Upon the original announcement of the film’s production, Jurassic World evoked memories of the last time we saw genetically enhanced dinosaurs roam around the cinemas. Considering Jurassic Park III had that unfortunate distinction, we were on the fence as to whether Colin Trevorrow’s sequel would be another reason to mourn the franchise, or the vindication we’d long been waiting for.
Thankfully, the film turned out to be the nostalgic thrill ride that made us gaze at the screen in wonder. In particular, there are eight moments that really made Jurassic World’s total experience something with which we fell in love.
God Creates Dinosaurs
Author, chaos expert, and a ladies man about town, Dr. Ian Malcolm has a lot of experience with dinosaurs. Enough that he’s written a book about John Hammond’s experiment in playing God, as well as the experiences he’s probably had since being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex through San Diego. It’s cool to see that while Jeff Goldblum wasn’t in Jurassic World in an acting capacity, his character is still very much alive in the mythos. And we definitely got geeky Jurassic chills when we spotted his book in the background of at least two scenes. Did you see it?
The Park Reveal (and Michael Giacchino’s Score!)
Shortly after being introduced to Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) -- our young protagonists who will experience the wonders of Jurassic World first hand -- a familiar tune starts to play. Rather than playing the classic Jurassic Park theme during a sequence of pure dino bliss, though, Jurassic World saves it for an even bigger reveal as Gray throws open the door to their hotel room, eager to see his view of the park. And see it we do, as we get our first glimpse at Jurassic World just as the music swells. It's enough to choke you up.
The Return Of Mr. DNA
Eager to try everything out, while testing his knowledge at the same time, Gray (Ty Simpkins) solves a puzzle that asks for the building blocks of life. And none other than Mr. DNA is there to greet him for solving the equation correctly! While the history between the legacy of Jurassic Park and the image of Jurassic World is a touchy one a best, it's wonderful to see that Mr. DNA is one of the assets that ported over from the original park into the new one.
Mercenary 1 – Dinosaur 0
Shortly after all Hell breaks loose, following the Aviary breach, the big guns are called in for support. Mercenaries in the employment of InGen are arriving by air and by sea, armed to the teeth and ready to answer to the command of corporate lackey/inside man Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio). Right from the first moment we see them en route, we know they're serious, as one of them takes out a flying Dimorphodon from a decent range away.
Claire Shoots A Dimorphodon, Saving Owen
There’s just something about the Dimorphodons that make them easy, and interesting, targets. Perhaps it’s their weird look, considering it looks like it has the body of a Pterodactyl and the head of a Tyrannosaurus. In the case of Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), though, it's the fact that Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is being attacked by one, and it looks like it's about to win. Claire lets her warrior's edge take over for a change, and shoots the beast to knock it dead. Judging by the kiss he gives her directly after, it seems like Owen was quite stunned, himself.
Lowery Gets Shot Down
In a movie that already used an intense moment of action to sneak in a kiss, Jurassic World looked like it was going in for the kill a second time when tech guru Lowery (Jake Johnson) tries to kiss co-worker Vivian (Lauren Lapkus). After Lowery declared he was staying for good, it looked like a set up for a kiss that would convince Vivian to stay behind with him, as a couple. Which made it all the more hilarious when Lowery gets shut down, being told that Vivian is seeing someone outside of the office. Cold diss. On the plus side, Lowery will look even more badassed when he sells his story of being the sole employee in the control center during the defeat of the Indominous Rex.
Open Paddock 9
After their brief betrayal, the Raptor squad shows its true loyalty to Owen, and defends him and his party from the Indominus Rex. This causes all but one Raptor to perish at the hand of the I-Rex, and puts Zach and Gray in hiding while Owen tries to take out the I-Rex. Inspiration hits in the form of Gray's knowledge of dinosaurs, and before we know it, Claire has an idea. She has the Tyrannosaurus Rex in Paddock 9 released, and leads her into a rumble in the jungle showdown between the two titans. The moment that paddock door opened, we knew it was on – and our instincts were proven heroically correct.
Queen Of The World
After all of the carnage and excitement of Jurassic World, the moment that sticks out the best is perhaps the final frame of the film. With her victory secured, and the island evacuated of any human presence, the Tyrannosaurus Rex takes her place on the command center helipad and lets out a mighty roar. She has reasserted dominance to the community of the now-defunct theme park, and has given us a perfect moment to close out the revival of the Jurassic Park franchise. Until the inevitable sequel, right?
