The 30th anniversary celebration of ‘Jurassic Park’ is well underway with several products coming down the assembly line, catering to your desires! The Noble Collection’s new ‘Toyllectible Treasures Dioramas’ line is sure to delight fans of both ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jurassic World’ with its premiere releases! Their ‘dino-ramas’ feature collectible figures with scenic backdrops depicting great moments from the series!
For ‘Jurassic Park’, “Life Finds A Way” with a hatching baby Velociraptor egg! As seen in the Visitor Center’s hatchery, this adorable but deadly addition to the park is sure to delight and concern all paleontologists! Dr. Wu can try to pacify the guests all he wants, but Malcolm will surely bring everyone back to the harsh, cold reality. This detailed model of the egg, with an appropriately gooey-looking baby raptor in tow, wonderfully recreates the moment when we’re present for the birth of every creature on this island! The scenic background of other eggs in the incubator is a nice touch, although the stand for some reason does not have any holes or mechanism to lock the figure in place. Some may prefer this approach, since it means you can position the egg any way you’d like on the titled-base. Just be careful not to forget it isn’t locked in place when redecorating. This set measures approximately 6″ high by 5.5″ wide.
‘Jurassic World’ fans are also treated with our favorite Velociraptor Blue in “Raptor Recon” mode! This figure represents the scene of Blue running in the jungle as it pursues the Indominus Rex with the rest of her pack! She even sports her camera-feed headgear (which is unfortunately not removeable). The figure is nicely detailed and painted, and even includes Owen’s motorcycle tire tracks in the “dirt”. A nice touch! The scenic background features a nice view of Isla Nublar’s jungle. Unlike the baby raptor, Blue does lock into place on the base, but in only one direction. Overall it’s a really nice figure of Blue for this scene, and measures approximately 4.75″ high by 6.75″ wide.
For those who like to keep their boxes, the ones for both of these figures are pretty impressive! The baby raptor’s box features the classic “sunset in the jungle” motif and proudly displays the ‘Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary’ logo. Blue’s box features a golden-tinted jungle setting and, let’s be honest, one of the MANY variations of the ‘Jurassic World’ logo in existence at this point.
While both figures are wonderful in their own right, it is surprising that the debut figures for this line are BOTH raptors. While these dinosaurs are obviously very popular to the franchise, one may have at least expected a Rex scene from any of the films. If they do continue this line for ‘Jurassic’, let’s hope they feature moments from the other films. More importantly: can we finally get scenic depictions of classic landmarks? Who wouldn’t want something like this proudly displaying the Visitor Center from ‘Jurassic Park’ or the Innovation Center from ‘Jurassic World’? These films had a lot more artistic integrity beyond just the dinosaurs themselves, and landmarks like those are equally iconic. I feel like this type of line is PERFECT for taking advantage of this kind of opportunity to present fans with something that can’t be found anywhere else. Because let’s face it: Mattel has already covered raptors and many other dinosaurs to death. We don’t need another line of collectibles going down the same path.
Despite my views, these ‘Toyllectible Treasures Dioramas’ are still a wonderful addition to any ‘Jurassic’ collection, especially if you are looking for something different than a standard toy figure. They are each currently priced at $29.95, with both the baby raptor and Blue available on Amazon!
Do you like this new line of ‘Jurassic’ collectibles? Would you be interested if they tackled landmarks more instead of just dinosaurs? Share your thoughts below, and as always stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
‘Jurassic World’ was released to theaters nearly a decade ago. Let that sink in for a moment. For many, the memories of seeing the film are already nostalgic. Despite this year, 2023, being the 30th anniversary of the original ‘Jurassic Park’, it is also a time to be reflective over the entire series. The fourth film in the story of ‘Jurassic Park’ came after 14 years of nothing between it and the previous film, ‘Jurassic Park 3’. During that huge gap, fans imagined endless ideas as to what the next adventure in their favorite series would be.
In 2013, it was finally announced that a new film was on the horizon. Rumors that it would feature a fully-realized theme park on Isla Nublar, known as ‘Jurassic World’, led to many questions running in everyone’s minds. It was quite a surprising direction for the story that most people didn’t see coming. When filming began in 2014, many fans flocked for the chance to personally take part in the experience. Cameras rolled in Hawaii first, but soon after that their lenses focused on several massive sets in New Orleans.
Derrick Davis of Jurassic Time recently had conversations with three fans who were lucky enough to have been extras, background cast members, in these New Orleans sets: Anthony Feliciano, Bo Monarch, and Brent Kappel. Their discussions were edited into a 4-part video series that dives into the memories of their incredible experiences on the impressive sets of ‘Jurassic World’. Not only do we get to hear their fun stories, but we also get to see some rare behind the scenes photos, video footage, and other cool imagery that helps bring us along on their thrilling ride.
Anthony and Bo first describe what it was like filming the famous Mosasaur Stadium sequence. We learn how little of the set there actually was, and the simple methods used to create a much larger effect on screen. They also catch a glimpse of the original ‘Jurassic Park’ Visitor Center’s eerie ruins. Despite seeing the set from afar, it was enough to give them immense excitement.
In the second segment, Anthony and Bo look back at their experiences inside the highly-detailed Hammond Creation Lab and Samsung Innovation Center sets. We get a fun recollection of what they thought their scenes were about while being filmed, as well as some props, like a map, that they were able to take home with them.
For the third segment, Brent details the stunning Main Street set that was built next to an abandoned Six Flags amusement park. He gives us detailed descriptions of many Main Street locations, including the mostly-unseen Jurassic Traders Gift Shop, and the shock of Katie McGrath (who played Zara) performing some of her insane stunts on set.
The final segment of the series features Brent describing what it was like portraying a scientist in the Hammond Creation Lab, then reveals several props that mysteriously left with him. He tells a funny story involving Chris Pratt, and one of the props he shows us features a dinosaur dietary chart.
These three fans, and surely many others, finally got to see their work in theaters in 2015 when the film premiered around the world. No matter what they thought of the final product, seeing themselves on the big screen was a huge thrill. While the rest of us may be envious of their experience, it is wonderful to have their recollections joined with the imagery to finally get a real sense of what these sets were like in-person. And, if only for a short time, we can also imagine we visited ‘Jurassic World’ just as they had.
Which set for ‘Jurassic World’ in New Orleans do you wish you could have visited the most? Were you also an extra in the film, and if so, what scenes were you in? Share your comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
A new trademark has been revealed by Universal Studios that something new is on the horizon for the ‘Jurassic World’ franchise: ‘Jurassic World Explorers’!
There have been images of a preschool toy line (first revealed at UK retailer Toyopolis), but the all-new trademark reveals there is also a media or series component.
