Review: 75941 Indominus rex vs. Ankylosaurus
Posted by CapnRex101,
Jurassic World was released during 2015 and the film became particularly popular. The associated LEGO range was also successful, despite obvious departure from the movie. 75941 Indominus rex vs. Ankylosaurus should enable the designers to achieve much greater accuracy.
This model definitely appears impressive, taking inspiration from the Gyrosphere ride and the subsequent battle between the Indominus rex and an Ankylosaurus. I anticipate these dinosaurs will prove exceptionally exciting, although the price of £89.99 or $99.99 is rather disconcerting because this set only includes 537 pieces.
Minifigures
This depiction of Owen Grady has appeared in many previous sets but closely resembles the character from Jurassic World, sporting a reddish brown vest with several pockets and a sand blue shirt beneath. The printed legs also look great and I like the double-sided head, featuring cheerful and determined expressions alongside accurate facial hair.
Claire Dearing is also relatively common across the Jurassic World range, although this figure is unique and takes inspiration from the 2015 movie. Her dark orange hair piece looks splendid and the double-sided head seems appropriate, although the eyebrows on her smiling face look slightly odd. Moreover, I think Claire's jacket could have extended onto the legs but this design appears adequate too.
75919 Indominus rex Breakout yielded the first Zach Mitchell minifigure and his original torso returns here, following multiple appearances in other themes. This piece compares favourably with the onscreen character and I like the updated hair component that is only available in two earlier sets, recreating Zach's teenage hairstyle quite effectively.
Gray Mitchell also features an ideal hair piece, although this has remained consistent since 2015 when 75916 Dilophosaurus Ambush was released. His head and torso have both been altered though and the new designs look far better in my opinion, especially since the torso is now light bluish grey rather than white. Strangely, these two characters are incorrectly labelled on the packaging as their names are swapped.
Jurassic World employees have appeared in past sets but this Park Worker is unique and is evidently based upon the Gyrosphere ride operator from the film. His reddish brown shirt and matching baseball cap, which is new in this colour, are both entirely accurate. I am especially impressed with the striped lanyard around his neck, showing great attention to detail.
Unfortunately, this minifigure lacks long hair but I think creating a specialised piece here was unnecessary for such a minor character. This head returns from the recent Flash Collectable Minifigure and its smiling expression seems notably inappropriate as the character looks quite bored while running the Gyrosphere attraction during the movie.
The vicious Indominus rex was introduced Jurassic World and appeared in 75919 Indominus rex Breakout, featuring a white colour scheme. This depiction of the dinosaur is more accurate than its predecessor as light bluish grey looks nearer to the onscreen creature and the metallic silver printing appears equally attractive, continuing across the entire figure.
While its colour has been completely overhauled, the majority of the constituent components remain unchanged. The head accordingly features intimidating spikes above the piercing red eyes and the mouth opens. This can nearly consume an entire minifigure and the neck offers extensive articulation too, allowing you to recreate various scenes from the movie.
Metallic silver printing complements these light bluish grey elements, blending in under certain light conditions and standing out in others. This design is definitely successful and the updated arms also look superb. The wrists can no longer rotate which is disappointing but their shape is faithful to the movie and useful studs are hidden inside both hands, enabling the Indominus rex to grasp its victims.
Technic pins connect each arm to the body while the legs are mounted using ratchet joints. These provide ample articulation but posing the dinosaur is difficult without any ankle motion and the rotating tail joint could probably have been omitted. Nevertheless, more articulation is always welcome and the joints have been concealed properly.
Herbivores have appeared with less regularity than their carnivorous counterparts and the new Ankylosaurus is accordingly exciting! This dinosaur is distinguished by its armoured body and that impressive feature has been replicated perfectly here. The figure measures 18cm in length which seems reasonably accurate in relation to minifigures and its body shape appears suitably powerful too.
The head is fused to the body so lacks articulation which is slightly disappointing, although I like the characteristic beak and the printed scales. However, the legs are individually articulated and return from the Triceratops. They look too long when compared with the source material but this was an appropriate compromise in my opinion, given the Ankylosaurus already includes several new parts.
Unusually, the body comprises multiple elements which are connected using internal studs and tiles across either side. I think the result looks wonderful, particularly along the back where dual-moulded light bluish grey osteoderms are found. These appear authentic, except for eight studs interrupting the spines where additional structures could be attached.
Further to its distinctive osteoderms, the Ankylosaurus' tail club defends against predators. The tail may therefore swing back and forth on a Technic pin and the club does feel relatively heavy, presumably because it is completely solid inside. I am pleased with this addition to the growing selection of LEGO dinosaurs and hope a Stegosaurus will emerge next year!
