Review: 76961 Visitor Centre: T. rex & Raptor Attack
Posted by CapnRex101,
The stunning Jurassic Park Visitor Centre seems perfectly suited to LEGO, given its extraordinary architecture and vital role in Jurassic Park. 76961 Visitor Centre: T. rex & Raptor Attack thus offers definite potential, although contains 693 pieces, which is surprisingly few.
The price of £114.99, $129.99 or €129.99 therefore feels enormously expensive, although the presence of some large dinosaurs must be taken into consideration. Also, six minifigures are provided and all are exclusive, so perhaps the sheer quality of this set will overcome its price.
Summary
76961 Visitor Centre: T. rex & Raptor Attack, 693 pieces.
£114.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 | 16.6p/18.8c/18.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The famed Visitor Centre provides a lot of good qualities, but is incredibly overpriced
- Impressive detail, inside and out
- Great minifigure selection
- Fantastic play value
- Lacklustre atrium
- Extremely expensive
- Deserving of a larger set
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Unlike their minifigures in other sets, these versions of Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler are from the climax of Jurassic Park, so appear decidedly bedraggled. Alan's shirt is splattered with mud and is sand blue rather than the usual medium azure, reflecting its dirty state. The trousers are darker too, compared with the minifigure in 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery, which is a nice effect.
Dr. Sattler is similarly dressed in a sand blue vest, which corresponds with the film and is only available here. However, the printed legs and double-sided head are found in other sets, with suitable facial expressions on each side. I am less satisfied with Dr. Grant's head, featuring a confident smile that is far from representative of his emotions during this scene! Moreover, the reddish brown hair element appears too dark.
Lex Murphy has appeared twice before, becoming increasingly muddy on each occasion. The new minifigure replaced her lavender attire with medium nougat, although the patterns remain intact and are accurate to the movie. Conversely, her hair piece has become lighter over time, changing from medium nougat to dark tan and now tan. I think this colour works well.
On the other hand, medium legs would have been appropriate for Lex, especially in relation to Tim Murphy, for whom short legs are ideal. I like his striped shirt and accompanying jacket, as these are again faithful to the source material. Additionally, the updated hairstyle looks good, but I wonder whether this means the classic male hair piece is being retired because Tim and Luke Skywalker both incorporated that element until this year.
The children include the double-sided heads introduced with their minifigures in 75932 Jurassic Park Velociraptor Chase, featuring some freckles alongside happy and concerned expressions. Given Lex's perpetual, although understandable, screaming in this scene, a new design would have been great.
75936 Jurassic Park: T. rex Rampage provided the first Ray Arnold minifigure, dressed in his full Jurassic Park garb. This iteration of the character is more casual and his tie looks splendid, inspired by the scene in which Ray shuts down the park's electrical system. However, the figure should have included dual-moulded arms to represent rolled-up sleeves.
Dr. Henry Wu completes the selection of exclusive minifigures, making his debut appearance from the original film. This minifigure thus appears younger than previous versions, featuring a new double-sided head. One side looks very friendly, but the other is surprisingly devious, even though the geneticist's questionable morality is only explored in the Jurassic World trilogy.
Nevertheless, I am pleased to see another warm tan head, broadening the range of available parts. Ray also includes a double-sided head, smiling on one side and frightened on the other. None of the minifigures carry accessories in the instruction manual, but some are found around the set, thankfully.
The Completed Model
A new dark tan and dark bluish grey Velociraptor has arrived this summer, also appearing in 76957 Velociraptor Escape. This colour scheme is fairly bland and I much prefer the medium nougat and dark brown dinosaur from 75932 Jurassic Park Velociraptor Chase, although these muted colours are appropriate in relation to the film.
Furthermore, the patterning looks excellent and I like the pale yellow eyes. As normal, the jaw, neck, shoulders and hips are articulated, while the raptor's distinctive sickle-shaped claws are faithfully replicated. Fundamentally, the LEGO Velociraptor is designed brilliantly, although the animal is oversized beside minifigures, even relative to the huge Velociraptors in Jurassic Park.
The modern T. rex was introduced in 2012, at the same time as the Velociraptor. Also similar to the Velociraptor, I think the general shape of the T. rex is fantastic and its articulation is pretty comprehensive. The neck joint is especially versatile, able to move up and down, as well as rotate, while the jaw, arms, legs and tail are all articulated too.
However, it is difficult to take advantage of the leg motion when posing the T. rex because its feet are static. The opening jaw is outstanding though, containing rows of tan teeth inside and almost enough room to swallow a minifigure whole! In addition, the hands can grip anything the width of a standard bar, which is a useful option.
