NOTE: I purchased the T. Rex Skull (76964) myself, and this review is not sponsored in any way. I strive to always provide my honest opinion on LEGO® products. If you are curious about how I generate scores in this review, I invite you to read about the True North Bricks rating system.

INTRODUCTION

If you’ve been paying attention to this space, you undoubtedly know it as a site to show love for all things dinosaurs. Tom and I are massive fans of those not-so-terrible lizards and the Jurassic World franchise in particular. Tom especially is all about the dinos and has a huge collection of LEGO®️ dinosaurs. Concurrently, there’s plenty of past articles and reviews on several Jurassic World sets. Definitely check those out HERE to see Tom’s thorough work on the subject. The Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull (76964) is an interesting new offering in the theme. It’s also surprisingly fun and a great value. Is it worth your time? Read on and let’s find out.

SET SPECIFICS

QUICK REVIEW

DINOSAUR FOSSILS: T. REX SKULL REVIEW

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Value Score Breakdown:

The T. rex skull retails for $49.99 CAD. With 577 pieces, this translates to a very impressive cost/brick of $0.086. Anything under $0.13 would be a bargain. Anything under $0.10 is an absolute coup. Looking at the average scores for all reviewed sets in the Jurassic World theme, this easily nets a perfect 100% score ($0.189 is our 80% average). If you look at the average cost/brick for all 27 sets we have stats on, it comes in at a very high $0.19. It’s those big dinosaur molds; they don’t come cheap. With no molds or minifigures, we get a very affordable set that is great for anyone looking for value.

My build time clocks in at a modest one and a half hours (93 mins). With those same 577 pieces, that’s a cost/min of $0.53. To get an 80% requires a value of $1.14. And would you look at that, another perfect score. This isn’t a complicated build by any means. It shouldn’t take anyone overly long to get ‘er done. But thankfully it’s not done in a wink either. Given the final size of the build, I think this is just about right for timing. Doing some simple math, we get a 100% score. We’re off to a great start.

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Build Score Breakdown:

The Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull (76964) comes in a fairly standard box highlighting the Jurassic World theme. It’s nothing outstanding, but I do notice there are some images of different skeletons on the box. You can distinctly make out a stegosaurus and what might be a velociraptor? We all know The LEGO®️ Group loves to include Easter eggs in sets. So is this a hint at future fossil sets? We’ll see. Inside the box are six numbered bags, a 135 page instruction book and one small sticker. Happily it’s just the one sticker. It’s an info plaque in the classic UCS style. Tiny but informative. You place it on a 4×8 inverted tile; reminiscent of its larger 8×16 cousin, and way more apt at this scale.

Bits & Pieces

For all the elements/pieces nerds out there, this set won’t bring you too many new parts or recolours. Light tan (aka: sand yellow) is the most prolific colour, with a decent supply of dark tan and both light and dark gray. Looking at the inventory online, there are just three exclusive pieces, all of which are recolours of existing elements. They include a 1×2 plate with two bars (light tan), 2×2 pointed wedge (dark tan) and a 1×2 modified plate with two clips (dark tan). One of the more interesting pieces is a 13 stud high semi-circular support bar. You get two, making a full circular column that acts as the skull support. It’s a great technic element and I can see it being very popular.

The Bone Collector

Our lovely bones (that’s two movie puns…) come together quite easily. The first two bags create the smallish but attractive base. Including the footprint impression in the rock is a fantastic idea. It adds a little extra science flair and accuracy. Plus you just get something different to build. The plant elements are fine, adding a little pop of colour. Turn the base around and you find a printed amber brick (this and a frog are staples of the theme). Some nice SNOT, stacking and sideways construction techniques bring the footprint together. Using two gray colours is great, essentially giving you another fossilized item. Take note of how the smallest little gaps and pointed angles really sell the toes and claws.

Assembling the star of the show – the T. rex skull – happens in bags 3-6. It’s a series of smaller assemblies that attach on hinges or as stacked plates. Mixing those tan colours is essential to not having it look like a monotone beige blob. Nobody wants that. The hollow, negative space of the skull helps sell the final product; points for accuracy if you will. Various sizes of sharp teeth let you know this guy is carnivorous. And while it’s accurate, there’s no movement in the build. Aside from the lower jaw, there’s no articulation. You can have the jaw open, or kinda, slightly more closed. But that looks silly. It’s meant to be in the one position.

Unearth the Fun

I enjoyed this build more than I expected to. It’s not a complicated assembly, nor a particularly long one. But it really succeeds at presenting good detail in a fairly compact package. A skull is still an organic shape, so getting the curves just right is still going to present a challenge. Lines and textures are quite well done, and I don’t see any spot for improvement at this size, price and current parts selection. It looks good from most angles; the head-on view of the skull is the best in my opinion. The display presents it at a 3/4 angle and that too works well, but somehow a little ‘off’? From the back it’s very lackluster, but you won’t display it that way, so . . . ya know, all good then.

So what’s the verdict? It’s a good build. Fun, straightforward and the end result is a lovely display piece. I don’t think I want it bigger, because that’s obviously more expensive. But I can see this making the way for a ‘UCS T. rex skeleton’ in the future. Concurrently, there’s nothing particularly spectacular about the construction either. There’s no “wow” techniques and the parts inventory is pretty standard stuff even with a few new recoloured parts. But if you’re a dinosaur fan, you’ll definitely find a lot to enjoy. Ultimately I’m giving this set a build score of 75%.

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Entertainment Score Breakdown:

The Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull (76964) is a display piece. That’s it. There are no obvious play functions, nor is it interactive. You are very imaginative indeed if you can find some type of play from this. Maybe bury some pieces in the sand? Let a younger builder unearth the bones? That’s probably a little too much work. And there are science kits for that – plus you don’t ruin your bricks. But if you look at it as a display piece, it’s pretty great! I love dinosaurs so this is a great addition to my shelf. If you collect the Jurassic World theme, you’ll definitely want this in your paleontological collection. And if this is the start of a new sub-theme of skulls, I am here for it. Triceratops for the win please!

There’s not much in this set to recommend it to moc makers. Pieces are mostly standard and none are new or overly desirable (in general). You may learn a few techniques along the way, but nothing revolutionary. Younger builders will find this a fun challenge, but it’s definitely not in the trickier 18+ range. It’s a 6+ set so don’t expect a Hadron Collider for your troubles. It’s easy to say the set is too simple, but that’s not accurate or fair. At this price point you get a really lovely display piece. And what a fun gift for JP and dinosaur fans. It’s not a ‘must have’ but I definitely recommend it. My final entertainment score is 75%.

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