Review: 76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull from LEGO® Jurassic World

After LEGO launched the grey goat on Pick a Brick, we now suggest something you can use them for: an extinct creature that loves devouring goats (according to a famous movie). Set 76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull was released in January 2024 and although the set comes without a goat, it still has some tasty elements.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
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76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull

• Price: US$39.99/ £34.99/ 39.99€/ AU$69.99
• Pieces: 577
• Release date: 1 January 2024

LEGO Jurassic World 76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull on LEGO.com

Buy individual pieces from 76964 on LEGO® Pick a Brick

 

Parts

There are no new moulds in this set.

Recolours

• 2x Plate Special 1 x 2 with Clips Horizontal [Open O Clips] in Sand Yellow/Dark Tan (6474324 | 49563 | 60470b, 49563)
• 6x Slope Curved 2 x 2 with Stud Notches in Sand Yellow/Dark Tan (6472086 | 66956)
• 1x Plate Special 1 x 2 with Handles on Ends in Brick Yellow/Tan (6472088 | 18649)
• 2x Slope 33° 2 x 2 Double / Inverted in Brick Yellow/Tan (6472087 | 1762)

For a comparatively small set, a total count of four recoloured parts is pretty surprising. The two dark tan plates caught my attention, since I thought they would already exist.

Rare parts

• 2x Support Half Round 2 x 4 x 13 in Black (6449621 | 1749)
• 1x Tile Special 4 x 8 Inverted in Black (6448634 | 83496) – only in 4 sets thus far, but only interesting if you don’t put the sticker on it
• 1x Tile Special 2 x 3 Pentagonal in Sand Yellow/Dark Tan (6406356 | 35341, 22385) – appears in four other sets, one of which is the 2023 LEGO® BIONICLE® Gift with purchase 40581 Tahu and Takua
• 1x Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Brick Yellow/Tan (6404629 | 80177)
• 1x Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Right in Brick Yellow/Tan (6404628 | 80178)
• 1x Wedge Plate 6 x 6 Cut Corner in Reddish Brown (6357957 | 6106) – after only two appearances, in 2005 in UCS 10144 Sandcrawler (as element 4225521) and 2011 in 4194 Whitecap Bay (4633892), this part was reintroduced by numerous sets in 2024.

Interesting parts

• 10x Animal Body Part, Barb / Claw / Tooth / Talon / Horn, Medium in Brick Yellow/Tan (6314377 | 87747)
• 22x Animal Body Part, Barb / Claw / Tooth / Talon / Horn, Small in Brick Yellow/Tan (6063671 | 88513, 53451)

Both parts have the second-highest piece count in a set here, and tooth parts are by definition an interesting part given that a T. rex is defined by its menacing appearance!

Buy individual pieces from 76964 on LEGO® Pick a Brick

The build

The building process is uneventful, but still entertaining. 

You start by building the stand for the display. What I really like about the stand is how they achieved the stability for the skull, added later. 

The support beams are framed by wedge plates and brackets on the under- and upper sides, connected with tiles as clamps that hold the construction in a simple, yet very effective way. The overall stand design quickly gives you the vibes of the Isla Nublar – just by adding a few palm leaves, it evokes the jungle feeling.

Next up is the fossilised footprint of the T. rex. While building it, I had the scene from Jurassic Park in mind, in which the puddle of water in the footprint vibrated. 

It is cleverly built with a combination of brackets and various slopes. The footprint certainly adds to the display value of the skull.

After that we start the main attraction of the set, the T. rex skull. You begin with the upper head and move down to the lower jaw. You are looking at attaching lots of small and large teeth – watch out!

The final bit is the name plaque on the underside of the 4x8 inverted tile. It’s the only sticker in this set. The plaque is added below the footprint and is connected with clips, which allows it to be removed easily in case you want only the skull and the footprint on display.

Conclusion

Overall this set is a beautiful display model with a decent price tag, and a good parts pack for Tan and Dark Tan. 

There are some minor points of critique from my side. The jaw is locked in its position. It would have been nice if you could move it up and down, though I admit, I am not sure how well this would work out in practice with the teeth.

Another thing that would elevate the value of this set would be an option to separate the skull and its stand from the footprint and the plaque, in case you want to display only the skull. Yes, you could just detach the footprint and the plaque, but you would still have a lot of unused stand. On the other hand, it is easy to mock up your own single stand if you really want to.

My points of critique or improvement suggestions aside, I can recommend this set. You get a lot of value for what you pay. It has pleasing overall display aesthetics, good parts and nice recolours, and most importantly some good building fun.

Buy individual pieces from 76964 on LEGO® Pick a Brick

LEGO Jurassic World 76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull on LEGO.com
US$39.99/ £34.99/ 39.99€/ AU$69.99

READ MORE: Review: 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 from LEGO® The Legend of Zelda™

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