The colours and decoration on this T. rex are unique, taking inspiration from Rexy's onscreen appearance and displaying scars where the Velociraptor attacks. These are a nice detail, but I am more impressed with the pattern across the head and particularly around the eyes. The use of black and dark brown here is incredibly effective, improving on the other tan Tyrannosaurus rex from 76948 T. rex & Atrociraptor Dinosaur Breakout.
Dark brown bands begin on the head and continue for almost the entire length of the dinosaur, which measures 28cm long. Any patterns on Rexy are much less conspicuous in the films, but this subdued colour combination achieves a good balance between accuracy and visual appeal, in my opinion.
LEGO fans have discussed the potential of the Visitor Centre since the Jurassic World theme was launched in 2015, often focusing on a direct-to-consumer design, likely comprising a few thousand pieces. This model is substantially smaller, although is immediately recognisable as the building from Jurassic Park, recreating its unusual shape and characteristic conical roof.
In the film, the Visitor Centre is elevated above the road and features ornamental cascades on either side of the entrance. The structure is simplified here, focusing almost exclusively on the actual building, which seems sensible given the limited number of pieces. The three windows located on each wing are accurate though and I like the flowers underneath, introducing some colour to the exterior.
Four stickers surround the doors, featuring the carved fossil designs visible onscreen. These look superb and the shape of the stone entrance surround also corresponds with the source material, resembling the towering gates found throughout the park. Despite lacking the grand staircase and cascading fountains shown in the movie, the main entrance still looks impressive.
Dark red railings line the roof, again matching the onscreen location. There is just enough room for a minifigure to stand behind the railings and observe the action below, but deeper balconies could have been constructed. The famous curved roof between these balconies lacks thatched texture, but is otherwise reasonably faithful to the movie, considering the modest scale.
Influenced by Polynesian architecture, the central roof is divided into three layers. Stone pillars separate these layers and the LEGO equivalent captures this feature, although there should be many more pillars. The flanking rotunda are similarly assembled and seem proportional with the larger roof, but I dislike the cones on top, as the change in pitch is far too dramatic.
The interior is also divided into three sections, as a laboratory and restaurant flank the atrium. There was undoubtedly potential to include many more rooms. However, I feel the same way about the interior as the exterior, as the compromises necessary for a building of this size are inevitably disappointing, but have been implemented well.
On the other hand, the atrium is almost completely empty. Admittedly, the onscreen entrance hall only contains huge dinosaur skeletons, too large for this space beneath the roof. Even so, the atrium could have been improved with a patterned floor. I love the murals situated on either side though, one of which features adult and juvenile Parasaurolophuses. Hopefully these will appear in physical LEGO form soon.
A banner hangs above the entrance, memorably falling as the T. rex roars at the climax of the film. This vinyl sheet is secured using Technic pins at either end, but looks slightly awkward to me, suspended across the atrium because the area is so small, instead of from the ceiling. The design looks marvellous though, corresponding with the movie.
Scale becomes a further issue with the T. rex standing inside, as the banner looks absolutely tiny. I am not sure how this could have been resolved because even a direct-to-consumer set would struggle to accommodate the Tyrannosaurus rex, but it remains awkward, even so. The banner detaches at one end by pushing a Technic piece under the roof, but the mechanism is needlessly stiff.
Although unable to fit beneath the roof of the atrium, a T. rex skeleton is included. Comparable models have appeared a couple of times before, in 21320 Dinosaur Fossils and 76940 T. rex Dinosaur Fossil Exhibition. This version falls between their levels of complexity, as expected given the intended age group, but is the smallest by a considerable margin.
The skeleton measures 20cm in length, so is presumably an adolescent when compared with the adult T. rex. In addition, their colour schemes are similar and I think this combination of tan and dark tan works well for a fossil display. Unfortunately, there are some noticeably contrasting pieces, including grey and black ball joints on the legs and hips.
By far the most distracting though is the blue Technic pin on the head, which supports the jaw. This element looks awful and should have been swapped for a tan Technic pin with low friction, even though the jaw would then hang open slightly further. Otherwise, the head features superb detail, most notably around the eye sockets and nostrils.
The ribs and legs are impressive too, other than those incongruous colours. The stance of the legs is adjustable and the segmented tail is articulated as well, albeit only up and down. I think the arms could be improved though. Their size is appropriate, but their position is odd. Also, the black base should be designed to resemble a rock, for complete accuracy to Jurassic Park.
While the atrium leaves something to be desired, the rooms on either side are vastly superior. The laboratory contains a range of furnishings from the movie, including a table with a printed block of amber at one end and a sliver of amber under a microscope at the other. The computer in between looks great, as the brick-built tower and monitor are placed side by side.