The Completed Model
Features from two important scenes are combined here, encompassing both the Gyrosphere attraction and the forest battle between the Indominus rex and an Ankylosaurus. Two modest trees therefore flank the Gyrosphere sign. These seem reasonably simple but include layered foliage across the top and the studded texture is effective in my view, although a couple more branches might have been beneficial.
Three stickers form the sign, corresponding with 75929 Carnotaurus Gyrosphere Escape that depicted an abandoned Gyrosphere station. The font on this sign looks fantastic and I love the blue symbol which displays a minifigure inside the Gyrosphere vehicle, taking direct inspiration from the film. A fourth sticker is applied underneath and displays a fossilised skeleton that also originates from Jurassic World.
Technic elements are visible at the base of the trees. They appear somewhat out of place but activate an enjoyable function. Pushing the lime green switches will cause the trees to collapse, as demonstrated below. I believe the switches could have been integrated more subtly and both trees lean outwards slightly when standing upright, although this design allows the Ankylosaurus to knock down the trees with its tail.
Attractions across Jurassic World share similar designs, featuring earthy colours and organic shapes. The new Gyrosphere station conforms to that convention and looks fantastic, making extensive use of tan, dark tan and reddish brown elements. This colour scheme appears fairly accurate and the distinctive pitched roof is immediately recognisable as well.
Foliage and flowers surround the building, corresponding precisely with its appearance during the movie. These colourful accents are very attractive and I like the dark orange highlights too, especially as the 2x2 corner tiles with cutouts have only appeared twice before in this colour. A short staircase permits access to the queueing area. The angled handrails look splendid but the steps are slightly different sizes which is awkward.
Queue barriers are omitted so the space in front of the ticket booth seems rather empty. This could be modified quite easily though and the area is remarkably spacious. The dark tan roof looks reasonable and its shape matches the source material, although there is an unfortunate gap at the centre. Replacing the 3x6 angled plates would rectify this problem.
The ticket booth has been invented for this model but provides welcome detail, filling an area that would otherwise be empty. The white and dark blue shades are consistent with the whole Jurassic World range and I like the rotating chair inside. A sticker forms a calendar on the wall, featuring a ring around the 18th of February. This date does not make specific reference to the Jurassic Park franchise so is presumably significant to the graphic designer.
Brachiosaurus are displayed on the security monitor inside the ticket booth and passengers access the Gyrospheres through the neighbouring barrier. Once again, this has been altered from its original appearance but it looks good and the yellow stripe along the platform edge is neatly integrated, including two stickers with chequer plate patterns.
Deploying the Gyrosphere is extremely simple as rotating the dial, shown below, will cause the cradle to tip and release the vehicle. This function feels smooth and little force is necessary for the Gyrosphere to complete its short route around the deployment track. The exposed Technic bricks could perhaps have been covered but the cradle and track are amply detailed.
The yellow warning sign at the end of the track looks superb, cleverly disguising a support for the guidance rail around the corner. Furthermore, I appreciate the neat transition between the track and the ground which ensures that the Gyrosphere continues to roll. The narrow section between the end of the track and the ticket booth also looks marvellous, making further use of foliage to create the impression of surrounding plant life.
No changes have been made to the essential design of the Gyrosphere since 2015, although the version from 75929 Carnotaurus Gyrosphere Escape featured printed cracks. This vehicle returns to the pristine design though and it looks splendid. I love the printed 6x6 dish elements on each side and the spherical shape has been realised beautifully, comprising two trans-clear parts that are connected using Technic axles.
Removing either half reveals the blue seat inside. Unfortunately, there is only enough room for one minifigure but I think increasing the occupancy would necessitate an unrealistic scale. The seat always remains upright as the Gyrosphere travels which is fun and the display screen has been updated. It now shows a minifigure fleeing an explosion, based upon Jimmy Fallon's brief appearance during the 2015 film.
Overall
Jurassic World sets have traditionally borne limited resemblance to the scenes which inspired them. 75941 Indominus rex vs. Ankylosaurus definitely encompasses the essential features of the Gyrosphere attraction though and the accompanying dinosaurs both look impressive. They include exceptional moulded detail and provide considerable play value.
While the dinosaurs are the outstanding feature of this set, I think the accompanying structure elevates this package above others from the Jurassic World theme. The models look excellent and the Gyrosphere deployment function is very enjoyable. The price of £89.99 or $99.99 does seem inevitably expensive, even taking the new dinosaurs into consideration, but I recommend adding this set to your collection following a discount.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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49 comments on this article
$ 99.99??? Not me.
