Okay, as with any emergency situation, the first step is not to panic. We don’t need to tell you what’s going on in this first trailer for Jurassic World, or about all the concerns we suddenly have, because we’ve all watched it by now and are all unbuttoning our top buttons to alleviate the tension sweats. But let’s not be Debbie Downers about it! Let’s take hold of those frowns and turn them upside down! After all, this is only the first trailer, and when a studio endeavors to resurrect one of the most treasured and magical screen adventures of all time, even living up to (never mind surpassing) that measure of brilliance is impossible. Basically, anything short of Dr. Ellie Sattler showing up to hold our hands and tell us this movie will be awesome was going to be underwhelming. But since Laura Dern couldn’t make that many house calls, here are three Good Things we found in this trailer for the fourth installment of Jurassic Park. Keep hope alive.
The Talent Factor is High
Parks and Rec fans have adored Chris Pratt for years, but thanks to his turn as Star Lord in this year’s biggest movie so far, Guardians of the Galaxy, he’s become a household name. Also, super-yoked. The snippets of dialogue we got here were a little gravelly and self-serious for our tastes (LOL “depends what kind of dinosaur they cooked up in that lab”), but Pratt practically sweats charm—and wearing all that utility gear in the rainforest, he’s bound to sweat a lot. He’s also being directed by Colin Trevorrow, who might be new to the blockbuster ball but did a fantastic job with Safety Not Guaranteed. There must be comedic and tonal nuance present in this movie that a first trailer just can’t capture, right? Hook ’em with the special effects, then sneak attack them with interesting characters and surprising amounts of depth once they’re in the theaters, right? Also, Bryce Dallas Howard is promising as the severely styled megalomaniacal scientist, and considering we didn’t see any Jake Johnson or Vincent D’Onofrio in this first clip, we know we’ve got plenty of treats waiting for us as more footage is meted out. (Plus, even if Judy Greer disappears after sending her kids to Jurassic World, there’s still Judy Greer!)
Dinosaurs Are Still Cool
It might be a cheap cash-in, but the coolness watching that whatever-it-was marine beast rocket out of the water and eat a whole shark outweights just about any profit-mongering. A few well-placed displays of pre-historic creatures being awesome in the most literal sense of the word will go a long, long way to making this movie worth its ticket price. Though we should point out that “awesome in the most literal sense” does not include raptors trotting along Chris Pratt on his wee motorcycle like so many coldblooded Ewoks.
We Want This To Work
Even if the CGI paintbrush strokes are a little thick for our tastes, we still want to believe when we see those big, wonderful letters spelling out “Jurassic Park.” There are plenty of OG Park fans (Jurassic, we mean, not …s & Recreation) who will flood movie theaters next to June to re-experience the heart-swelling wonder of sweeping tropical vistas and packs of sprinting Gallimimus, all tied together with the perfect score. There are at least shades of that here, with herds of Brachiosaurs feeding alongside rivers and amidst leafy glades while horns and strings tickle our emotions. Granted, that’s the easy part of movies like this—when you have a billion dollars to spend, the monsters should at least look damn real—but if the minds behind Jurassic World do their job well enough to get audiences to suspend their disbelief, fans old and new will be much more willing to forgive certain inadequacies. Convince us this sequel is about reviving the magic and wonder of a groundbreaking film experience, and not just stealing money from anyone who’s ever had an imagination, and we’ll get along just fine.
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