JURASSIC WORLD EXPLORERS Surprise & Play Gates available for order on Amazon: https://t.co/anTNZrV25Z#ad
There’s a new Jurassic kiddie toy range in town, presenting Jurassic World Explorers from @fisherprice! This first playset comes with 20 surprise accessories
“JURASSIC WORLD EXPLORERS is Entertainment services in the nature of film, television series, short form entertainment content, videos and podcasts in the field of news, sports, comedy, drama, music and variety content; entertainment services in the nature of the production and distribution of film, television series, short form entertainment content, videos, podcasts and games featuring news, entertainment, sports, comedy, drama, music and variety content; providing a website, images and non-downloadable videos in the field of news, sports and entertainment via the internet, mobile and wireless networks; providing interactive online computer games; amusement park attraction and theme park services; live stage performances, namely, presentation of live show performances; providing waterpark services; providing recreational areas for entertainment and amusement, namely, interactive play areas; providing events, contests, displays and exhibits in the field of news, sports and entertainment; providing on-demand and rental of film, television series, short form entertainment content, videos, podcasts and games in the fields of news, sports, comedy, drama, music and variety content; online non-downloadable electronic publications, namely, text and graphic works featuring news, sports and entertainment.”
While the summary of its trademark registration covers all potential venues that it could be used for, it doesn’t necessarily mean all of them will be fully executed. However, given the toy information leaks it is safe to assume ‘Jurassic World Explorers’ will at the very least be an animated show aimed at the younger audience. Whether it appears on Netflix, Peacock, or simply on YouTube is impossible to currently say, however if we were to bet we suspect it may air on the Jurassic World Kids YouTube channel in partnership with Mattel. While this is a far cry from what fans of the series were hoping for in the first venture away from ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, it at least lends something in the meantime to younger audiences – perhaps utilizing the story to merge learning about animals, dinosaurs, and science in fun ways.
Given that ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ was one of the only films to reach a billion dollars last year (with its prior two entries making even more), it’s only a matter of time before something more substantial gets produced. Whether it comes in the form of a new series (AKA a followup to Camp Cretaceous, which is rumored to debut next year), or a new film, is up to Universal to decide.
Are you interested in ‘Jurassic World Explorers’? What exactly do you think it will be? Share your comments below and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
The following was an APRIL FOOLS article! But maybe Peacock SHOULD make a live-action ‘Jurassic’ show sometime, eh? It seemed like Universal already tested those waters with the wonderful internet short film ‘Battle At Big Rock’, right? Why not keep it going? Let’s roll that film again, shall we?
In a shocking special announcement, Peacock has revealed today that they have greenlit a brand-new live-action ‘Jurassic Park’ miniseries! The six-episode series event is already being filmed in Hawaii, New Orleans, New Mexico, and even parts of Cabo Blanco! It has a planned release date of June 2024!
Showrunner Rubecca Blartburt spoke exclusively to Jurassic Outpost with additional details:
“Peacock knew they wanted to do a show for ‘Jurassic Park’ for some time now, but they also wanted to make it as immediately trendy as possible. For many years now, ‘Jurassic’ fans around the world have gushed over the quilled Velociraptor from ‘Jurassic Park 3’. This reached an apex when the internet finally gave him a name that everyone unquestionably, universally, really just everywhere loved: Quilliam. This celebration of a classic raptor from the franchise now rivals Blue in popularity. In fact, I know Peacock originally wanted a spinoff centered on the famous ‘Jurassic World’ raptor. But after looking at charts that showed results from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and private texts, they were shocked to instead discover that Quilliam was immensely more popular.”
We were surprised, to say the least, that our first live-action ‘Jurassic Park’ show would be centered on just one dinosaur like this. We pestered her for more. She told us some juicy details, but we were asked to keep it private. So of course, here is what she said:
“It’s called ‘The Quest For Quilliam’. And I know, you’d think with a title like that it would be a kids show. Very goofy, almost fantasy-like in nature, right? But no, we wanted to subvert everyone’s expectations. Disney did that with ‘Star Wars’ and look how well that turned out! We discovered that a lot of the popularity in the ‘Jurassic’ franchise right now comes from kids and families. But what about the adult audience? That’s why we are making this show very adult in nature instead. It will be filled with violence, gore, and my favorite: swearing.”
To say we were shocked would be an understatement. Rubecca Blartburt continues:
“The title of the show is just a façade to draw in the current younger ‘Jurassic’ audience and then scare the hell out of them! But the title itself isn’t really a lie. There is a ‘quest’ for Quilliam. He has escaped Isla Sorna by sneaking on a cruise ship that accidentally docked there, thinking it was Hawaii. Hilarious, since we are shooting portions of the show there in real life! Anyway, Quilliam ends up on the mainland as we follow his path of dominance around our world.”
We pressed her further about what kind of things would happen during Quilliam’s journey. Her response was surprising, to say the least:
“He sneaks upon hapless, unsuspecting people: couples in parks, farmers on ranches, people in movie theaters, and much more. Then, he rips them apart. But you root for him, because we show backstories of all the people before he kills them, and most of them REALLY deserve it. Bad teachers, cheating boyfriends, racist politicians: every bad thing you can think of gets represented. But, where’s the ‘quest’, right? Well, at the same time, we have this private investigator, Horath Brockenheimer, who is hot on Quilliam’s trail of death; going from state-to-state, country-to-country trying to one-up the dinosaur before the only people left in the world are the good ones.”
Unfortunately, despite our inquisitions, Rubecca Blartburt wouldn’t reveal the ending of the show. However, she did tease us some possibilities:
“Does the show end with Horath Brockenheimer killing Quilliam? Or does Quilliam get him first? Or does something else happen, like a bomb goes off killing them both, or they both get trapped together by some random third party? I can’t confirm. But I will say, we plan to film at least four different endings. Then, the week before our final episode, we will have a social media poll for which ending the audience wants the most. But will we choose the ending with the most votes, or the least votes? I won’t reveal.”
I guess we will find out the answers next July, only on Peacock!
To say we are excited for this new show would be an understatement. But how about you? Do you have the thirst to quench for the ‘Quest For Quilliam’? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
NONE of these prestigious film awards were possible for ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, thanks to zero nominations. While fans of the film weren’t expecting any “Best Picture” nods from any of these venues, many will perhaps be surprised it didn’t even get nominated for the technical categories from the Academy Awards, such as “Visual Effects”. To be fair, it was a good year for visual effects ranging from the impressive aerial flights in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to the mind-blowing world of ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’. It’s just such a shame ‘Dominion’ won’t be recognized in any more awards venues from last year’s films, and—
—what’s that? Sorry, I am getting new information. Everything is fine. ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ is indeed nominated, but not for a prestigious award. No, instead the latest entry from our beloved franchise is being put on a rocky pedestal by none other than The Razzies. For those not in the know, The Razzies is a decades-old awards venue that showcases what they believe to be the worst films of the year.
Worst Screenplay: Screenplay by Emily Carmichael & Colin Trevorrow, Story by Colin Trevorrow & Derek Connolly
However, what’s even more damning is that The Razzies couldn’t even be bothered to spell “Trevorrow” correctly (which I have corrected for this article) and called the film ‘Jurassic Park: Dominion’ in one of the categories. Oops! Looks like The Razzies will be getting nominated for “Worst Website Editorial” from the “Me Awards”.