When I first saw pictures of this set, I immediately knew I had to get it because I'm a pretty big JW fan and I played the heck out of the LEGO game from 2014, I think it was. This location is one that was very memorable from that game for me, and I think it looks perfect. Along with my first look at the set I also saw the price tag of 100 bucks, but I thought that wasn't too bad as you'd get 2 very cool dinosaurs and all of the main charachters from the first JW film, as well as a build for a memorable location. I still won't hesitate to buy it after reading this review, but I did not know the parts count was so low! It really looks like more than 537 pieces to me.
Are the 2020 JW sets based on the movies or expanded universe content like Legend of Isla Nublar? I don't recall the vehicle from 75940 in the 2015 movie for instance.
I think the park worker's face is shared by the Jay Garrick Flash from the DC CMF, although I could be wrong.
This set is good but extremely pricey.
First, why is Frodo Baggins in this set?
Second, for 99.99 USD you are paying for the Indominus rex (as they are a fortune now in the secondary market) and the new Ankylosaurus molds. LEGO knows that people that want these will likely pay almost whatever to get them. Most likely they will be found for 80 USD when some retailer puts a 20% discount on them. Not to mention the lucky few in the US that will likely find a Walmart crazy enough to drop them down to half off when they first appear in their stores.
I definitely want this set - will add it to my “theme park” with the Gates and different Creator rides. Won’t get it until I see a fair discount though.
I like the new molds for the Ankylosaurus and it certainly seems to point to future similarly sized herbivores. But I won't get it unless it goes down to like half off at Walmart half a year from now... it's just so expensive and the build, while nicely done and a pleasant departure from the same weird blue vehicles and tiny pieces of massive enclosures, is just boring... mostly I don't believe those dinos are worth $49.99 just by themselves.
@TomKazutara said:
"Why not more "Park" or "Lost World" sets ?
Why still "World" ?"
Likely because there's still a 3rd movie coming out in the Trilogy, and sets are planned a bit ahead of time.
While the movie got delayed by about 3 months to June 2021 for now.
Nice set big price.
Sorry for being a party pooper, but the neck joint of the indominus rex (and similar LEGO dinos) looks awful. Its squarish body meets its round head leaving an unsightly gap between them. Either the body at the neck should have been a concave curve or the head should have had the beginnings of a neck cut straight. One way or the other, the two parts should have married up better.
Must have. On good sale, hahaha.
Its so weird how they did ankylo. For sure they will use this body for next dinos but I am REALLY disapointed the head can't move.
WORLD is a name for full Franchise now.
I disagree with the author. TLG should've designed a two person Gyrosphere for this set. No excuse for that.
Sharing most of the thoughts and I thought I got my money worth. This is great and I did feel weird about the name on the box and thanks for clarifying it got it wrong XD https://youtu.be/RQINrkYI9H4
Why is there spots on the Ankylosaurus‘ legs?
"75941 Indominus rex vs. Ankylosaurus should enable the designers to achieve much greater accuracy."
Compared to what and why?
@Pekingduckman - They originate from numerous sources. This set is based upon Jurassic World and 75942 Velociraptor: Biplane Rescue Mission presumably relates to The Legend of Isla Nublar as it includes Sinjin Prescott. I believe the remaining two sets are not specifically inspired by anything, although 75939 Dr. Wu's Lab: Baby Dinosaur Breakout incorporates elements from Jurassic Park and Jurassic World.
@SirBrickalotOfLego - You are absolutely right; the article has been updated. Thanks!
@Givememorebricks - I would also like the Gyrosphere to seat two minifigures but that would require increasing its scale quite dramatically.
@eldomtom2 - Previous sets based upon Jurassic World films have been designed while the movies are in development, hence they are frequently only tangentially representative of the source material. This set, on the other hand, has been created with unfettered access to any reference material and the result is more accurate.
The set is good, but the $99.99 price tag is utterly preposterous. Who is going to pay $99.99 for a 537 piece set?
@MugenLazlo said:
"The set is good, but the $99.99 price tag is utterly preposterous. Who is going to pay $99.99 for a 537 piece set?"
I agree on the 99.99 to 537 when not taking in the context of how big Some pieces are. Maybe volume to weight ratio and the Unique mould?
For me, the most promising aspect of the unique build of the ankylosaurus is the potential for some of those parts to continue to see use in other quadrupedal dinosaurs. Since the "belly" section is largely nondescript, it seems like they could easily follow up with a stegosaurus that used the same belly and legs with a new head/body section and swinging tail. The fact that the joints aren't built into a preassembled torso also could potentially reduce the cost of dinosaurs that use these parts, compared to parts like the Tyrannosaurus torso that still use preassembled torso pieces.
