Star Wars was the first major franchise that LEGO licensed for a series of sets that went on to become a massive success for the company. That was in 1999, however – six years after Jurassic Park originally hit theatres. But now that the movie is celebrating its 25th anniversary, LEGO is righting a terrible wrong and finally giving us a set based on the blockbuster. And it’s a great one.
The 360-piece Jurassic Park Velociraptor Chase, available starting next week for $64.99, recreates several of Jurassic Park’s climactic scenes inside the theme park’s visitor centre, including the raptor hunt inside the kitchen, and the hacking of the computer control room to re-lock all of the doors.
The whole set is worth it just for the Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler LEGO minifigures alone, but you also get tiny versions of Lex and Tim Murphy, and an angry, door-opening velociraptor. Sadly, you’ll have to source the heroic T-rex from the film’s finale from other sets, but since she makes appearances in Jurassic World and the forthcoming sequel, she should be easy to find.
I will admit, the Velociraptor Chase is a considerably smaller set than most Jurassic Park fans, myself included, were hoping for. I’d certainly love a LEGO version of the film’s park tour vehicles to display on a shelf, but I’ll take what I can get at this point. Besides, LEGO has included a bunch of fun accessories that give a nod to the original film, including a dinosaur DNA and embryo storage unit, a giant jelly dessert, and the all-important fake can of shaving cream that was never addressed or used in any of the film’s sequels.
[LEGO]