Prehistoric Hunters (Creator by Lego)

“Ho, ho, ho, fellow dinosaur lovers! Dr. Bella Bricking and Beth Buildit here, enjoying the holiday season!”

“Hey, folks. Hope none of you are getting coal in your stockings this year.”

“Indeed, because we have a marvellous present for everyone: a review of the 2012 Lego Creator set 6914: Prehistoric Hunters! We’ll be building three different animals! Coming, Beth?”

“Just as soon as I’m done putting these last ornaments on the tree, Doc.”

“As you can see, this set contains a number of different Lego bricks, 210 in total. Most are coloured either medium red, dark red, or beige, but there are also some black, dark grey, and light grey bricks in the mix, plus a few translucent florescent greens. Beth, are we ready to begin?”

“Let’s make like my last name, Doc!”

“Here we have our first build. The official description calls this a Brachiosaurus, but those short front limbs and that long sloped head make it looks much more like a young diplodocid. It stands 9 cm tall at the back and measures 30 cm long with its neck and tail extended. The mouth is lacking teeth and the front feet have too many claws, but I believe we can forgive that.”

“And talk about poseability! This guy has universal joints at the base of his neck and his hips and hinge joints at his mouth, head, shoulders, wrists, ankles, and all three sections of his tail. He can glance behind, he can take a drink from the pond, he can go for a jog, he can deliver a sidekick, and he can rear up to chomp on the best leaves or do a little dance. I like this guy!”

“Excellent, Beth, excellent! Now let’s take it apart!”

“. . . say what, Doc?”

“It’s time for our second build!”

“Ooooookay. What is this supposed to be, Doc?”

“Well, the official description is that this is a ‘Pterodactyl,’ which any dinosaur lover worth his or her salt knows is an improper term for ‘pterosaur.’ This one, with its long tail, appears to be a generic representative of the suborder Rhamphorhynchoidea. It measures 26 cm long and has a wingspan of 21 cm.”

“Looks fairly poseable too, Doc. It’s got universal-jointed hips and hinges at its lower jaw, neck, wings, ankles, and four sections of the tail. The tail has a tendency to come apart though. Overall, this is an okay build, but not as good as the last one.”

“Well said, Beth. Alright, time to dismantle it and begin again!”

“Again?!”

“Oh, don’t pout, Beth, this is the last one. And you’re going to like it. And note that this is the largest build, using up all 210 pieces.”

“Whew! Well, that was worth it, Doc! Here she is, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex! This big gal stands about 12 cm tall at the hips and measures 25 cm long. She’s got the most articulation out of all three builds, with universal joints at her neck and hips, hinge joints at the lower jaw, elbows, knees, ankles, and three sections of her tail, and her shoulders can swivel back and forth. Great play value!”

“Indeed, Beth. And she possesses all the essential features of a T. rex: a large head armed with sharp teeth, small arms, and long, powerful legs with big feet. She holds together very firmly, although as with any Lego set, it is unwise to drop this one onto a bare floor!”

“And check this out, Doc! If you’ve got a couple of extra Mixel eyes lying around, you can . . .”

“. . . do this!”

“Ah, very clever, Beth!”

“Yeah, I definitely like this build best out of the three, Doc. Overall, Prehistoric Hunters is a great Lego set, one that kids and adults will be sure to enjoy. Sadly, it was retired long ago and commands pretty ugly prices on eBay. Such is Lego!”

“In closing, Beth and I would like to wish all of you, whoever you are, wherever you are, Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays, and a very Merry Christmas!”

“And a Happy New Year! See you sometime in 2016, folks!”