@Bricktastic_builder:
While it's a first for the theme, it's not a first for the company. Around 20 years ago, they did four dinosaur sets that came in Bionicle-style pods. All four of these used a single element that doubled as both the front and back halves of the body. This is a much better solution, since all four of those dinosaurs looked like they were formed around a large egg shape because they couldn't do anything distinctive in terms of body shapes beyond neck, legs, tail, and one featured a large spined sail. Previous dinosaurs in this line all still required a multi-part mold (usually L/R) to make the body, but the components were always fused together in the factory. This will allow them to reuse the same belly plate for a stegosaurus, a dimetrodon, a triceratops, or a protoceratops if they so choose, which will significantly reduce the cost of designing new dino bodies.
We've seen a similar push to reuse other body parts on the bipedal dinos, but I doubt we'll see them adopt a two-piece body design like this. Their bodies tend to be significantly longer, making a split design like this more prone to breaking.
Thanks for that review. :-)
I really want this set for the Ankylosaurus.
I share Zander's opinion: I don't like the gap between the Indominus rex' body and head. Therefore, I definitely prefer to have a head which is fixed, like the Ankylosaurus has, but instead looks absolutely great without a gap.
However, I think it would have been great if some of these pieces were added on the studs of the Ankylosaurus' back: https://brickset.com/parts/design-15209
The Indominus rex looks super cool and improved; I want one.
Cute set & I love both Dinosaurs too however I,m not keen on the expressions on Owen or claire's faces lego should of used the captain marvel/ Rachel Green head on claire and Used the same head on Owen that was used in the the 2015 Raptor Rampage set!!
If it’s World, I’m not interested.
Can we get a playset with the T-Rex breakout with a Jeep, fencing, toilet and minifigures of Grant, Malcolm, Tim, Lex and the lawyer from the first film?
@PurpleDave said:
"dimetrodon"
I'm so sorry for this pedantry, but there's something deep-seated inside of me which twitches & compels me to point out that dimetrodons weren't dinosaurs.
...and I end up on yet another prehistoric biology Wikipedia trawl! Every. Time.
Just had an idea, the clear ball pieces could make for a good turret for the UCS LAAT
@Givememorebricks said:
"I disagree with the author. TLG should've designed a two person Gyrosphere for this set. No excuse for that."
If you add two 1x2 plates and a battle droid arm piece you can modify it to fit two minifigures and still function properly. The only downside is that they will sit one in front of the other instead of side by side.
The price is a bit outrageous, as per usual, but the Ankylosaurus is worth Brick-linking, and that's all I'd really want from this set anyway.
@bananaworld:
Then I'm sure you're aware that there are three other "dinosaurs" in the JP/JW franchise that aren't true dinosaurs either. But we call them that because it's a term that people actually know, and it's easier to lump them all together.
I understand that large pieces are more expensive to produce, but you cannot tell me they are hundreds of times more expensive. This is the most insanely overpriced normal retail set Ive ever seen. $150 in Australia. Absolute joke.
Ankylosaurus. At last. A must buy.
It's a minor detail, but the Jimmy Fallon sticker is very charming. I love how pathetic that video was.
Too bad its not 1500 pieces, then they could charge $300 for it.
@PurpleDave said:
" @bananaworld:
Then I'm sure you're aware that there are three other "dinosaurs" in the JP/JW franchise that aren't true dinosaurs either. But we call them that because it's a term that people actually know, and it's easier to lump them all together."
Oh, believe me, I know; each crime against taxonomy is like a little stab in the heart.
Whilst Dimetrodon is a particular bugbear (it not even being contemporaneous with dinosaurs) it was the setname of 21320 that hurt the most...
@magmafrost said:
"I understand that large pieces are more expensive to produce, but you cannot tell me they are hundreds of times more expensive. This is the most insanely overpriced normal retail set Ive ever seen. $150 in Australia. Absolute joke."
Yep. The Australian prices are so inflated, with the Helicarrier costing $200, Mobile Batbase costing $150, and Venomsaurus costing $120.
Eh, I prefer the original indominus rex. It looks more menacing. Although this one has a more accurate color scheme, it’s eyes are just too large and cartoony.
@Pekingduckman said:
" @magmafrost said:
"I understand that large pieces are more expensive to produce, but you cannot tell me they are hundreds of times more expensive. This is the most insanely overpriced normal retail set Ive ever seen. $150 in Australia. Absolute joke."
