Many long-running film franchises, from Pixar to Star Wars, endeavor to include Easter eggs, references and call backs to what came before. The Jurassic World series is no different, as the continuation of the dinosaur franchise has shown its willingness to reference the three Jurassic Park films and especially, Steven Spielberg's iconic 1993 original. Jurassic Park was hugely influential, setting a blockbuster standard and leaving a lasting impact on filmmaking. More than that, it also remains a beloved and iconic film that conjures a deep sense of nostalgia 25 years later.
The Jurassic World films recognize that and exhibit a reverence for what came before, packing in plenty of Easter eggs for fans of the franchise to spot. Check out 10 cool Easter eggs we spotted in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and be sure to let us know in the comments if there are any we missed.
The following contains spoilers for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom!
Glass of Water
The infinitely quotable Dr. Ian Malcolm only appears briefly in Fallen Kingdom but they still manage to sneak in a subtle little Easter egg into his scene. Our favorite eulogizer on life's sense of direction is seen testifying to Congress about what should be done about the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar. On the table he's sitting at are a pitcher and glass of water. This is something of a reference to the glass of water shaking in the original film, signaling the arrival of the T-Rex. It also calls back to when Ian Malcolm was using water drops to explain Chaos Theory to Ellie Sattler.
Painting of John Hammond
While the Jurassic World films are very different than Steven Spielberg's original, they have a great deal of reverence for it and, especially the character of John Hammond. The late Richard Attenborough's John Hammond was an optimistic dreamer with a twinkle in his eye and a sense of childlike wonder. In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, there is a painting of John Hammond inside the Lockwood mansion. It is massive, befitting a visionary of his stature, on par with Newton or Galileo. Similar to how Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle referenced Alan Parrish, this Easter egg reminds everyone that this is all started with John Hammond.
Model of Park
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom seems to have a serious case of nostalgia for the first film, and the once amazing original park that now seems quaint by comparison. A model of the original park is actually seen in Benjamin Lockwood's mansion in the film. It is a cool Easter egg in that it lets us know that this all started long ago with two dreamers in this house. It also provides a great contrast to show what came before, and where things are now. Because what was once an idea for a theme park has now led to an upending of the ecosystem.
Amber Cane
In the canon, bringing back dinosaurs from extinction was possible due to the discovery of prehistoric mosquitoes that became trapped in amber after having fed on dinosaurs. That's where the dino DNA came from. The top of John Hammond's cane had a polished piece of amber with a mosquito in it, seemingly to remind him of how such huge possibility, came from something so small. Plus it looked very cool. In Fallen Kingdom, his former partner, Benjamin Lockwood, played by James Cromwell, has a cane just like it, although the type of insect inside looked to be slightly different.
Objects in Mirror
While searching for Blue on Isla Nublar, before the island's volcano goes nuclear, the film echoes a visual from the original film when Chris Pratt's Owen Grady's reflection is shown in the side mirror of a Ford Explorer. This appears to be one of the vehicles left over on the island from the original Jurassic Park. This calls back to the 'must go faster' chase in Jurassic Park, when the T-Rex shows up in the Jeep's mirror that read, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." This scene has been referenced in pop culture and memes countless times since 1993. This visual motif actually occurs a couple times in Fallen Kingdom.
First Time Seeing a Dinosaur
Probably the most iconic scene in Jurassic Park, heck, one of the most iconic scenes in film period, is when Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant first see a real live dinosaur. This scene conveys all the power and wonder you would feel in such a situation, elevated by John Williams' incredible score. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom echoes this moment. We learn early on that Daniella Pineda's Zia Rodriguez has never seen a dinosaur in person. When she arrives on Isla Nublar, with Claire Dearing at her side, she sees a dinosaur for the first time. Just like in the original, it is a Brachiosaur and John Williams' score plays in the background.
Goat on a Rope
In the original Jurassic Park a poor, unfortunate goat is used to feed and bait the Tyrannosaurus Rex out so that Dr. Grant & Co. can see her. Rexy doesn't want to be fed and she prefers to hunt, but she's not going to turn down a free meal. Well, 25 years later and goats are still having a tough time in this franchise. When bringing Rexy into her cell under the Lockwood mansion, in a quick moment, you see a goat on a rope put out to coax her in to her cage.
Indoraptor Tapping
Like a horror villain letting you know your end is nigh with an unsettling sound, one of the velociraptors in the kitchen scene in Jurassic Park tapped its big-clawed toe, a simple gesture that frightened and unnerved, threatening its victims with a brutal fate. The Indoraptor in Fallen Kingdom is even more menacing with its unbridled rage, but it still displays the raptor traits from its genetic forebears. While it is hunting throughout the Lockwood mansion, the Indoraptor too taps its big toe, almost warning the humans of its presence, so when they run the hunt will be more fun.
Egg Incubator
Of the many memorable scenes in Jurassic Park is where John Hammond shows Ian Malcolm, Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and Donald Gennaro the egg incuabtors where the dinosaurs are born. They watch as a velociraptor first enters the world. This is also where we first meet B.D. Wong's Dr. Henry Wu, who has since gone on to be a mad scientist villain. In the lab at Lockwood mansion in Fallen Kingdom we again see an egg incubator, reminding us of the first movie and that Wu still hasn't bothered to ask himself whether he should.
Raptor's Don't Knock
Robert Muldoon warns of the raptor's intelligence and problem-solving abilities at the beginning of Jurassic Park and yet he pays dearly when he still underestimates them. Their intelligence is again proven when they show that they are capable of opening doors to pursue their prey. The close up shot the door handle to the kitchen slowly turning is echoed in Fallen Kingdom when the Indoraptor, in a horror movie-esque scene, opens the balcony door to Maisie's bedroom. This reminds us of the first film while also serving as a lesson that hiding under your covers doesn't always make the monsters go away.