Mr. DNA appears on a screen in the corner, beside an incubator containing two eggs. The trans-clear dome closes neatly over the eggs and a robotic arm is ready to turn them over, just like in the film. Equivalent models have appeared in past sets and I think the robotic arm, in particular, was better designed in 75939 Dr. Wu's Lab: Baby Dinosaurs Breakout and 122219 Raptor with Hatchery because those could grip the eggs.
Even so, the laboratory is nicely detailed and the restaurant is perhaps even better. A selection of cakes and other desserts are available on the buffet and those selected by Lex and Tim are found on a nearby table. The green jelly is especially recognisable. The white tablecloth looks splendid and a few plants are displayed in the restaurant, including two by the windows.
A ceiling fan is included as well, but maybe most important of all is the Velociraptor mural. The mural is ideally positioned in Lex's eyeline and is formed by a sticker on a trans-clear window panel, so you could place the Velociraptor behind its mural to create a silhouette. There is an obvious difference in their sizes, but this opportunity to recreate the original scene is welcome.
Overall
Considering its modest size, 76961 Visitor Centre: T. rex & Raptor Attack deserves praise. The building is relatively small, but captures the essential features of its source material and looks remarkably attractive on display. The interior is nicely detailed and provides ample play value, especially with the six excellent minifigures and the dinosaurs to populate the space.
However, I cannot help but think a bigger model could have included the same detail and much more, definitively representing the Visitor Centre, without the need for major compromises. The expensive price of £114.99, $129.99 or €129.99 is also a significant issue, despite the inclusion of two dinosaurs, which are relatively costly to produce. Once heavily discounted, I think this set warrants consideration, but not before.
113 likes
37 comments on this article
You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over.
@GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
I hope we get a few more since they just released that brachiosaurus. I don't want to have to spend $80 to get a herd or them if you know what I mean.
I feel like we could have copied and pasted the same text to 90% of sets the last two years.
Looks like a great set but way too expensive for what you get.
This set is so bad it hurts.
It looks unfinished, not very well thought and just simply too small.
@GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
I am waiting for a LEGO stegosaurus. I hope they make one. Would be nice to get sets from Lost World and Jurassic Park III.
@briandrewz86 said:
" @GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
I am waiting for a LEGO stegosaurus. I hope they make one. Would be nice to get sets from Lost World and Jurassic Park III."
Agreed, I want the mobile lab truck from the lost world
T. rex skeleton isn't great. Is there a play feature with it or can it stand without the support?
The mural are awesome same for the fosil stickers
But skip I allready have the dino's and don't have to have all the figs.
@briandrewz86 You called 5955 ;)
@GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
Movies are over, but kids (and adults) will always love Dinosaurs, so I doubt there will be a lack of market
@GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
I thought Star Wars original trilogy was over in 1999, yet LEGO made sets for all 3 original movies in that year, alongside Ep1.
Harry Potter Wizarding World has been over for 12 years as well, and it got sets for the past 6 years :)
Not to mention the recent Indiana Jones sets, Avatar 1 etc. (yes there is a new movie for both of those, but especially for Indy , they just released sets of old movies, and Harry Potter has the vast majority of focus on their original movies, and not Fantastic Beasts)
Jurassic Park 2 and 3 sets are probably possible, and if not, LEGO will probably just start their own Dino theme again.
@GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
As long as there are four year old kids, there will be dinosaur toys!
That T.Rex skeleton is ugly as hell. If it was skipped the whole set could be a little cheaper.
It’s decent for what it is, but definitely isn’t what most AFOLs had in mind in terms of a visitor center set.
This could have been twice as large for $250 and it probably would have sold better than this will. A UCS style set is strongly warranted.
"Lacklustre atrium" looks like something I'd have to enter as a captcha.
Should be $70 for this size. Wouldn't be surprised at $100 (dino moulds + exclusive figs). $130 is ridiculous. Give us a proper set at $200-$250.
Wait, is this the Yavin review or…
I was actually considering getting 76940, to compare the T. rex skeleton to the one in 21320. Probably a good thing I didn't, because it would make getting this too tempting to complete the bony trifecta. Not that I don't like the set, but it does seem overpriced (large dinosaur and roof pieces notwithstanding) but I'm buying fewer expensive Lego sets these days.
You know, there's always this excuse of "the dinosaurs cost so much to make". How much do they really cost, because I can go buy an action figure of a velociraptor for 5 bucks. We aren't even talking about new molds here!
I’ve never thought the face for Dr. Sattler looked right
@blogzilly said:
"Wait, is this the Yavin review or…"
The TRex is indeed smaller than normal but can still hold an astromech droid.
I'm looking at this set as a similar purchase comparison against 75365 Yavin 4 Reble Base, and the value of this Jurassic Park set outshines the Star Wars theme in pricing, features, and attractiveness. It doesn't seem so expensive now, from a certain point of view.
