Tonight brought us our first look at Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and it was well worth the wait. With enough action set pieces and dinosaur peril to not only earn an undoubtedly PG-13 rating, but also some serious gasps, this teaser has us reeling from what we'll have to wait almost half a year to pay off. In particular, there's nine moments that stuck out to us.
Owen and Claire Reunited
Two years after their shared adventure, and presumed coupling, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing are together again. And sure enough, while Bryce Dallas Howard's character wants to talk business, Chris Pratt's cad is prying about her current relationship status. So not only have the two not ended up together just yet, but they certainly haven't changed all that much since Jurassic World. Bonus points to whoever made a subtle connection to Howard's role on Black Mirror, courtesy of the opening musical selection.
The Baby Blue Flashback
In her pitch to bring Owen back to Earth in the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom teaser, she mentions the one name that could stop him dead in his tracks: Blue. The surviving member of the Raptor pack that Owen had raised and trained during Jurassic World's successful operation, the two parted at the end of the 2015 adventure after Blue had helped Rexy the Tyrannosaurus defeat the Indominous Rex. But, as we saw in both the Thanksgiving sneak peek, and tonight's teaser, that connection still runs deep in Owen's mind.
The Ruins Of Jurassic World
With a crew assembled to try and save the dinosaurs of Jurassic World, it's time to head back to Isla Nublar. The tropical island that's proven lightning can indeed strike twice is now in ruins yet again. We see smashed buildings, free roaming dinosaurs like the Brachiosaur in the central plaza at the park's entrance and even a Compsognathus that's perfecting its mime act. Echos of the past ring louder than ever, as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom shows some very familiar imagery in a ruined dinosaur theme park.
Ian Malcolm Returns
If there was anyone who could speak on behalf of preserving nature, while respecting that we cannot control it completely, it's Dr. Ian Malcolm. And sure enough, we got a new look at Jeff Goldblum's legendary chaotician testifying to the point of whether or not dinosaurs should be protected on the same level as any other species. Of course, leave it to Dr. Malcolm to spell the truth out clear as day: these dinosaurs are not to be taken lightly, and we must approach them with caution.
A New Challenger Appears
One aspect that the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trailer is a little light on is who exactly the villain is in the film. Though there are two adversarial forces we're introduced to in the tightly paced teaser. One of them is the volcano at the center of the island, threatening to Pompeii the dinosaurs that inhabit it. The other is what looks like a rogue Baryonyx, who's stalking Bryce Dallas Howard and Justice Smith around a building that looks like the operations center of Jurassic World. It may not have been on display for very long, but it already looks like a threat on the same level as Rexy in Jurassic Park or the Indominous Rex in Jurassic World -- especially if it's not afraid of random lava flowing from the ceiling.
Blue v. Grady
As we mentioned before, Blue and Grady were like a father/daughter team that had Jurassic World as its playground. Like any good father, two years away from his adopted prehistoric baby has Owen missing Blue, and ready to rescue her. While we get to see their reunion, it doesn't look like things are going to be automatically pleasant. After two years of running wild and feral, Blue's young mind seems to have been reverted to that of a true blue Raptor. At least, that's what this tense moment is suggesting. So Owen might want to retract that hand before he suffers the same fate his old colleague Hoskins did in the previous film. Fun fact: it looks like this moment is taking place in the clearing where Dr. Grant and the kids narrowly evaded death, thanks to the wrecked Ford Explorer in the background.
So Many Dinosaurs
What would Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom be without the introduction of lots of dinosaurs running wild? The answer would be a boring, static film, and thankfully this trailer shows that we don't have to worry about such a fear coming true. When all volcanic hell starts to break loose towards the end of the preview, we see many different species, carnivore and herbivore alike, all running like a Gallimimus evading a T-Rex in a 1993 box office blockbuster. Only even Rexy's running from danger as well, as the molten lava, hot ash and smoke clouds can even knock her down if she's not careful. Though that doesn't mean she's slacking when it comes to her new role as a protector of humanity.
Rexy v. Carnotaurus
You would think that after almost 25 years of captivity, Rexy would be a bit sore towards the folks that used to run Jurassic World. But it looks like she's ready for a third round of saving humans in peril, as she makes a Carnotaurus her bitch. To be fair, this new Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom character was stalking some humans trying to escape the danger threatening them all, courtesy of a still functioning Gyrosphere. But a Carnotaurus has to eat, and since the law of the jungle rules the former theme park, she wouldn't have been faulted for trying to grab a snack before the end of the world. It's just a shame someone special was there to stop her.
The Stampede To The Cliff
If you're going to end a trailer for a movie like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, you really need to stick the landing with a gigantic moment of suspense and action. Well, director J.A. Bayona has certainly delivered, as this teaser wraps up with a chaotic charge towards the cliffs of Jurassic World, with human and dinosaur alike taking the plunge in the name of survival. And in this moment, a triple whammy of suspense hit us, because of three pretty big moments. One being that Owen is seemingly left behind in the dust of the volcanic madness heading towards the natural border of the island, and another being that Clare and her young companion are in an enclosed Gyrosphere that was definitely not designed to be submerged. But the biggest fear in this moment is connected to what will happen to those poor dinosaurs that can't swim, but have no choice but to make their way to the water.
There's a lot of questions we have, and a lot of hype now officially built for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. But so far, this 2018 would-be blockbuster looks like it's going to be well worth the wait. The countdown is officially on until Rexmas, as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom doesn't open until June 22, 2018.