What are the chances ‘Dominion’ has at winning any of these three nominations? Here are the other contenders in these categories that you can judge for yourself:
This isn’t the first time a ‘Jurassic’ film has received Razzie nominations. ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ received three, ‘Jurassic Park 3’ received one, and ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ also received one. Thankfully, none of them ever won. Hopefully ‘Dominion’ won’t as well (I personally believe there are far more deserving films to win, such as ‘Disney’s Pinocchio’ and ‘Morbius’).
Thankfully, ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ has already been recognized with nominations from better awards venues. These include the Annie Awards, CinEuphoria Awards, Motion Picture Sound Editors, Visual Effects Society Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. While it didn’t win any of these nominations, it is still clear that the film isn’t some “dumpster fire” just because it is listed on the Razzies. The visual effects and production design were exceptionally done and stand as some of the best the franchise has ever seen.
‘Dominion’ is still a winner, even without any awards. It is one of the top 3 grossing films of 2022 that made over a billion dollars worldwide, outgrossed only by ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’. That’s right: none of the Marvel films managed to reach that milestone. So even if it does win a Razzie, ‘Dominion’ still won the only prize that actually matters in the filmmaking business: it made a lot of money. This was only achievable by having a film that people wanted to see, whether they ended up liking it or not. It is the “Filmgoer Award”, nominated by fans and general audiences with their money as the ballots. Fans of the film should be happy knowing they still managed to strike a win for it after all.
In related awards news regarding talent from the franchise, Steven Spielberg’s latest film ‘The Fabelmans‘ received several Academy Award Nominations, including “Best Picture”, “Best Director” by Steven Spielberg, “Best Production Design” by Rick Carter, and “Best Music Score” by John Williams. So if you still want to root for people related to the ‘Jurassic’ franchise this year, give this film the love it also deserves.
Do you think ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ deserved its Razzie nominations? Do you also think it got snubbed by the Academy Awards? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and as always, stick around with Jurassic Outpost for the latest.
Hold onto your butts! Christmas has come early for ‘Jurassic Park’ fans! Now available from The Noble Collection are a brand-new set of four very special bookmarks depicting a Triceratops, Dilophosaurus, Velociraptor, and Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Life always finds a way, bring Jurassic Park home today with this set of four bookmarks. Officially licensed by Universal, each bookmark is exceptionally detailed and includes a hand painted dinosaur sculpt and comes perfectly packaged in a collector box. Each bookmark measures approximately 3 inches tall. Protect the pages of your favorite books and collect this set today!
All four bookmarks are only available as a set with the handsome collector’s box. The style of the box, and the bookmarks themselves, are stylized as if they came from an actual ‘Jurassic Park’ gift shop!
These bookmarks would look perfect wedged between the pages of Michael Crichton’s ‘Jurassic Park’ novel (available in paperback & hardcover)! So, stop hanging around the vending machines and start reading now! These bookmarks will make sure you don’t miss any of the dinosaur action! And dinosaur carnage… the novel is a bit more graphic than the film. And has a lot more swearing. But hey, that’s Chaos Theory!
For $29.95, this fantastic set of bookmarks can be yours! If you don’t intend to read because you’re just too cool to do so, it would still make for a fantastic display piece.
Are you going to ask for these for Christmas? Or are you going to buy them for yourself early and smuggle them into your room via shaving cream can? Let us know in the comments!
Last year, ‘Jurassic Park’ fans were gifted with the “Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History” book from Insight Editions. While it may not have entirely lived up to what die-hard fans were hoping for, it was overall a great summation of the behind-the-scenes stories for the original ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy. The entire book was also illustrated with loads of pre-production artwork & rare photographs from all three films, making it a beautiful (but deadly?) addition to any fan’s collection. They also produced a very cool cookbook & children’s book that are also worth checking out.
Celebrate one of the most thrilling franchises of all time with this in-depth look at the making of the Jurassic World trilogy. Following the release of director Colin Trevorrow’s smash hit Jurassic World in 2015, the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar once again dominate the public imagination. Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History is the definitive account of the franchise – and a companion book to Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History (released in 2021) – delivering a comprehensive look at the making of the first hit film as well as its thrilling sequels Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Through rare and never-before-seen imagery and exclusive interviews with key creatives, the deluxe volume explores the entire creative process, from the films’ stunning dinosaur designs to the epic location shoots and the creation of the films’ incredible visual effects.
The book also includes sections on the DreamWorks Animation animated series ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’, various games, toys, theme park attractions, and even the short film ‘Battle At Big Rock’. This is the first time any of the ‘Jurassic World’ films have received a behind-the-scenes book, which already makes it vital for this reason alone. But is it truly a “definitive account of the franchise” for this trilogy of films, or is it met with some the same (perhaps nitpicky) issues found in the previous book? Let’s have a look!
WHAT’S GOOD?
VISUAL & WRITING STYLE
Just like in the previous ‘Jurassic Park’ version, this book is visually pleasing. It’s filled with as much colorful artwork and photographs as possible. The text is neatly placed within it all, and nothing ever feels too crammed or out of place. The previous book had more going on with the borders around each page, whereas this ‘Jurassic World’ version has a more barren approach. It simply features gray tabs on the sides with gray/amber-tinged headlines for each new section. This simpler approach feels appropriate with the sleeker look of the films themselves, particularly the first ‘Jurassic World’ and its park’s design.
The writing itself is clear and precise, which is vital in stitching together different information from different sources. James Mottram, who also penned the previous book, weaves the information into a distinct fabric to tell its story.
EXCLUSIVE INTROS/OUTROS
This book includes a foreword by Bryce Dallas Howard (“Claire Dearing” in the trilogy), introduction by Colin Trevorrow (director of ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, writer of the trilogy), preface by J.A. Bayona (director of ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’), & an afterword by Frank Marshall (producer of the trilogy). Mysteriously absent from this list is Chris Pratt, but I suppose he is too busy voicing Mario these days. These exclusive passages are great bookends for the entire presentation, with each person adding their own personal tribute. They even reveal fun information, like J.A. Bayona as he details Michael Giacchino‘s fantastic music score for ‘Fallen Kingdom’:
One of my most cherished memories from making Fallen Kingdom was working with composer Michael Giacchino. We spent hours talking about film music and listening to soundtracks. There was one specific piece of music we paid attention to: Bernard Herrmann’s work for Mysterious Island (Cy Endfield, 1962). Our common goal while venturing into the musical tapestry of our movie was expressing our love for this kind of film. When I listen to Michael’s music for Fallen Kingdom, I sense our mutual desire to travel back in time and bring back the same unparalleled fascination and heartwarming happiness that those movies gave us.
FANTASTIC COLLECTION OF IMAGES
While many of the book’s images have been revealed online over the years by various concept artists who worked on the films, it is still great to have them all cobbled together in one book as the trilogy’s history is told. Even better, there are some art and photographs that have never been seen before! Here is just a tease of what to expect!
