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18 May 2024

LEGO® Jurassic World Chaos Theory reviews: sets 76962, 76965 & 76966

Posted by Kev Levell

Three new LEGO® Jurassic World sets are coming on 1 June 2024, produced to tie-in with the upcoming Jurassic World: Chaos Theory series that debuts on Netflix on 24 May: 76966 Dinosaur Missions: Allosaurus Transport Truck, 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery and 76962 Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaurus


The main focus of two of the sets are new moulded dinosaurs that are sure to excite the LEGO palaeontology fans out there, young and old.

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Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.

This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

All sets released 1 June 2024; some countries are offering it as a pre-order. Check via the links below.

76966 Dinosaur Missions: Allosaurus Transport Truck
US$89.99/ £79.99/ 89.99€/ AU$149.99
588 parts

Set 76966 on LEGO.com


76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery
US$64.99/ £59.99/ 64.99€/ AU$99.99 
420 parts

Set 76965 on LEGO.com


76962 Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaurus
US$24.99/ £19.99/ 24.99€/ AU$39.99 
358 parts

Set 76962 on LEGO.com

After more than twenty years, LEGO has done what some said would never happen and made a new stegosaurus. Also joining the ranks is an allosaurus. The other set features a buildable ankylosaurus already featured in the Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series: a super cute baby one known as Bumpy.

Parts in 76966 Allosaurus Transport Truck

Allosaurus elements

You would perhaps be forgiven for mistaking the allosaurus in this set for a new T-rex or Indominus Rex, given that it uses existing moulds apart from one new one: the head.

New mould

  • 1x Allosaurus Head in Dark Blue (6482527 | Design ID TBC) 

Recolours

  • 1x Baryonyx Lower Jaw in Dark Blue (6482528 | 49972)
  • 1x Indominus Rex Arm, Left, with Elbow Spikes [Plain] in Dark Tan (6486993 | 68445)
  • 1x Indominus Rex Arm, Right, with Elbow Spikes [Plain] in Dark Tan (6486958 | 68444)
  • 1x Tyrannosaurus Rex Leg, Left, with Pin in Dark Tan (6492828 | 98062)
  • 1x Tyrannosaurus Rex Leg, Right, with Pin in Dark Tan (6492829 | 98061)
  • 1x Indominus Rex Tail, with Spikes and Pin in Dark Tan (6482534 | 21144)
  • 1x Indominus Rex Body in Dark Blue and Dark Tan (6482529 | 38943) 

Allosauruses, for the uninitiated, are a theropod dinosaur somewhat smaller than a T-rex. So some artistic licence has been taken in the production of this new dinosaur. Nevertheless, the mould for the allosaurus’s head is another nicely executed LEGO interpretation of the source dinosaur.

Towball Hitching Plate 2x4 (part 3779)

This new moulding in the towball family looks like it has been designed as an attempt to improve truck couplings or hitchings. 

  • 1x Plate Special 2 x 4 with Towball Socket in Light Bluish Gray (6469207 | 3779) 


It is not a stiff connection to the ball joint and allows easy and free movement while remaining connected. 



It's a standard 2x4 module footprint based with one half being a 2x2 plate and the towball hitching at the other. The highest point is just over a module, but it tapers down to one module high at the end.



This new moulding (above right) allows connection from a vertical direction, and a full 360° rotation. The current towball receptacle option (such as part 63082, above left) only allows 180° pivoting, and the original socket (such as part 3730, not pictured) allows far less, perhaps 90°. It is clear to see that for certain usages, the new hitching plate won't necessarily be replacing the existing options.

Recolours

  • 4x Bracket 3 x 2 x 1 1/3 with Bottom Stud Holder in Sand Green (6484672 | 73562)
  • 3x Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 in Sand Green (6489813 | 44728)
  • 2x Mudguard 2 x 4 with Molded Headlights in Sand Green (6489816 | 44674) 

  • 4x Technic Beam 2 x 4 L-Shape Thick in Sand Green (6489815 | 32140)
  • 4x Technic Beam 1 x 9 Thick in Sand Green (6489814 | 40490)

  • 2x Slope Curved 2 x 1 No Studs [1/2 Bow] in Trans-Clear (6508253 | 11477) 
  • 1x Windscreen 2 x 6 x 2 in Trans-Black (6489993 | 35336)

Two Trans-Yellow baby bows are also included in the set but are already available in a number sets after their introduction in the middle of last year. It's wonderful to see Trans-Clear join them.

Rare parts

  • 2x Wheel Arch, Mudguard, 1 1/2 x 6 x 1 [Arch Extended] in Sand Green (6484673 | 62361), last seen back in 2012 in set 9468 The Vampyre Castle
  • 1 x Technic Shock Absorber 6.5L with Soft Spring, Tight Coil [Complete Assembly] in Light Bluish Gray (6378472 | 89953, but listed on BrickLink as 731c08). This element has gone through many iterations over the years and this latest version from 2022 has a tighter coil. It has only appeared in a few sets so far.

