 76957
- THEME: Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary (Jurassic World)
- COST: $49.99 CAD ($39.99 USD)
- BRICK COUNT: 137
- MINIFIGURES: 2 (Ellie Satler & Robert Muldoon)
- DINOSAURS: 1 velociraptor
- RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2023
- COST/BRICK: $0.36 CAD (Expensive bricks.)
- BRICKS/FIG: 46 (Excellent fig count for a set this size.)
While this is a 4+ set with the typically poor 4+ cost-per-brick, Velociraptor Escape still offers Jurassic Park fans a lot. Firstly, you get a raptor in more muted tones. Secondly, Robert Muldoon makes his first appearance as a Minifigure! While I am sure many fans were dreaming of a proper velociraptor pen set, this set is not terrible in its offerings. Take note of the printed egg as well. We’ve only seen that in two sets before this one (60302 and 71759).
DILOPHOSAURUS AMBUSH
- SET #: 76958
- THEME: Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary (Jurassic World)
- COST: $24.99 CAD ($19.99 USD)
- BRICK COUNT: 211
- MINIFIGURES: 1 (Dennis Nedry)
- DINOSAURS: 1 dilophosaurus
- RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2023
- COST/BRICK: $0.12 CAD (Good value.)
- BRICKS/FIG: 106 (Very good fig count for a set this size.)
We got a shoutout to the Barbasol can with T. rex Rampage. However, this time around, it looks like a printed brick. And what an iconic scene to have as a set. I love the East Dock signage, and especially the Jeep Wrangler! I wish the LEGO® Group would update the dilophosaurus though. We don’t need the frill sticking out all the time. It would be really neat if the frill clipped in place and swung out. That way you get more play value, and you can remove it if you want. However, I am happy that they made the dinosaur smaller than in the original Jurassic World sets, like Dilophosaurus Ambush. This set also represents the second time we get a Dennis Nedry Minifigure. While his torso print is only marginally different from before, Nedry does feature a new double-sided head print.
TRICERATOPS RESEARCH
- SET #: 76959
- THEME: Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary (Jurassic World)
- COST: $64.99 CAD ($49.99 USD)
- BRICK COUNT: 281
- MINIFIGURES: 2 (Ellie Satler & Ian Malcolm)
- DINOSAURS: 1 Triceratops
- RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2023
- COST/BRICK: $0.23 CAD (Expensive bricks.)
- BRICKS/FIG: 94 (Excellent fig count for a set this size.)
Another iconic moment recreated in LEGO® form! I can just imagine Malcolm saying “Now that is one big pile of shit.” We see a new color variant of the triceratops here. Consequently, if you’ve collected all the other variants like me, you’re going to have a nice herd at this point. I like the effort to make this look like the movie version. We also get another Jurassic Park Ford Explorer. It looks identical to one in T. rex Breakout, which is great for consistency. Additionally, note the number on the side of the Explorer. It is “04”… which is the crushed vehicle in T. rex Breakout. So, you can now build scenes with both car 04 and 05 before the T. rex attack.
BRACHIOSAURUS DISCOVERY
- SET #: 76960
- THEME: Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary (Jurassic World)
- COST: $99.99 CAD ($79.99 USD)
- BRICK COUNT: 512
- MINIFIGURES: 3 (Alan Grant, Ellie Satler & John Hammond)
- DINOSAURS: 1 brachiosaurus
- RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2023
- COST/BRICK: $0.20 CAD (Passable value.)
- BRICKS/FIG: 128 (Very good fig count for a set this size.)
This is my most anticipated set from this wave. We get a new dinosaur!!! Like many larger LEGO® animals (ex: elephant and mammoth), this figurine does not have moveable legs. I kind of wish it did, but that’s not the end of the world. However, the neck appears to have two points of articulation, and the jaw appears to move as well. We also acquire a second Jeep Wrangler, and a nice tree. The set allows you to recreate two major scenes from the movie. Brachiosaurus Discovery also marks the second John Hammond Minifigure.
VISITOR CENTER: T. REX & RAPTOR ATTACK
- SET #: 76961
- THEME: Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary (Jurassic World)
- COST: $169.99 CAD ($129.99 USD)
- BRICK COUNT: 693
- MINIFIGURES: 6 (Alan Grant, Ellie Satler, Lex Murphy, Tim Murphy, Henry Wu, & Ray Arnold)
- DINOSAURS: 1 velociraptor and 1 T. rex
- RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2023
- COST/BRICK: $0.25 CAD (Expensive bricks.)
- BRICKS/FIG: 87 (Excellent fig count for a set this size.)
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: this is not the UCS-style Visitor Center that Jurassic Park fans have been dreaming of. My heart sank a little at that realization. However, closer examination left me optimistic. While I still would have preferred getting the Rivendell treatment on this set, the Visitor Center still offers A LOT for fans in terms of accessories to build your own MOC. Firstly, you get Ray Arnold at a much lower price point than the original minifig. Secondly, the building façade offers nice detailing and inspiration for your own designs. Finally, you get the “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth” banner. I can work with this set, for sure. And those roofing elements? Where else are you going to get so many?
Closing thoughts…
As with almost all Jurassic World sets, you are paying for large dinosaur figurines. The cost/brick is not great for any of these sets. However, if you bought dinosaur action figures on their own, you wouldn’t get them cheap either. I’m willing to pay a little more for this theme for that reason alone. I love the new Jurassic Park inspired box art too. Plus, we get another Ford Explorer and two Jeep Wranglers. Not to mention the Minifigure selection! I am chomping at the bit to get my hands on these new sets. What do you think of the 30th Anniversary Jurassic Park sets? Let me know in the comments or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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