The LEGO Movie

Rex's Rexplorer!

A dinosaur spaceship crewed by raptors, gorgeous parts, and a slightly wobbly heart.

Brick Rated Score

3.6 out of 53.6/5

Set 70835 · 2019

Pieces1,187
Minifigs2
Year2019
Set number70835

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The verdict

This one is pure daft fun on paper, a lime-and-navy spaceship flown by Rex Dangervest and two laser-toting velociraptors, and honestly the parts alone are a joy.

The trouble is the build under all that swoosh is a bit loose in places, and it launched at a full 120 dollars, which is steep for what you get. If you love The LEGO Movie 2 or you're a parts hoarder eyeing that color scheme, it's a yes. If you want a rock-solid display model, look elsewhere.

Best for: LEGO Movie 2 fans and parts collectors who love a dark blue and lime palette

The full review

What it is

Let's set the scene, because the premise here is gloriously silly. Rex Dangervest, the growly space cowboy from The LEGO Movie 2, flies around in a spaceship crewed entirely by velociraptors. This LEGO® set, number 70835, hands you that exact fantasy in dark blue and lime green: a chunky Rexplorer craft with two opening cockpits, spinning engines at the back, a little removable speeder, and enough shooters bolted on to make a raptor nervous. At 1,187 pieces it's a proper afternoon of building, and when it's done you can absolutely fly it around the room making engine noises. I'm not going to pretend I didn't.

The catch

Here's where I have to be straight with you, though. The build looks better than it holds together. Several reviewers, and I'm inclined to agree once you handle it, found the structure surprisingly loose for a set this size. The lower cockpit hangs on by not very much, a couple of hinges don't quite close flush, and you end up with little gaps where side plates refuse to line up. It's the kind of thing you notice every time you pick the ship up, which for a swooshy playset is a shame. Add in a decent pile of stickers rather than printed pieces, and the finish feels a step below what you'd hope. Then there's the money. It arrived at 120 dollars, and while it's a big box, the price per piece sits around ten cents, which is on the pricier end. The community landed it at about 3.9 out of 5, and that feels honest: liked, not loved.

Who it's for

The people who'll be happiest with this are easy to spot. If you adored The LEGO Movie 2 and you want the whole cast, this delivers the Rex fantasy in full, and kids will not care one bit about hinge gaps while they're crashing it into the sofa. Parts people, this is quietly a brilliant lot for you, all that dark blue and lime and a heap of useful wedges and arches. But if you're after a set that feels solid on the shelf and earns its price on engineering, this isn't the one, and since it retired at the end of 2019 you're now paying secondary prices on top. Buy it for the joy and the bricks, go in with your eyes open about the wobble, and you'll get on fine with it.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build moves in clear chunks: a Technic-beamed spine for strength, then the dark blue hull grows outward with those lime streaks running down the sides, then the two cockpits, the rotating engine pods, and finally the fiddly greebled details and shooters. It's a satisfying shape to watch appear, and there are thoughtful play touches tucked in, a storage box for ammo, an opening rear compartment, spots for every weapon. The frustration is that the underlying skeleton doesn't grip as firmly as it should, so you'll spend the back third nudging panels that don't want to sit flush.

The real reason to keep this box, though, is the parts. That dark blue and lime green combination is genuinely uncommon in this volume, and MOC builders strip these for exactly that reason. You get a generous run of wedge plates, arches, and roof tiles, plus purple plants and trunks for the two brick-built Plantimals, one of which has a spring-snap trap that clamps a raptor when you hit the button. The two raptor figures are the stars, one blue-striped and one green, and they come with a skateboard and a brick-built stud shooter you can mount right on their backs. Two minifigs, Emmet and Rex, round it out. For a parts pack, the value is real. As a finished model held together, it asks for a little patience.

Fun facts

  • 01Rex Dangervest is a wink at Chris Pratt's own career, a raptor-wrangling, spaceship-piloting hero who lampoons his roles in Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy, and yes, Pratt voiced him.
  • 02The set arrived on January 1, 2019 and retired December 31, 2019, so it lived a single calendar year before disappearing.
  • 03One raptor wears a blue stripe and the other a green stripe, and they come with their own skateboard and a stud shooter you mount on a raptor's back.
  • 04One of the two brick-built Plantimals has a working trap: press the button and its arms snap shut to grab a raptor or a minifigure.

What other builders say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and builder discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:

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