Minifigures

Guard

  • 1 x Minifig Head, Eyelashes, Dark Turquoise Hearing Aid, Smile, Teeth print in Medium Brown (6404027 | 100326) 3626cpr3857 previously only available in 21337 Table Football from 2022 

Kenji

  • 1x Minifig Head with new print in Warm Tan (6482496 | 28621)
  • 1x Torso with new print in Dark Blue (6489603 | 973) 

Darius

  • 1x Minifig Head with new print in Reddish Brown (6482505 | 28621)
  • 1x Torso with new print in Yellow (6489604 | 973) 

Yaz

  • 1x Torso with new print in Nougat (6489307 | 973)

Sticker sheet

Set 76966 on LEGO.com

Parts in 76965 Stegosaurus Discovery

Stegosaurus elements

This is a bigger hitter in terms of dinosaurs, so watch out for those thagomizers

New mould

  • 1x Stegosaurus Body, with Tan Plates & Thagomizers in Olive Green (6482499 | Design ID TBC)

Recolours

  • 1x Triceratops Leg, Right, Front, with Pin [Plain] in Olive Green (6492831 | 109343)
  • 1x Triceratops Leg, Left, Front, with Pin [Plain] in Olive Green (6492830 | 109342)
  • 1x Triceratops Leg, Right, Back, with Pin [Plain] in Olive Green (6492857 | 109349)
  • 1x Triceratops Leg, Left, Back, with Pin [Plain] in Olive Green (6492856 | 109348)

It is very gratifying at long last to have this particular iconic dinosaur added to the LEGO range. The last moulded stegosaurus was released in 2000 as part of the LEGO® Adventurers theme, so this feels very welcome if somewhat overdue!



The thagomizers and the plates are over-moulded in a flexible rubber material as a second injection.

If I can make one criticism of this wonderful dinosaur, it is that it would have been really pleasing to have just a couple of studs on the back to allow a minifigure to ride it!



A 3.18mm bar does fit in it's mouth though.

Other recolours

  • 2x Panel 1 x 3 x 1 in Dark Red (6490338 | 23950)
  • 2x Plate 3 x 3 Corner in Dark Red (6490321 | 77844)
  • 4x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 4 x 2 1/2 x 1 in Dark Tan (6490339 | 98282)
  • 1x Windscreen 2 x 6 x 2 in Trans-Black (6489993 | 35336) 

Rare parts

  • 2x Slope Inverted 45° 6 x 1 Double with 1 x 4 Cutout in Dark Red (6492141 | 52501), last seen in 2016
  • 4x Panel 1 x 4 x 2 with Side Supports - Hollow Studs in Dark Red (6359738 | 14718)
  • 2x Plate 2 x 2 Corner in Dark Brown (6454543 | 2420)
  • 2x Plant, Fern 3 x 4 x 2 in Bright Yellowish Green/ Lime (6507849 | 5151)
  • 6x Plant, Plate 1 x 1 Round with 3 Leaves in Reddish Orange (6463129 | 32607)
  • 2x Slope Curved 2 x 1 No Studs [1/2 Bow] in Bright Green (6460836 | 11477)

  • 1x Animal, Dinosaur, Raptor, Child, Sand Blue Stripes print in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6469331 | 106405)
  • 1x Tile 2 x 2 with Map of City/Ocean with Route print in White (6413018 | 100888)

Minifigures

Ben

  • 1 x Minifig Head Ben / James Sirius Potter / Max Dennison, Raised Eyebrows, Slight Smile / Scared Print in Light Nougat (6364557 | 80522)
  • 1x Torso with new print in Sand Green (6489328 | 973)

Sammy

  • 1 x Minifig Head Sammy, Eyelashes, Dark Orange Lips, Open Mouth Smile / Closed Mouth Smirk Print in Nougat (6404018 | 100317)
  • 1x Torso with new print in Medium Blue (6489739 | 973)

Stickers


Many of these will be useful in other applications.

Parts in 76962 Baby Bumpy

What better dinosaur character to make into a brick-built model than Ben's popular ankylosaurus friend, Bumpy?

Recolours

  • 4x Slope Curved 2 x 2 Inverted in Tan (6485743 | 1750)
  • 2x Hinge Plate 2 x 4 with Articulated Joint - Female in Tan (6485750 | 3640)
  • 2x Plate 1 x 1 x 2/3 with Open Stud in Tan (6458392 | 86996). I discovered that this is also in the upcoming 21061 Notre Dame Cathedral at the time of writing
  • 1x Brick Round 1.5 x 1.5 Dome Top [Plain] in Tan (6487883 | 20952)
  • 4x Brick Round 2 x 2 Truncated Cone in Tan (6215023 | 98100)
  • 2x Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers On End, without Groove, 7 Teeth in Tan (6485745 | 54657)

  • 4x Slope 45° 2 x 1 with 2/3 Cutout [New Version] in Dark Turquoise (6487879 | 15672)
  • 2x Hinge Brick 2 x 2 Top Plate Thin in Dark Turquoise (6488169 | 6134) – last seen in 1999!