Yep. The Australian prices are so inflated, with the Helicarrier costing $200, Mobile Batbase costing $150, and Venomsaurus costing $120."
I wonder how important au dollar value to us dollar, euro, or keone is. Au dollar to us dollar is at 70% value. So theres a potential 30% difference to make up, and making customers pay for that.
@PaulRevere:
Five things are really going to affect the final MSRP of a set:
1. Currency exchange rate vs. DKK. I mean, this one should be obvious. The company needs to get fair value on their end of the deal. They're not going to subsidize sales to another country, but neither are they going to jack the prices sky high so they can fleece their customers.
2. Cost of living in the target market. People in the UK complain about their prices all the time, but when you ask them about the cost of living, it's a lot higher than it is elsewhere. The cost of a set has to factor in the cost of stocking it to retail shelves. If it costs more to operate a store, that cost has to be passed on to the customers somehow, and that's usually accomplished by padding the price of the goods they sell.
3. Transportation to the target market. Australia is always going to pay extra for the fact that they are literally an island alone. They are served primarily out of Europe, from what I understand, but they are not anywhere near Europe.
4. Bulk purchasing power. The US has the largest store chains of any nation out there, which affords those chains unparalleled negotiating power. The EU may be their biggest market, but when store chains end at national borders, so does their bargaining power. The larger a purchase you can lay on the table, the cheaper you can get it per unit.
5. What the stores ask for. Odd as it sounds, retail chains often set the MSRP. Once they negotiate their wholesale price, they know how high the MSRP has to be for them to make money on each sale. And LEGO Brand Retail is bound by that MSRP. Even if they could conceivably sell sets at a lower price in a given market, if they undercut their retail partners, they could lose access to those retail spaces. The exception to this is when a store opts to price their stock higher than MSRP. If the bar has been set, and they choose to go higher, that's on them, and they know that the bulk of their competition will beat them on price.
@magmafrost said:
"I understand that large pieces are more expensive to produce, but you cannot tell me they are hundreds of times more expensive. This is the most insanely overpriced normal retail set Ive ever seen. $150 in Australia. Absolute joke."
Debatable, as the large printing and dual molding must be quite complex and produced in low quantity compared to simple bricks. Regardless it is a fair price according to the market. People were all worked up about $130 USD for 79018: The Lonely Mountain in 2014, with 866 pieces. Obviously the price was driven by the inclusion of Smaug, as well as the license. Now, Smaug alone sells for $130 or more in new condition, the set for $250+. Being IMHO by far the best dragon LEGO has ever made, I see the price only going up. These large dinosaurs are likewise highly valued. For myself I only want the Ankylosaurus, so will buy it individually because I don't care about the rest of the set. But the price seems on par to me.
They had me at Ankylosaurus . They lost me at that price for 537 pieces. Terribly overpriced.
I think this is a fantastic set and I'm extremely excited they are producing more dinosaurs. I'm going to fantasize about getting this set but unless I see it on a deep discount in the future, I'll sadly miss out.
That molding / fusing defect on the Ankylosaurus legs (four black dots visible on outward-facing side of upper part of each leg) is inexcusable. What's happened to the quality control LEGO have been renowned for?! Maybe that's why TLG has recently moved to only using renders in their marketing materials.
@MugenLazlo said:
"The set is good, but the $99.99 price tag is utterly preposterous. Who is going to pay $99.99 for a 537 piece set?"
Bro, people bought not movable wooden Lego fig for 119.99$
@darkstonegrey It uses same mold as Triceratops legs but they printed over them so th dots are not as noticable.
How often do we get 2 great dinos in one set? Plus it comes with a very impressive and full model! $99.99 seems totally consistent and reasonable to me. If we complain too much they won't give us more dinos guys! ?
It's so expensive because of the dinosaurs. But again it could have been $80 instead of $100.
@connor32997:
Experience shows that you can complain as much and as often as you want, and it won't change what they release...provided other people keep buying it. I don't see any huge risk that this will kill the JP/JW theme. If the movie's not an improvement on the last one, however...
@TheInfamousBobaFett:
I think snowballs get better odds than a molded brachiosaurus. If they do that, it's going to have to be a brick-built model, and will probably be in the $100-200 range.
The Park worker looks like Kevin Feige.
Thank you :)
@TomKazutara said:
"Why not more "Park" or "Lost World" sets ?
Why still "World" ?"
The park movies were better in my oppinion
Brand new to the site, so please forgive me if this is a stupid question, but how does one find out the actual release date of this set (or other sets for that matter) in the US? All I can find is a "July" release. Looking for a more specific date...