The Indominus Rex is horrifying, homicidal and hungry… for a Mercedes Benz? A new ad for the car marks our first hi-res look at the big beastie of this summer’s Jurassic World, though it’s hard not to acknowledge that the shot is a pretty underwhelming way to introduce audiences to the monster that is supposedly a match for even the fearsome T-Rex.
Something’s clearly running amok over at the marketing department for Universal’s big tentpole. The first clip from the movie showed a rather sexist, chauvinistic exchange between supposedly charming lead character Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and his uptight co-worker Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), an incredibly bizarre choice for a movie that’s meant to be a big-budget dinosaur adventure, not a low-key romantic comedy.
Now, it’s been dubbed appropriate to reveal the previously unseen Indominus Rex, created by meddling scientists in an attempt to super-size the park’s ancient attractions, via a car ad. Not entirely sure who made that call, but it certainly doesn’t help the reputation Jurassic World has been accruing as a generally uninspired attempt to squeeze more money out of a beloved franchise.
Of course, Pratt and Howard are two stellar performers, and provided the effects for the Indominus Rex in action are a little more dazzling than what’s being revealed here, Jurassic World could still very easily surprise as a worthy sequel to the iconic Steven Spielberg film. There’s a roster of great actors – also including Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins, Vincent D’Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy and Judy Greer – as well as a talented helmer – Safety Not Guaranteed‘s Colin Trevorrow – so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this one.
Jurassic World opens June 12.
