Tag Archives: Dinosaurs

The Jeeps and Explorers that everyone wanted

Can there ever be enough dinosaurs in the world? Well, in a world without any living dinosaurs, I would have to say no. Where’s the Deinonychus with a saddle to take me for a ride, or the Quetzalcoatlus flying service I dreamed of as a kid? Nowhere, since places like Dinotopia and Jurassic Park only existed in science fiction. Jonas Kramm tries to fill some of the void inside me with his awesome vignettes from the first movie of the Jurassic franchise, which is appreciated but never enough.

Speaking of voids, that is just what Jonas fills in this next set of builds, with both the Ford Explorer and Jeep Wrangler many fans of the film complained were absent from any of the official LEGO sets so far (especially the huge 75936). The Jeep stolen by Dennis Nedry is stuck in the mud and high pointed on a log, and the hapless tech wizard has been blinded by the toxic spit of the Dilophosaurus. A stud shooter is cleverly used as the log under the Jeep, and the crowbars make a great frame for the windshield as they did in LEGO set 75916‘s Jeep).

Click to see the rest of these dino-riffic vignettes

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Objects in picture are larger than they appear

With the recent release of the Jurassic Park: T. rex Rampage set, I can imagine that many LEGO fans will want to recreate more of a scene for the legendary dinosaur–the largest LEGO has ever made–to inhabit. At first glance, that would appear to be exactly what Richard Van As has done, but his creation is, in fact, much larger than even that dino! It seems fitting to me, as we learned in Jurassic Park that objects are sometimes larger than they appear.

Building in the larger scale, Richard couldn’t rely on minifigures to represent the characters, or any other specialized molded pieces, but still managed to unmistakably capture likenesses of Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ian Malcolm. The entire display is complete with all the right details from the movie scene, including a full interior for the car and a goat in the tyrannosaur paddock (though I think it was eaten already at this point). Flick through the rest of the album and see what hidden details you can spot!

Life, uh, finds a way...to eat you.

Even before LEGO’s recent release of 75936 Jurassic Park T-Rex Rampage, dinosaurs have been a popular subject for builders. ZiO Chao has apparently found the historically-based thunder lizards a bit too tame, though. Why just recreate a single species when you can add in a bit of mad science to remix the most fearsome aspects of three of them? ZiO has combined the raptor, T-Rex, and spinosaurus into a reptilian death machine named Spino-Tyraptor. This model is highly poseable, including some creative arm joints using pneumatic T-pieces. The head is expertly shaped, and the use of a spoiler for the tongue really works well.

Just as nature intended, the most eye-catching part of the creature is the fin. Carrying the dark red of the head along the spine, it reaches up with brighter reds highlighted with grey and orange 1×1 round plate and capped with quarter-round coral tile. We may not know what the true function of spinosaurus’ fin was, but I’m guessing here it’s a combination of threat display, heat regulation, and wi-fi antenna. Hey, if you’re going to genetically mix something like this, why stop at what nature thought of?

Mother knows best

LEGO builder Kai/Geneva‘s Dinosaur Nest creation is a fine example of both landscaping and unorthodox use of parts. I love the sloping of the tan and dark orange parts. Together they add to the ancient world of the dinosaurs seen here. The nest itself is made of seemingly random brown and dark brown pieces, and the lack of uniformity of the parts that make up the nest add to its realism, suggesting that the mother velociraptor gathered the sticks herself for her young.

“As the mother velociraptor sees her chicks appear, she calls to them, beginning a lifetime of affectionate communication and warnings of danger. After all, who knows what larger carnivores are lurking nearby. Now, we must be careful as to not be seen by the mother — Oh no! I’ve been spotted! Run!”

What’s the matter kid? You never had lamb chops?

Faster than a T. rex can eat a lawyer, Jonas Kramm continues cranking out Jurassic Park vignettes. After bringing us the raptor dig and introductions of John Hammond and Dennis Nedry, Jonas now takes us to the Tyrannosaur paddock. Everything about this scene is iconic from the colorful Ford Explorer touring vehicle to the T. rex bait behind the fence. There is some excellent composition here, including the angling of the fence and lush landscaping behind it. Judging by the smile on Lex’s face, she probably hasn’t seen the goat yet.

See more amazing LEGO Jurassic Park vignettes

“But for today, I guarantee it!”

“Hey, we were saving that!” Those were the words first uttered by Dr. Alan Grant when he and Ellie Sattler met “dinopreneur” John Hammond, who would take them on a wild ride through Jurassic Park. Thanks to Jonas Kramm, we now have a LEGO vignette of this iconic introductory scene, in which John Hammond invites himself into the scientists’ trailer (and to the bottle of champagne in their refrigerator). The little room is packed with plenty of detail, including a table cluttered with fossil hunting instruments like a miniature microscope and sifting tray. However, the star of the show is the open fridge and its lovable old benefactor. He has a kind of biological preserve that’s right up their alley, spared no expense!