NEW & OBSCURE INFORMATION
Making a book like this requires many sources for quotes, stories, and other information. Website articles, television interviews, Blu-Ray bonus features; everything was sifted through to collect the data. While some, maybe even a lot, of the details could be considered “old news” to people deeply invested in this trilogy’s history, it is all well-arranged while even including new details sprinkled throughout. [NOTE: I will be honest and admit I am not as familiar with the history of the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy as I am with the ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy, so forgive me if any of this is not truly “new”.]
For ‘Jurassic World’, some of these fun new details include Derek Connolly never having seen a ‘Jurassic Park’ movie before when he was tasked with co-writing the script with Colin Trevorrow; production designer Ed Verreaux had sent his art department team to the Universal Studios theme park in Hollywood to photograph everything (including signage) to see what they wanted their fictional park to resemble; and concept artist David Lowery came up with an unused idea for a “Pteranodon Terrace” where guests traveled in glass gondolas hanging from a huge cable that stretched across a vast expanse of jungle (and included “food Frisbees” that would be shot out of the gondolas and snapped up midair by the flying reptiles.). However, one of the most exciting new details for me was a little more about the script written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver right before Trevorrow & Connolly were brought in to pen their draft.
Spielberg also wanted to revisit the idea of a hero character capable of training and commanding dinosaurs. These ideas manifested in the character Vance who, in the Jaffa/Silver draft’s opening scene, is seen jumping out of a helicopter with a pack of trained raptors and landing in a compound belonging to a Colombian drug dealer. Although [John] Sayles used the bipedal Deinonychus in his draft, Spielberg felt that the physically similar Velociraptors, first seen in Jurassic Park, would be a better fit for the role. The story also focused on a Chinese paleontologist who visits the now-open Jurassic Park with her sons. The scientist has a secret agenda, believing that the park’s owners have stolen DNA from bones she unearthed of a previously undiscovered dinosaur—the Malusaurus. The corporate side of the park is run by Whitney, a female manager who views the dinosaurs as commodities and nothing more. Inevitably, the Malusaurus created using the stolen DNA escapes from its enclosure, and Vance must use his raptors to hunt it down.
‘Fallen Kingdom’ includes interesting tidbits, such as Benjamin Lockwood originally having very little connection to John Hammond and the past of ‘Jurassic Park’; in its original draft they went from Isla Nublar to England where a small village gets destroyed by dinosaurs (until Steven Spielberg told them there was no credible way to make that journey happen); and the film’s fantastic opening sequence was originally just over a single page in the script, with Bayona fleshing it out further with an extended climax on the helicopter ladder while also adding Jurassic staples (like the pouring rain and the yellow raincoat worn by the tech that resembles Nedry’s apparel from Jurassic Park). The film’s title itself (along with the next film’s) proves to also have its own unique history:
“I wanted to call [the first film] Jurassic World. And the second one was Jurassic Earth, and then the third Jurassic Kingdom. The studio was like, ‘You can’t keep changing the title of the movie. You already did it once.’” Taking Universal’s feedback into consideration, Trevorrow decided to combine the overall franchise name with a subtitle, taking the word kingdom from his proposed third film and adding it to fallen, suggesting the decline of the dinosaurs’ domain.
Even the small section on the short film ‘Battle At Big Rock’ gets a nice detail on its inspiration: a YouTube video titled “Battle at Kruger“, in which tourists witness a water buffalo being attacked by lions and an alligator.
The section on ‘Dominion’ reveals that a scene featuring Daniella Pineda (Zia Rodriguez) had to be recast with another actor, Varada Sethu, when COVID restrictions kept her from being able to leave another production she was on; production designer Kevin Jenkins ensured that the equipment seen in BioSyn’s abandoned amber mines displayed 1990s-style Biosyn logos, a detail reminiscent of the old rivalry between the company and InGen (although I suppose footage containing it must have been cut, because I can’t seem to spot it in either version of the film); and animatronic creature effects artist John Nolan took inspiration from Frontier Developments’ 2018 video game ‘Jurassic World: Evolution’to get a better sense of the Dilophosaurus’s locomotion for the film. In fact, Nolan’s team had created a device that would allow the animatronic version of the dinosaur to travel on a dolly track with eleven puppeteers following behind it using levers, rods, and cable controls to create the dinosaur’s walk. However, Trevorrow was not happy with the result. But perhaps one of the biggest pieces of interesting information involved our favorite clone girl, Maisie.
When it came to casting the role of Maisie’s mother, Charlotte Lockwood, Trevorrow considered using digital tools to graft Isabella Sermon’s face onto a body double and age her features appropriately. However, during a casting section for the body doubles, he made a remarkable find. “I had been given a set of faces whose bone structure was similar enough to Isabella Sermon’s,” says Trevorrow. Among those faces was Irish-born Elva Trill. As Trill began reciting lines with the director, he quickly came to realize that she would be perfect as Charlotte and abandoned the digital augmentation idea. “I’ve never seen an actor come in and just grab a role by being so good,” says Trevorrow.
The section near the end of the book that details ‘Camp Cretaceous’ scored some of its own interesting details, such as the showrunner’s original plan to feature Owen Grady and Claire Dearing; there was an early version of the story where Ben doesn’t survive past Season 1; and most interestingly how the originally intended final shot of the film trilogy was instead used as the final shot for this series:
Camp Cretaceous also brought Trevorrow full circle, back to his early meetings with Steven Spielberg when he pitched the arc of the Jurassic World franchise, which would ultimately lead to dinosaurs entering our everyday lives. Specifically, the image of a child looking out his window on a suburban street and seeing a traffic jam caused by a Brachiosaurus at an intersection. “We actually ended up making that the very last shot of the entire [Camp Cretaceous] series,” says Trevorrow. “After nine years, that idea found its way back into the story.”
THE INSERTS
As usual with Insight Edition’s Visual History books, there are numerous “inserts” on certain pages that feature unique items. While some are still applied with an adhesive per the previous book, many of the inserts this time are more technically “part of the book” and not meant to be removed entirely. Some are just meant to be unfolded beyond the confines of the book’s dimensions, while a few are even in the form of actual booklets to flip through. The only real negative is that it is focused more on the first film than the rest. Here is a complete list of what you will find:
From ‘Jurassic World’: Poster art advertises Jurassic World’s Gyrosphere ride; Storyboards by David Lowery from an early iteration of Jurassic World’s evolving storyline; A map of Isla Nublar showing the island’s topography and the location of Jurassic World; Dr. Wu’s Jurassic World security pass; Concept art by Glen McIntosh for Jurassic World’s petting zoo; The sketches that Steven Spielberg drew for Colin Trevorrow to illustrate his feedback on the Indominus rex breakout sequence; A tourist map of Jurassic World highlights the theme park’s attractions; & Storyboards by Glen McIntosh for the scene in which the raptors pursue a pig in the Raptor Research Arena.
From ‘Fallen Kingdom’: Raptor movement study by Glen McIntosh; A sticker sheet featuring production design art created for the Dinosaur Protection Group; & Production design art for the jacket of Dr. Ian Malcolm’s book, God Creates Dinosaurs (not actual size).