LEGO ridicules the grand Hagia Sophia yet again! I'm outraged, ban this set...
The closest thing we’re getting to a Jabba’s palace with rancor…..
It’s the only one of the new JW sets I haven’t got. Other than being extremely expensive here, there’s nothing in it that I haven’t really got already.
I do like that this includes the Raptor from 76957 unlike previous waves where there has been an exclusive dinosaur in a 4+ set. I got it to help complete my modern Dino collection. (Getting all colour variants of the current molds including the orange rex from 4000031)
Lovely set. Interesting to see such a wide variety of skin tones in a single set and the figures all look quite nice: I’m not a Jurassic Park/World person myself but this might be one I pick up. (I’ll wait for a discount).
Even though that they are pretty good, I feel like by now the dinosaur molds could be improved. Like, imagine how much more play, versatility, and pose ability the T.rexes would have with ankles!
@LegoMaster2006 said:
" @GenericLegoFan said:
"You know,I do wonder how many more of these sets will be made,considering the movies are over."
I hope we get a few more since they just released that brachiosaurus. I don't want to have to spend $80 to get a herd or them if you know what I mean."
And a set with more Gallimimus, 75940 wasn't enough.
Lego have really gone all out on extremely scene specific minifigure prints even the likes of the Star Wars theme hasn't scene.
I do question their wisdom in having so many unique parts available at any one time when one part could be shared between each figure. You've got:
Alan Grant (3) - Regular torso w/ red kerchief, wet torso, dirty torso without kerchief.
Ellie Sattler (3) - Regular coral knotted overshirt , dirty coral overshirt, no overshirt.
Ian Malcolm (2) - Black shirt no leather jacket, wet shirt no leather jacket.
Lex Murphy (2) - Muddy torso, dirty torso.
Tim Murphy (2) - Muddy torso, dirty torso.
Not to mention the now retired versions from sets 75932 and 75936, like Malcolm having a leather jacketed variant and unbuttoned shirt variant.
I personally don't look to Lego minifigures for such an exacting level of detail but when the more vocal Star Wars and Superhero Lego fans complain about such and such fig not being accurate (likely because it reuses a pre-exsting element from another set) they can point to the Jurassic Park theme as an example.
Lego have often said in the past when the opportunity to share unique parts between sets is possible, they will, so the set/theme budget can better utilised elsewhere. I therefore conclude the JP theme budget was huge ;P
"I wonder whether this means the classic male hair piece is being retired"
@CapnRex101 Lego can pry it from my cold dead hands. Although at a glance it's still in production in 76956.
Cue the customary "your designers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
@capnrex101
Thanks!
Suggestion: Could we get an article lining up the JurassicPark/World theme dino's throughout? Plz! B-)
As huge a fan as I am of the original "Jurassic Park" movie, this entire line is grossly, ludicrously over-priced, to the point where I am genuinely curious as to how many of them are actually selling.
On a hunch, this will be yet another tie-in theme (like "Avatar" and "The Eternals") that will sit on shelves collecting dust for a few months before being clearanced out at great prices, so once again, it's just a waiting game. I *will* have the Brachiosaurus, no mistake, but not for what they're asking for it, currently.
@Zordboy Hand me a coke will we wait patiently.
Downside is you have to accept that you might "miss" it.
@watcher21 said: " @Zordboy Downside is you have to accept that you might "miss" it."
I do feel like I'm reaching that point in my over-confidence where it ends up biting me in the butt, but eh, life's full of little challenges.
Another set where I think I will Bricklink the sticker sheet and printed pieces, download the instructions and devise my own MOC. As it stands the building and dinosaurs don't fit with each other, and the empty atrium suggests that the set was boxed up and sent out before the designers were finished!
The Rex and Raptor molds should have been already paid off. It is ridiculous how this set is barely a facade of what we expected it to be.
Has no-one pointed out how the doors themselves are lacking any form of detail? If I remember correctly these doors had elaborate glass panes, where the middle ones formed a flame shape while the outer formed radiating lines. Ideally this design should've been printed on transparent doors, but how come we haven't even got a measly sticker (on either clear or brown doors)?
Also seriously annoyed by how modern box art tries to fool you into thinking the set is more extensive than it is, like how the drawn stairs clearly looks like they've been made with sideways 1x2x2 slopes on the edges.
Totally hilarious how they present "dropping the banner onto the T-rex" as a play feature on the back, especially since it doesn't hang nearly high enough to fall as in the movie anyway.
Speaking of box art - that's some whiny-looking kids. If it was my choice I would've fed them to the raptors ASAP, I'll bet it would save us all a ton of problems down the road.
The stairs are an integral part of the iconic look of the building. Without them it's a huge miss. They must have been included in the set.