Jonas continues the Jurassic Park fun with “Dodgson, Dodgson….we have Dodgson here! See, nobody cares.” Who cares? We care, because this is a another enjoyable build depicting the film’s introduction of Butterfinger-loving bad guy, Dennis Nedry. It also features Dodgson showing Nedry the embryo canister disguised as a shaving cream can. It’s the third in a line of Jurassic Park LEGO vignettes, the first of which was his splendid raptor dig site. Being a big Jurassic Park fan, I can’t wait to see what Jonas comes up with next!

Prehistoric sea serpent poised to strike

Recently I wrote an article that mentioned there are a few names that spring to mind when considering LEGO-built characters. Another one of these prolific builders is Anthony Wilson. His newest creation is Aquasaurus, an impeccable display of form and function working so well together, that it hurts my head.

His incredible use of colour is always refreshing to see. This build harks back to the colour palate exclusively used for the Arctic City and Town sets, which I have always enjoyed. Relatedly, one thing that separates this from the pack, are those excellent gill fins, set in the ever-elusive teal. Though not made of many pieces in this elegant creature, the contrast it creates is brilliant. In a creation of such scale, articulation can also be a challenge to hide and keep functional. Wilsons subtle use of colour specific Bionicle parts, achieves this flawlessly, giving the limbs of this creature an exceptional pose. I find myself wondering how much this beast would weigh, as his use of balance on that black pillar is great, leaving only a tiny footprint of a base below.

For another look at Anthony Wilson’s beautiful use of colour, check out his Western Woods.

Discovering LEGO set 75938 Jurassic World T. Rex vs Dino-Mech Battle [Review]

The latest wave of Jurassic World sets are based off the new LEGO TV series, Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar. Most of them have already been on the shelves since spring, with this exception: 75938 Jurassic World T. Rex vs Dino-Mech Battle. While the set has, in fact, been on shelves in other parts of the world since the beginning of June, it’s making its North American debut on August 1st. Whether you’ve seen this one around and couldn’t decide whether or not to get it, or if you’re learning about it for the first time, we thought we’d take a look and share what we’ve discovered! The set has 716 pieces and retails for US $89.99| CAN $119.99 | UK £79.99.

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I bet she knows how to open doors, too

When LEGO builder chubbybots saw the new Jurassic World set with a dinosaur mech (75938), he felt like the Tyrannosaurus needed an upgrade to even the fight. And what an upgrade it is! From the robotic legs with enormous claws to the extraordinarily long arms (for a T-rex), this dinosaur can now pack a punch as well as take one. The powerful blasters on the back look certain to take down any foe, be they robotic or organic.

The use of many textures in the greebles both lends an air of authenticity and implies that this is a custom suit made at home, rather than a sleek factory-produced exoskeleton. I love the Bionicle armor covers on the knees, and the splash of red at the shoulders gives the otherwise grey and earthy model a bit of zip. Adding Emmet as the pilot, rather than Owen, is a clever nod to both roles played by actor Chris Pratt. Did the T-rex really need the upgrade? I’m not so sure, as I have seen it take down pretty much every other big bad beast on the island.

Meet Anna. She’s not your average dinosaur.

Meet Anna the Ankyloceratops, she is not your average dinosaur. A builder who goes by the name of Victor got it into his reptile brain to construct a hybrid between a triceratops and an ankylosaurus. The end result makes her a fierce defender of all the grass and stream she has here. Her armor is comprised of plenty of radar dishes and these pointy bits. Her shaping, coloring, even the well-crafted landscape conveys Mesozoic goodness. Anna just might be the best thing I’ve seen all day and I’ve seen a video featuring a basket full of wiener dog puppies.

A beast from a garden that is older than your grandads

The good old backyard wriggler seems like a toddler in comparison to Tino Poutiainen’s mighty “Ancient Earthworm.” Its resemblance to both the famed Jurassic-era predator and a Tremors Graboid is quite striking. Even still, this leaves me to wonder what scale is it built in? Is it in minifig scale or actually closer to life-size? Whatever the case, this LEGO beast gives me the feeling that it would be an unrelenting foe, whether chasing me down a main road or a garden path.

Poutiainen’s use of the long cattle horn and spiky appendage piece, both in reddish-brown give this build some sensory perception when deep underground. It’s crowning part use though, is the large figure forearm with fist for the head. This piece was only produced in one set almost a decade ago, so it is good to see it making such a purposeful appearance here.

LEGO 75936 Jurassic Park T-rex Rampage now available for VIPs with Space Rocket Ride promotional set [News]

You can now own and build the largest dinosaur ever created in a LEGO set. 75936 Jurassic Park: T. rex Rampage is now available to LEGO VIP members for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £219.99. LEGO VIP membership is free, but if you don’t want LEGO perks and the occasional free set with purchase, this terrific Tyrannosaurus will be generally available beginning July 1st.

Also the LEGO Ideas 40335 Space Rocket Ride promotion we reviewed a few weeks ago is now available with purchases more than $99 through the end of the month, so the behemoth Jurassic Park set certainly qualifies. Too bad the dinosaur can’t fit on the space ship…

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