Earlier this year, LEGO sent me its new Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler set. Even though it doesn’t feature any dinosaurs it’s still my favorite release yet from LEGO’s ever-expanding dinosaur collection because it celebrates a truly iconic cinematic automobile. That jeep, seen in various forms, is a big part of multiple memorable moments from an all-time great film. And this versatile set celebrates exactly that by letting you build it four different ways. It lets you recreate and easily switch between the exact model seen during your favorite moment in Jurassic Park.
That’s also why this LEGO Jeep Wrangler has caused me a problem I will never be able to solve.
The 1924-piece, 1:10 scale model LEGO Jurassic World: Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler set is essentially perfect outside of its lengthy official name and an issue that will only impact absurd people like me. It comes with two booklets of instructions that are generally easy to follow. However, this 18+ set is still a challenge to construct. There are also a few especially difficult elements that can be extra tricky. The windshield area requires a deft touch. The same is true of the footboard that runs along each side. And the front side of the set includes a grappling hook on a working winch that also features my most dreaded LEGO element, a small string. (Not joking. LEGO strings and me are not pals.)
There are also so many wonderful little details that snap in without much support that I sometimes knocked them off when I was a little too careless. The good news is that those are generally easy to reattach.
One of my favorite touches is that this jeep works. The front wheels move and can be covertly controlled by the spare tire on the back. It’s a clever little way to let you operate the vehicle without trying to turn the tiny steering wheel inside. It also boasts working doors, movable headrests, and a liftable hood complete with a full engine. While I am keeping mine as a display model, those interactive aspects means it also works as a very fun toy.
It also comes with a perfect Dennis Nedry minifig. Dodgson’s pal comes with a tiny fake bottle of shaving cream, a head mold with two faces, and removable hood and hair pieces. (There’s a spot to hide the unused one behind the plaque.) The set also comes with a replica of the map he knocked over in the rainstorm while trying to flee with the stolen embryos. And yes, it spins so he’ll never know the right direction.
This collection really does has everything both a LEGO and Jurassic Park fan could want short of an actual dinosaur. Technically it has more because this is unlike most LEGO sets. You can finish it multiple ways. The instructions and extra pieces allow you to complete yours in one of four different models. Well, it’s really three, with one having two variations that only change the jeep’s number and nothing else.
One of those models is the way the jeep is first seen in Jurassic Park, when John Hammond brings his experts to see dinosaurs for the first time. This open-air version has roll bars. It’s the version of the Jurassic Park jeep I picture in my mind when I think about it because I think that’s Spielberg’s greatest sequence ever.
It’s easier to build those roll bars than you might think. However, I did initially screw it up by not paying attention. They snap in easily and they come off without any problem if you want to change your LEGO jeep. (The biggest pains when switching are the little tag hanging from the rearview mirror and the hood piece with the jeep’s number.) This version also comes with two variations, as there are stickers and plates for both the jeep number Hammond was in and the one the doctors were in.
Why anyone would choose Hammond and his lawyer’s car (#29) over Grant, Sattler, and Malcolm’s (#18) I do not know. I don’t need to know, either. I’ll just assume you’re related to the late Richard Attenborough because that’s the only thing that makes sense.
The second (technically third) variation is the #12 version of the jeep seen during Nedry’s failed escape. There’s a reason the company used this as the model for the front of the box. This iteration includes both a canopy tarp and flood lights attached to the windshield. Those lights only go on this version and not the others. The canopy is also so much easier to put on and take off then I expected.
I love how this one looks. It looks great. The same is true of the headlights. They are a great example of the care and design that went into this set.
(I genuinely had so much fun putting it together for the same reasons I loved putting together LEGO’s Jaws Orca boat. You get to appreciate both the engineering of LEGO masters and the engineering that goes into a vehicle.)
The flood lights aren’t exactly a breeze to remove because the windshield is among the most delicate parts. But it’s not exactly that hard, either. Even when I accidentally removed more pieces than I wanted I was able to fix everything quickly enough.
The only downside to the nighttime-rain Jeep is that it contributes to the conundrum I can’t solve.
The final version of the Wrangler (#10) has the most variation of all the models. It’s the jeep used to pick up an injured Malcolm, the one from the iconic T-Rex chase scene. This variation loses the canopy, the floodlights, and also the roll bars. Instead it gets boxes you can open to reveal tools (and a rubber duck) for extra authenticity. It also comes with a mini video camera, because like I said this is a set by people who love the movie for people who love the movie.
This is also the version with maybe the single most fun detail. The driver’s side-view mirror has a special sticker of the T.rex chasing the car as seen in the film.
It’s the best. It’s perfect. And it’s the single reason this set has caused me a problem I can’t avoid without hitting the lottery.
The are four different sets of pieces for the parts that require number stickers. (The hood, two for each door, and one for both the front and the back.) However, there are only two side-view mirrors total. No matter which of the four versions of the Wrangler you make, you will always have a rear view mirror that shows the T-Rex running you down. You see the problem, right?
The T-Rex doesn’t chase the #29, #18, or #12 jeeps. It only chases the #10. It only chases the number 10.
If you want to display yours in that style, it’s great. No problem! The side-view mirror is exactly right and always will be. Only, the plaque and mini-figure really go with the #12. So in either case your display is not 100% right.
Even worse for me? I don’t prefer either. I want celebrate my favorite Spielberg scene with the #18 jeep. And that’s a major issue because I also suffer from “dumb brain?” (Self-diagnosed.) I can’t display this jeep in anyway that is 100% “right,” but my preferred version is the most “wrong.”
This is an impossible situation I will think about for the rest of my life because there’s no solution. I mean, it’s not really a problem for most people but for those of you like me? You get it. You get it.
I mean, technically there is a solution. It’s just not feasible. Ideally, I would simply buy multiple versions at $199.99 each so I could display all four models. I would also buy extra sets so I could get three extra side-view mirror stickers for authenticity. But that is definitely not happening.
Unlike John Hammond, I will spare some expense.
Ultimately I opted to go with my beloved #18, which is now proudly on display in my home proudly, a testament to a great movie, a great movie car, and a great LEGO set. I just wish it wasn’t also a testament to the silly problems my brain will create for itself.