Then there has been the subtle smattering of details that harken back to that very first unforgettable but ill-fated attempt to set up this wondrous place; the sign knocked down by Dennis Nedry as he fled with the stolen embryos, the flare held by Malcom as he attempted to draw the T-Rex away from the children, the panama hats reminiscent of the late John Hammond….
Next in the onslaught is the marketing and the merchandise, which is already pouring from Hasbro in the form of T-Shirts, action figures, school supplies and Playskool toys.
Finally, there are the teasers, the TV spots and the trailers, from which it is clear that there will be plenty at which to marvel, and even more at which to scream. Overall, this gradual but steady oncoming of Jurassic World has been incredibly smart. After all that history – after twenty-two years, two stunningly mediocre sequels and fourteen years of near silence – the objects that have been in the mirror for so long really are now closer than they appear.
But what is it that we want from our next trip to Isla Nublar? Or, to be more precise, what exactly is it that we need? A few of us aren’t quite over the last two experiences, and although it is unlikely that the filmmakers will have been as lazy as they were with the third movie, or as removed from any vestige of sanity as they were with the second, Jurassic World still has mammoth work to do if it is to at all redeem the name of the franchise that ate itself alive. The following list is a suggestion of six areas in which Jurassic World needs to deliver, if we are to truly enjoy our next experience of walking with dinosaurs. Or running away from them screaming.
We’ll be happy either way….