From ‘Battle At Big Rock’: Concept Art Booklet.
From ‘Dominion’: Storyboards by Glen McIntosh for Jurassic World Dominion’s prologue scene & Malta Concept Art Booklet.
From ‘Camp Cretaceous’: Concept Art Booklet.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER?
A fan wouldn’t be a fan without needing to nitpick, right? (Don’t answer that.) Despite being mostly pleased with this book, there are still a few areas that could have been improved upon (perhaps in a revised edition, which Insight Editions have done before).
WHAT ABOUT ‘JURASSIC PARK 4’?
The opening of the book does briefly go into ‘Jurassic Park 4’ (the obvious working title before it eventually was named ‘Jurassic World’), mostly delving into some details on the John Sayles script and then eventually a little more about Jaffa/Silver’s script before Trevorrow/Connolly did their own version. But what about the rest? There were numerous versions of the film, by other writers, that were tackled in the 14 years between ‘Jurassic Park 3’ and ‘Jurassic World’. Given that it was such a long range of time where the studio kept throwing ideas around to try to make things happen, most of it shrouded in secrecy, this had been one of my most anticipated sections. Instead, it was only a few pages, and generalized.
Also, while they mention the dinosaur/human hybrids, it’s a shame that none of the wild concept art (that has been online for many years) was included at all. Perhaps they couldn’t get the rights to feature them?
Speaking of art from this period: where was John Bell‘s art? Last year’s book featured loads of art by Bell for the original trilogy, plus a tease of two pieces of artwork he did for ‘Jurassic Park 4’. And yet, this book didn’t feature any of it. This is another case where the art has been online for years, on Bell’s very own site. And there is some fantastic stuff, including his concepts for gyrospheres and even a version of the park’s map that perhaps coincided with the Jaffa/Silver script. This book even mentions Bell in the “special thanks” section, making the exclusions even more mystifying.
OTHER OMISSIONS
Look, I get it: this book can’t be 1,000 pages long like all of us die-hard fans would like it to be. Putting the complex histories of three massive films into one book is a huge undertaking (just like it was in the previous book). Still, there were some things I wish had been mentioned or visually included in this book. Because when and where else would it be, apart from random online articles & videos that eventually get buried with the rest? Perhaps that’s why some of these details were possibly missed to begin with?
Seamus Blackley, the creator of the XBOX and the ‘Lost World’-related game ‘Trespasser‘, had pitched a video game that he titled ‘Jurassic World’ (before anyone else); which would later inspire several ideas for the new film trilogy. None of this important revelation is mentioned at all (although to be fair it wasn’t publicly known until very recently). Also for ‘Jurassic World’, there is no mention of the “Stegoceratops“: a second hybrid dinosaur that was originally planned to be in the film, and even had a toy made for it!
The previous book had spent a lot more time detailing most of the different scripts for the films. This book does this at times but to a lesser degree. While it was nice to learn a little more about the Jaffa/Silver script for example, it still just grazed the surface. And since this script can’t be found anywhere online currently, a more detailed summary would have been amazing. For example, was the concept art that was shown in one of the Blu-Ray bonus features (and not in this book) of the Indominus attacking a robotic T-Rex coming out of a waterfall (ala ‘Jurassic Park: The Ride’) something from this script?
MORE LOVE FOR THE SEQUELS
This is another reoccurring issue, but it just feels like more focus is given to the first film of the trilogy (despite me just complaining I wanted more from it!) with less invested in the sequels; ‘Fallen Kingdom’ and ‘Dominion’. More details about their different scripts, more inserts related to them (A pull-out Hammond painting from ‘Fallen Kingdom’ would have been awesome!), or even the mention of certain deleted scenes we know were filmed thanks to still images (that aren’t in this book): such as Iris’s death from the Indoraptor & a dead/decayed Stegosaur that Owen and his team come across as they search for Blue on Nublar.
According to more “hush-hush” behind-the-scenes stories, we also know that ‘Fallen Kingdom’ was going to originally involve Isla Sorna, a ‘Gene Ship’ for Wu’s experiments, and more of Ian Malcolm. He was going to try and sabotage the rescue mission on the Arcadia! ‘Dominion’ was originally going to be two films that would have been filmed at the same time. But again, none of these details are brought up.
In an ideal world, each film in the series would have gotten its own book. This would have allowed much more breathing room to fully explore all these things, and more. Perhaps that is just not economically feasible anymore, even for a big franchise? Especially when, let’s be honest, the sequels in each trilogy are not as popular or well-regarded as their first entries. While a slew of die-hard fans would have clamored for a ‘Fallen Kingdom’ making-of book, for example, is it really something that would sell well? Especially now? Sometimes these sorts of “package deals” are the only way to at least get what we are able to.
SO, SHOULD I GET IT?
I think‘Jurassic World’ fans shouldabsolutely get this book. My complaints, as you’ve read, only really dwell with what isn’t in it. While the omissions are disappointing, it isn’t so egregious that it takes away from what is included. There’s a wealth of information, concept art, photographs, and nice inserts (the “concept art booklets” being my favorite) that are all woven together wonderfully. In most ways it improves upon their ‘Jurassic Park’ book, and in retrospect I may have originally been a little too critical on it. But if being a little harsh helped make this book better, well, that’s why I still felt the need to point some things out this time, too.
What I didn’t expect to feel while reading and looking through this book was how much nostalgia it gave me. The first film in this trilogy is nearly a decade old, and it’s crazy how time flies. Books like Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History help preserve these films beyond the screen, along with all our memories that come with them.
The feelings we had in anticipation for these films, the news as details were revealed, the organized screenings every time they came out, and the events we attended where other people obsessed with this series finally felt like they belonged. Friendships made, perhaps even hearts broken, or miraculously the bond of marriage formed. We all have our stories. And when you go through these pages, I can almost guarantee that at least one image, maybe something obscure not literally in the film that you would never expect to elicit an emotion, reminds you of a time that once was. And you remember your place in that time, and perhaps realize just how different you are now; or the same.
This trilogy, and our time in it, is over. But like everything in nature, it will evolve. And so will you.
What are some of your favorite memories related to the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy? Did you go to a fun event, see any of the films with someone you loved, or make new friends because of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and may the joy you have for these films never go away!
ADDENDUM: In celebration of the release of “Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History”, Insight Editions presents author James Mottram in conversation with Jurassic World Animation Director/Paleoartist Glen McIntosh. Discussion moderated by Derrick Davis, Writer at Jurassic Outpost & Creator of Jurassic Time! Intro/Outro by Insight Edition’s Marketing & Publicity Strategist Amanda Hariri. Live Book Release Event via Crowdcast (10/25/22).
Several years ago, a trailer was leaked on YouTube that featured a Quetzalcoatlus wreaking havoc on a beach. After flying around, it eventually snatches a surfer on the waves, taking him into the air, then crushing him with its beak. Its then joined by another Quetzalcoatlus, as they bond for a moment before going their separate ways.
