The LEGO Dino Island theme was a discontinued sub-theme of the LEGO Adventurers line, released exclusively in 2000. It featured the main character Johnny Thunder and his team on a fictional island inhabited by dinosaurs, where they competed with villains to capture specimens and conduct research.
Theme Overview and Storyline
The storyline shifted from the real-world locations of previous Adventurers themes (Egypt and the Amazon) to a fictional island where prehistoric creatures still roamed. The main goal was exploration and research, with a conflict arising as the villains, including Sam Sinister and his new cohorts Mr. Cunningham and Alexia Sinister, attempted to capture the dinosaurs for their own purposes. The sets are now collector's items and available only from re-sellers.
Key Discontinued Sets
The theme included 17 sets and promotional polybags, ranging from small vehicles to a large research compound. The sets are known for their use of large, specialized dinosaur molds.
Dino Research Compound (5987): The largest set, it featured a three-story research building with a crane, nets, and a holding pen, along with six minifigures, including all the main heroes and villains.
T-Rex Transport (5975): A large transport vehicle designed to move a T-Rex, featuring a cage and five minifigures.
All Terrain Trapper (5955): An off-road vehicle with a net launcher and three minifigures.
Island Hopper (5935): A sea plane with a functional winch to transport captured dinosaurs or supplies.
Island Racer (5920): A red, one-seated race car driven by Sam Sinister.
Related Themes
For those interested in other LEGO dinosaur themes, several have been released over the years:
Dino Attack/Dino 2010 (2005): A darker, more conflict-oriented theme where humans fought mutated dinosaurs in a city setting.
Dino (2012): A standalone theme with realistic dinosaur molds and a focus on tranquilizing and capturing the creatures.
Jurassic World/Park (2015-present): The current, licensed theme based on the film franchise, featuring detailed dinosaur molds and characters from the movies.