  • 3x Wedge Sloped 45° 2 x 4 Triple in Dark Tan (6487880 | 47759)
  • 1x Hinge Plate 2 x 4 with Articulated Joint - Male in Dark Tan (6487884 | 3639)

Printed pieces

  • 2x Tile Round 2 x 2 with eye print in Reddish Brown (6482494 | 14769) 

Rare parts

  • 4x Wedge Curved 2 x 3 x 2/3 Two Studs, Wing End in Tan (6485751 | 47456) – last seen in 2020
  • 3x Plant, Flower, Minifig Accessory with 7 Thick Petals and Pin in Bright Green (6488792 | 32606)
  • 2x Brick Special 1 x 1 with Studs on 2 Adjacent Sides in Bright Red/ Red (6473603 | 26604)
  • 1x Plant, Leaves, Round 2 x 2 x 2/3 with + Axle Hole and 4 Leaf Extensions in Bright Yellowish Green/ Lime (6210415 | 15469)

For a set of this size, the number of recolours and rare parts is quite surprising. The quantity of repeating elements in quite a limited colour palette also makes this a contender for consideration as a parts pack... if you aren't already seduced by the idea of an army of cute little Bumpys, that is!

The builds

76966 Allosaurus Transport Truck


The build is very straightforward, with little to comment on in terms of new building techniques. The star of the show here is probably intended to be the allosaurus, as that is more than likely to be the main villain of the new show!



  
However, the truck is an enjoyable build with a clever mechanism that drops the sides of the trailer cage to release the allosaurus.


There is undoubtedly value here during play but perhaps there could be a little more physical content. While the truck is a fairly large vehicle, it feels like this set suffers from the usual problem with many of the larger Jurassic World sets; that perhaps the majority of the value is eaten up by the big carnivorous dinosaur?

A drone and a small buggy, that feels more like a polybag or magazine gift build, fill out the side-builds here.

76965 Stegosaurus Discovery


As mentioned above, the LEGO stegosaurus has been much-missed and this new iteration is a true delight. Even allowing for what feels like a little lack of LEGO DNA, in the absence of some visible studs, the new dinosaur mould is great.




For the retail price it feels like there is possibly better value in this set than the flagship set of the wave. The addition of the tree scene section brings more play value to the table than perhaps the additional side builds found in 76966, plus the added value of the juvenile raptor that is still relatively rare.

76962 Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaurus


There were arguments in my house over who was going to build this cute little ankylosaurus with me for this review... so, it was built twice, once by my 12 year-old son and then again by my 10 year-old daughter. There is definitely something appealing to the target audience in this set.




A couple of neat little methods feature in the construction. The first creates a mechanism based on the classic 2x2 turntable plate that gives Bumpy's head and tail some good articulation. The latter has an all-important whipping action, thanks also to the articulated joint (3639 and 3640). The second creates Bumpy's snout and the roof of her mouth.

The vegetation for Bumpy to eat is cute, creating some immediate play value through role-play opportunities.

It certainly inspired my son; he created this animation!

Conclusion

Filling the ranks of LEGO dinosaur species are our new stegosaurus and allosaurus. There have been compromises but their inclusion in the available range, combined with last year's brachiosaurus seems to show a surprising and ongoing commitment from LEGO if not to Jurassic World, then to dinosaurs in general. Please keep them coming! What next? Parasaurolophus? Spinosaurus? Iguanodon? Apatosaurus? Muttaburrasaurus? 

It can't be denied that large moulds like the dinosaurs have an impact on what can be included in a set. Here, perhaps the stegosaurus set fares a little better than the allosaurus set because overall it feels like there is more for the money.

The buildable Bumpy the ankylosaurus is such an appealing little build. It's charming and pretty good value. It contains just 60 fewer pieces than the stegosaurus for well under half as much money, and might represent some parts-pack appeal with a good selection of repeating elements in Dark Turquoise (Teal) and Dark and Light Tan.

Despite the good group of recoloured parts in both, I'm not going to recommend either 76966 or 76965. Unless you are a LEGO dinosaur collector that is, and if you are, you won't need my recommendation to buy these sets for the fabulous dinosaurs included in them. I suspect you'll probably already be working out where the best price is going to be had anyway.

Baby Bumpy however is an easy recommendation, and if you can find an early deal, even better!

All sets released 1 June 2024; some countries are offering it as a pre-order. Check via the links below.

Set 76966 on LEGO.com


Set 76965 on LEGO.com

Set 76962 on LEGO.com


READ MORE: Also coming 1 June: LEGO® Icons 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr

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4 comments:

  1. Fantastic review... and fantastic animation!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I you would've told the size of the dinos in inches or centimeters, it would've been better. But nice information 👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This article was really interesting and helped me know more about these lego sets

      Delete