For years, this trailer confused many people. It was originally said to be for an unreleased game, but others claimed it was for a movie-pitch. The strangest thing of all was its title: ‘Jurassic World’. Was this an inspiration for the film of the same namesake, or something else entirely?
To learn the story behind this trailer, we must, appropriately, go back in time.
“Trespasser- The Lost World: Jurassic Park” was released in 1998; an early PC experience that was advertised as “the evolution of first-person 3D gaming”. You played as Anne, voiced by Minnie Driver: a woman who just wanted to go on a vacation to escape from the drama of her life. Unfortunately, Anne got more than she bargained for when her plane crash-lands on Isla Sorna. Also known as “Site B” – the abandoned island that was once used by billionaire John Parker Hammond to experiment with the extraordinary science used to recreate extinct dinosaurs. His success becomes Anne’s folly, as she must traverse through the island’s dinosaur-infested ruins alone to find any hope of rescue. Her only company are Hammond’s memoirs, voiced by Lord Richard Attenborough, that are recalled as the island’s myth becomes a reality.
Seamus Blackley produced and programmed “Trespasser”, introducing realistic environments, physics, and artificial intelligence that were ahead of its time for the gaming industry. Unfortunately, release dates and budgets were pushed, cutting off the game from reaching its intended potential. This led to an incomplete experience when it was released, ridden with technical bugs and an engine that ran sluggish on the lackluster 90’s graphic cards. It became a critical and commercial flop, despite a dedicated fan-base that was mesmerized with what the game still achieved and went on to inspire.
Thankfully, Seamus made a massive comeback in 2001 when he created Microsoft’s “XBOX” gaming system. To this day, it is the only true rival against Sony’s “Playstation”, spawning many classic games including the “Halo” series.
Then, a decade later, Seamus had the unexpected chance to revisit what he had explored with “Trespasser”. He was tasked to make a “gaming sequel” to the first three Jurassic Park films. It led to the creation of concept art, detailed documents, and even a fully-completed “pitch trailer” that was shown to executives. Sadly, the game never got made. But its remains were not left to fossilize…
Part One of the 3-part interview delves into the “Trials Of Trespasser”. Seamus goes into the details of that game’s inception, creation, and ultimate failure thanks to forces beyond his control with the studio. It’s an honest and dark look into the history of the game, but a necessary starting point to put the rest of his story in context. As he tells his story, footage of every level from the game plays to offer everyone a glimpse of the world he and his team created. Despite its flaws, it’s still impressive, even now.
In Part Two, Seamus reveals the “Origins Of Jurassic World”. What’s fascinating is that the origins of his unproduced ‘Jurassic Park’ game are also part of the origins of the ‘Jurassic World’ film series itself. Thanks to some extra sleuthing, Jurassic Time presents the game’s pitch trailer for the first time in HD, as well as some rare footage of the game’s early stages, and even some concept art. While Seamus tells it best, Steven Spielberg himself appointed him to come up with a game sequel to the original ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy before a fourth film was truly underway. While great work was done that had been met with approval from everyone, including Spielberg when he saw the pitch trailer, its fate came before it got any further. Ownership in the company changed and focus on producing a game became dashed. Instead, the materials that had been made were carried over into the film’s production department for the fourth entry in the series. Various ideas clearly inspired the studio, including the title of the game itself: ‘Jurassic World’. Coincidence?
As a special bonus, the second part of the interview also has a brief appearance by his wife, Caroline Quinn. She was the art department coordinator for the original ‘Jurassic Park’, and she shares a brief story behind the film’s famous joke: Do-You-Think-He-Saurus! Included are several never-before-seen photographs.
The third and final part of the interview is where the gloves come off as Seamus delves into the “Remnants Of A Lost Jurassic World”. A story reel that was made of concept art from the game (featuring work by David Krentz, Iain McCaig, & Mishi McCaig) starts it off with a bang, leading into the reasons behind Seamus’s choice of the game’s protagonist: Billy Brennan from ‘Jurassic Park 3’. As pictured in all the artwork, Billy was meant to have a relationship with the raptors, and other dinosaurs, based on the same level of communication and respect that was seen in ‘Jurassic World’ with Owen and the “raptor squad”. The lead raptor also, just happens, to be “blue”. What’s awesome about the raptors in this game were that they were all feathered: an evolution of the creatures since we saw them in ‘Jurassic Park 3’, via DNA “correcting itself” on its own from generation to generation.
These revelations, and many more, can be found in the complete and extensive conversation with Seamus Blackley. While it is a shame that we never got this game, at least pieces of it lived on via the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy. Owen’s relationship with the “raptor squad”, a prehistoric reptile attacking a surfer on the beach waves, and a Quetzalcoatlus wreaking havoc in the skies were among the many inspirations drawn from this unproduced game.
Do you still wish this game could be made today? What do you think about its connections and inspirations for the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy? Share your thoughts below, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
‘Jurassic Park’ has an earth-shattering music score that fans have never forgotten. The memorable themes expertly crafted by composer/conductor John Williams are filled with wonder, action, and intense horror that are forever engrained in our ears. Now, nearly 30 years after it was originally heard, the music score to the classic film gets a definitive release in a brand-new 2-CD set from La-La Land Records. But how definitive is it, and what sets it apart? To learn that, let’s have a little “history lesson.”
In 1993, the soundtrack was released on CD in the form of a 70-minute album via MCA records (also available on cassette and LP). This 1-CD release was assembled by John Williams himself, combining some cues together to form certain tracks, and arranging it all in his own personal sequence. There were some rather interesting decisions made in this arrangement. For example, the actual “End Credits” from the film happen in the middle of this album, titled as “Welcome To Jurassic Park.” Then at the end of the album the track titled “End Credits” is actually just the second half of the same cue. Why? We shall perhaps never know, but it is a very curious choice. While this album featured a large portion of the score it did leave off several cues that fans of the film sorely missed. But overall, it was a fantastic representation.
This same program was replicated in the year 2000 for a CD re-release of the score. It was included in a neat “Collector’s Edition” set with the films and soundtracks for ‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’. It featured unique cover art that mimicked the DVD release at the time.
Thankfully, in 2013, many of the missing cues from the score were introduced as bonus tracks for a digital-only 20th Anniversary Release by Geffen Records. Not only was this an expanded release, but it also featured a brand-new remaster. (Note: Mondo Records also did a limited-edition LP release of this remaster, sans the bonus tracks.) Several of the previously unreleased cues were combined (despite chronologically being from different scenes), and in some cases omitted the tail end of some of the music. These included the “T-Rex Chase”, when our favorite Rex goes after Ellie and the others in the Jeep; the “History Lesson” Tim gives Grant as they attempt to decide which tour car they want to go in; and Mr. DNA’s whimsical music as he is “Stalling Around” in his cartoon while explaining how they obtained dino-DNA. One of the most interesting additions was actually “Hungry Raptor,” which was the original version of the music for when Ellie is attacked by a raptor in the shed; followed by Muldoon’s death. In the film, only the middle portion of this cue is used, with the rest using music “tracked” from other scenes. Amusingly enough, the opening of the cue was first publicly heard during the end credits of the original ‘The Making Of ‘Jurassic Park” documentary that was narrated by James Earl Jones.
The 2013 release was a godsend for fans of the music score at the time. But just three years later, in 2016, La-La Land Records released a 2-CD expanded edition that was part of a 4-CD collection that had included John Williams’ score to ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (also expanded and remastered for the first time). Using the source from the 2013 remaster, they did further mastering of their own (producing even better sound quality) while also going back to the original elements and providing every cue of the score for the very first time. This included Grant’s realization of “You Bred Raptors?”, Dennis Nedry’s “Race to the Dock” after the T-Rex gets out, and even a cue that was not heard in the film at all known as “The Saboteur.” That cue was meant to score the scene where Nedry is left at his messy workstation as the camera pans over to his inconspicuous Barbasol can. In presenting the complete score, the set also separates the unnaturally combined cues of both previous releases so they can be heard on their own for the first time, and without a single note being cut off or faded out. It also featured an extensive booklet detailing the making of both films and scores.
While many units of the 2016 set were produced, it did eventually go out of print. This led to second-hand sellers taking over the reins of offering this presentation of the score to people online, often selling for well over $100. While the 1993 Album remains in print and the 2013 digital-only expansion remains online, neither offer the perfect sound quality or the complete score that the 2016 release contains.
Now six years later, La-La Land Records returns with a brand-new 2022 re-release. Only this time, it is focusing on just ‘Jurassic Park,’with some additional improvements to truly make this be the definitive release of the first score for the series:
La-La Land Records, Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Geffen Records present JURASSIC PARK, a limited 2-CD re-issue presentation of maestro John Williams’ (JAWS, STAR WARS, SCHINDLER’S LIST) original motion picture scores to the 1993 blockbuster JURASSIC PARK starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum and directed by Steven Spielberg. Williams’ monumental JURASSIC PARK score teems with thematic orchestral wonder and is celebrated as one of the composer’s most accomplished works. Produced, edited and mastered by Mike Matessino, (with fresh outputs of the 192k/24 bit master files utilized in our 2016 collection) this re-issue utilizes that material to re-create the original 1993 soundtrack album. This is featured on Disc 2 and is followed by the source music track “Stalling Around” (the composer’s homage to classic Warner Bros. cartoon music for Jurassic’s “Mr. DNA” sequence). Disc 1 showcases the entire main Score Presentation, which now includes, for the first time, the performances and mixes of “Journey To the Island” and “Dennis Steals The Embryo” as heard in the film. The 28-page CD booklet features liner notes by Matessino (adapted from our 2016 collection) and the new art design is by Jim Titus. This is a limited edition of 5000 Units.
As mentioned, having the film-version performances and mixes of both “Journey To The Island” and “Dennis Steals The Embryo” are quite special. Sometimes, the film performance or “version” of a cue can be different than what is presented on the released albums. In this case, neither had ever been heard before, apart from the film itself. In the film, and now on this new release, “Journey To The Island” features a bit of a faster and more timed tempo of the adventurous “Island Theme,” most notably a snappier pace when it transitions to the park visitors beginning their ride in the Jeeps. The moment for when the Brachiosaur appears is also now properly timed to how it is in the film, as well as later when the Jeeps begin their ride to the Visitor Center. “Dennis Steals The Embryo” fixes a mixing issue that has somehow always been present on every single release: the orchestra had been improperly mixed against the synth. Now it can be heard properly mixed, as it is in the film, for the very first time.
The inclusion of a rebuilt/remastered version of the 1993 Album is a nice addition on the second disc (where the Mr. DNA “source music” was decidedly put since it couldn’t fit on the first CD). Whatever qualms anyone may have had (such as myself) with that initial release, for many it is a bit nostalgic to hear the takes/mixes/editorial choices John Williams had created for it. In fact, for some fans of the score, the takes John Williams preferred for the album of certain cues are preferable to them as well! With this release, you get the best of both worlds by having it all together, and all sounding the best it ever has.
The booklet included in this release is very much the same as the one from the 2016 release, but of course only focuses on ‘Jurassic Park’ this time. The artwork and layout is a bit different as well, making it unique enough from the former release. There are some additional credits this time as well, including a special thanks to yours truly due to years of nerdy insight made on old forum posts (as well as Jurassic Outpost friend Bernard A. Kyer).
By far the most important aspect of this release isn’t what is new, but simply the fact that it is available again. Generations of old and new film score fans, and even those who would like to study such a masterful score as this, should have a comprehensive presentation that is accessible. As good as the previous releases were for their time, having every single cue available, and now different variations of them, is integral for preserving this important milestone of music.
If you have never purchased the music score to ‘Jurassic Park’ before, this release is a massive no-brainer. It is the definitive release, finally back in print and with some great new inclusions that bests every release that came before it. If you only have the 1993 Album or the digital 2013 release, I can promise you that this is still worth getting. It’s presented in a much better way, and with much better sound. For those that have the 2016 CD set paired with ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’… I can understand skipping this. There may not be enough to fully justify shelling out more money for it again, but that will just depend on who you are.
Since this is my favorite music score of all time, to my favorite film of all time… the choice was pretty easy. This new edition is a must-have. And who knows, perhaps ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ will be similarly visited down the line? Maybe even ‘Jurassic Park 3’? We can only hope!
Are you going to get this new release? What’s your favorite cue from this soundtrack? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and as always stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
The following review was submitted to us by Neelis/Dinosaur Habitat.
Dinosaurs rule the world once more in ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’. Is it epic? Is it the conclusion to the ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jurassic World’ franchises, as promised by the tagline? Does Giganotosaurus truly want to watch the world burn? And what does a gig at BioSyn pay when you are a swashbuckling mathematician?
Originally slated for a June 2021 release, but postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ has been making its way into cinemas across the globe ahead of the US premiere on June 10, 2022.
Reception by audiences and critics has been mixed so far, though the early release has been a financial success; however, monetary profits do not equal quality, so how does ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ hold up?
‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ – the story
Picking up four years after ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) is still haunted by the past; trying to atone for her mistakes and feeling a deep sense of duty towards the dinosaurs, she has moved on from rallying the public and politicians to more radical measures, raiding illegal dinosaur breeding facilities to expose them and have authorities shut down the awful practices conducted there.
Despite their earlier romantic struggles, Claire and former Velociraptor-trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) have made a pretty nice home for themselves and rebellious Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), who they’ve taken under their wings after her grandfather’s death.
It isn’t long before their peaceful life is disturbed; Velociraptor Blue turns up at their cabin in the woods. And Blue is not alone; she has a baby, whose origins are a mystery.
Both the baby Velociraptor and Maisie are kidnapped by a bunch of nameless poachers, led by over-the-top bad guy Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze).
Owen and Claire give chase; with the help of Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) they learn Maisie is headed to Malta, where illegal dinosaur fights are being held by more anonymous, unpleasant people, and dinosaurs are sold for excessive amounts of money, the trades conducted by delightfully devious, and criminally underused, Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman).
Owen and Claire briefly reunite with Barry (Omar Sy) and find an unexpected ally in veteran pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise), who agrees to fly them to Biosyn Valley, a sanctuary for recaptured dinosaurs and other resurrected prehistoric creatures.
Parallel to Claire and Owen’s story runs another tale; the one of Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) investigating the mysterious appearance of swarms of gigantic locusts, feeding on crops throughout the United States, destroying harvests as they swoop down and gorge on anything the farmlands offer.
Believing Biosyn is responsible, she asks her former love-interest and old friend Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) for help with her quest for evidence; invited by a familiar acquaintance, Sattler and Grant journey to the dinosaur sanctuary located deep in the Italian Dolomites.
Touring Biosyn’s facility under the guidance of Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie), Grant and Sattler are welcomed by Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), who seems more aloof than an evil genius. Alas, do not judge a book by its cover; as with ‘Jurassic World’ (2015) and ‘Fallen Kingdom’, shady stuff is going on right under everyone’s noses, including Dr. Ian Malcolm’s (Jeff Goldblum) who lectures at Biosyn for a handsome stipend, and who extended the invitation to Dr. Sattler.
Will the familiar trio manage to expose Dodgson before everything goes pear-shaped?
Through a series of high-adrenaline adventures, the two groups eventually come together in Biosyn Valley and must not only fight for their own survival, but for the chance to reveal the truth.
‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ – the verdict
The story of ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ begins, of course, in 1993; Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jurassic Park’, based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, enthralled audiences of all ages and demographics. Never before had dinosaurs been so realistically and dynamically depicted on screen.
At the time, critics lauded the visual effects but quite a few were less complimentary when it came to the human characters; they were seen as somewhat two-dimensional, entirely in service of the spectacular animatronics and CGI.
‘Jurassic Park’’s success spawned two sequels; ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (1997), based on another Michael Crichton novel, and ‘Jurassic Park III’ (2001).
After the third film, the franchise seemed to have been given up on by Universal. Rumors about a possible fourth film, and even a few announcements of it having entered active pre-production, swirled, but it would take fourteen years before the dinosaurs made a successful return in ‘Jurassic World’ (2015) and ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018).
What has endured most amongst fans, almost ironically, is a deeply rooted love for the original characters; Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler and Dr. Malcolm inspired generations to seek out careers in palaeontology and science.
Dr. Ian Malcolm in particular remains incredibly popular amongst film enthusiasts; and Jeff Goldblum delights in the character’s popularity, having reprised the role not just in sequel films, but a car commercial and the various ‘Jurassic World: Evolution‘ games.
This popularity only made it a matter of time before Grant, Sattler and Malcolm would return to the world of dinosaur escapades. But with five returning leading characters, three returning supporting characters (though two are really cameos), four newcomers, one renewed villain, and Maisie’s story continuing too, do they get a chance to truly shine?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ tries to squeeze in so much everyone’s individual stories are bogged down, even with the gargantuan runtime of two-and-a-half hours.
Most of the time it feels more as if the entire film’s a comedic approach rather than a serious continuation of the series and a re-introduction of beloved characters; Dr. Malcolm talks, but his words, unlike his dire warnings and razor-sharp analysis in both ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Lost World’, are hollow, meaningless; even his rivalry with Dodgson can’t reach the heights of the adversarial quips traded with Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard) in ‘The Lost World’.
And so it goes on; Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant have surprisingly little to add, aside from their own little mystery-espionage adventure, and are written rather abysmally.
A completely ridiculous subplot is introduced, erasing things we learned (or thought we’d learned) in ‘Fallen Kingdom’ regarding Maisie’s origin story, which is now so muddled and contrived (the “Benjamin Lockwood – John Hammond fallout”-spiel makes no sense at all now), it defies any desire of exploring it further.
Claire and Owen, by comparison, have a more straightforward and slightly more serious arc, and given their history there is a surprisingly touching moment between Claire and Owen on Kayla’s aircraft. Owen, having taken on the role as surrogate dad, is far less goofy, a welcome approach. Both Kayla and Ramsay are appreciated additions to the story, though they get far too little screentime (Ramsay’s character especially suffers from the bloated cast of characters).
The dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, too, feel underused. Most of them only appear once, dutifully carry out their parts in the story, then are gone just as quickly as Delacourt and Santos.
With the exception of the (very effective) reveal of the Therizinosaurus, the introductions of the dinosaurs are distinctly underwhelming; they aren’t helped by some unimpressive CGI work and highly disappointing animatronics. Not once do they reach the greatness of Stan Winston and his team’s work on the original ‘Jurassic Park’ films.
And though it was heralded as the new big bad dinosaur, Giganotosaurus turns out to be the chillest theropod in the franchise. It lumbers around a bit, and even gives half-hearted chase to our heroes once, but it mainly being absent from the larger part of the film is what stands out most.
By comparison, the mystery of the locusts, admittedly and pleasantly, feels as if it came straight out of a Michael Crichton novel. And some of the humour in the film (“he slid into my DMs”) truly works and draws hearty laughs.
For all its flaws, and Colin Trevorrow’s insistence of them not featuring when ‘Jurassic World’ entered production sometime in 2013, ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ now introduces feathered dinosaurs, some of them first seen in ‘The Prologue‘ (2022); it’s a radical and deeply appreciated step forward for the franchise – the fierce Pyroraptor especially is a fabulously spectacular plunderer, echoing the memory of ‘Jurassic Park III’’s marvelous Velociraptors.
A tighter, more competently written story, shorter runtime and less filler-characters might have made for a better, more entertaining film. Even though the pace is high and everyone’s continuously horse-riding, driving, cycling, running and flying from set-piece to set-piece, I found myself bored at times because it was hard to keep up with the action, and also, about halfway, hard to care for what was going on.
The absence of any tension and playing it safe to please a very wide demographic (of fans) takes away any edge it otherwise might have had.
At times the film’s more ‘Bourne’ or ‘Mission: Impossible‘ than ‘Jurassic Park’ / ‘Jurassic World’. As a friend described it; the film feels very much as if you’re watching a string of excellent video game levels.
Is it epic? No. Is it the conclusion? Also no. The open end, unfortunately, hints at more to come. I’m hoping Trevorrow and Universal Studios will hand over the reins to other writers and directors; preferably filmmakers who aren’t hardcore fans of the original films and therefore capable of taking a step back, critically evaluating what does and does not work, only then to come up with engaging, intriguing stories and characters.
‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ has its heart in the right place, but the execution is dreadful. Though it will no doubt make an obscene amount of money over the coming summer, it’s not destined to become a classic. One thing is clear; dinosaurs will rule cinemas once again and they, unlike that tagline’s promise, are very much here to stay.
Do you agree with this fan review, or do you have a different view? Share your thoughts below, and as always stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
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