I haven’t fully looked forward to a Jurᴀssic Park movie since Jurᴀssic Park III for one big reason, but Jurᴀssic World Rebirth has finally brought back my excitement. Based on the тιтular book by Michael Crichton, the Jurᴀssic Park franchise is largely responsible for the world’s obsession with dinosaurs, including my own. The original film brought to life the thought, “What if we brought back dinosaurs?” Of course, gigantic reptiles co-existing with humans just isn’t possible, no matter what Jurᴀssic Park Dominion says.
Since then, the franchise has only continued to grow, resulting in six feature-length Jurᴀssic Park films (with another trilogy on the way), two TV shows, and numerous games. As a lifelong fan of the Jurᴀssic Park trilogy, I hoped for the best when it came to the Jurᴀssic World movies. Unfortunately, one significant barrier stood in the way of me feeling excited. I’ve spent 14 years hoping that horror would return to the Jurᴀssic Park movies. Luckily, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth already promises to bring back my favorite part of the originals, and I can’t wait.
Jurᴀssic Park III Is The Last True Jurᴀssic Park Horror Movie
The Original Jurᴀssic Park Trilogy Included Horror Elements
In addition to increasing my love of dinosaurs, the Jurᴀssic Park trilogy fostered my love of horror films at a young age. The original movies defy genres, incorporating horror and thriller elements into the sci-fi/adventure story. Jurᴀssic Park had stakes. The story taps into a palpable, primal fear that kicks the survival instinct into high gear. The main characters felt like they were in actual danger of dying instead of having plot armor. The Lost World continued this, and Jurᴀssic Park III found a way to amplify the horror feeling in an exciting way.
Jurᴀssic Park III is the last actual Jurᴀssic Park horror movie, and I’ve been dying for new movies to return to their horror-thriller roots.
The premise of saving marooned characters makes Jurᴀssic Park III a survival movie at its core. Although they’re not technically dinosaurs, the Pteranodons in the movie also added extra terror to the film, as the characters had to confront flying reptiles who wanted to kill them on top of the landbound dinosaurs and aquatic reptiles. Between the fog, the swooping reptiles, the Pteranodon walking across the bridge, the onscreen adaptation of the aviary scene from the Jurᴀssic Park book is nightmare-inducing.
Additionally, even though the T. Rex is the more iconic villain, the Spinosaurus feels more threatening and dangerous than the predecessor. The increased horror in Jurᴀssic Park III contributes to my unpopular opinion that the threequel is a great movie. Unfortunately, Jurᴀssic Park III is the last actual Jurᴀssic Park horror movie, and I’ve been dying for new movies to return to their horror-thriller roots.
The Jurᴀssic World Trilogy Felt Like Action Instead Of Horror
The Hollywoodization Of The Story & Cinematography Removed The Horror
Unlike many Jurᴀssic Park fans, I don’t hate the Jurᴀssic World movies. The sequel trilogy isn’t as good as the originals, but I think they’re still quite enjoyable. However, I knew from just watching the trailers that it wouldn’t satisfy my desire for more horror. Jurᴀssic World’s previews felt too polished, reflecting the Hollywoodization of the franchise. The visuals lacked the grittiness and dark lighting that contributed to the ambiance of the original trilogy. On top of all those changes, the trailers focused on the humans instead of the dinosaurs, removing the driving force behind the terror.
I can’t fault the trailers because they did their job by setting proper expectations. As promised, Jurᴀssic World is an action movie with little to no horror elements. Fallen Kingdom and Dominion follow suit, mirroring the tone and style of the first Jurᴀssic World movie. Fallen Kingdom tries to have a darker tone, removing some of the comedy, but the end result doesn’t have the desired impact. Ultimately, this is positive since the films feel like three parts of one whole story instead of separate enтιтies.
Still, the Jurᴀssic World trilogy leaning toward action instead of an adventure and horror-thriller fusion means that I didn’t feel nearly as excited about any of them. Each film still left me wanting, even if I enjoyed it overall. Luckily, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth promises to satisfy me by incorporating the horror elements that the past three movies removed.
Jurᴀssic World Rebirth’s Director Describes The New Movie As Action-Horror
The Director Of Jurᴀssic World Rebirth Has Remained Adament That Horror Is Part Of The Jurᴀssic Park Franchise
Image via Universal Pictures
Director Gareth Edwards, who previously made Monsters (2010) and Godzilla (2014), is leading Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, and I’m thrilled that he’s repeatedly described Rebirth as a horror-action film. He has emphasized the importance of both genres existing in the movie. Additionally, his interviews have shown his intrinsic understanding of the role fear plays in the Jurᴀssic Park movies. When speaking to Empire Magazine (via Inside The Magic), he explained why he thinks dinosaurs are such a great subject for scaring audiences, saying this:
“There’s something very primal about dinosaurs because we’re mammals with millions of years of embedded instinct that tells us some giant creature at some point is going to chase us and try and kill us. So it feels instantly relatable.”
This statement makes me confident that he understands the fear well enough to harness it onscreen. Additionally, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Edwards also spoke about the horror elements in the original Jurᴀssic Park movie. He said this:
“Jurᴀssic Park is a horror film in the witness protection program. Most people don’t think of it like that. We all went to see it as kids. But I was scared sнιтless, to be honest, when I was at the cinema watching the T. rex attack. It’s one of the most well-directed scenes in cinema history, so the bar’s really high to come on board and try and do this.”
Edwards described my mentality about the movie franchise perfectly in this quote. Horror is part of the DNA of Jurᴀssic Park, whether people ᴀssign the story that label or not. As such, the inclusion of horror in Jurᴀssic World Rebirth gives me hope that the movie will feel more like the original trilogy instead of the sequel trilogy. Moreover, I love that Edwards is a fan of Jurᴀssic Park. He clearly appreciates the Stephen Spielberg movie on both an audience level and a directorial level. I’m excited to see how his love for the franchise comes through in the upcoming film.
The Jurᴀssic World Rebirth Trailer Promises Grittier Visuals & Scarier Dinosaurs
Jurᴀssic World Rebirth’s Trailer Feels More Horror Than Action
While the comments from Gareth Edwards increased my anticipation for Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, I didn’t feel the complete spark of excitement until the first trailer was released. Jurᴀssic World has a similar premise to Jurᴀssic World III in that a team of humans has to get in and back out of an island safely. The survival aspect will undoubtedly add tension.
The visuals also strike a great balance between the Jurᴀssic Park trilogy and the Jurᴀssic World trilogy. The trailer starts with more polished visuals when they’re planning the trip, but they get grittier and moody as soon as they’re on the island. The grittiness makes the story feel like it’s happening in real life, raising the stakes. I actually feel afraid for the main character’s safety again, although I doubt they’ll kill most of them off.
Additionally, the dinosaurs shown in the Jurᴀssic World Rebirth trailer tease exciting and terrifying showdowns with the humans. The voiceover promises that these are the dinosaurs (to use the colloquial collective term) deemed too dangerous for the park, which immediately sets expectations for heightened, albeit still family-friendly, violence. Eight dinosaurs are shown, and most of them pose a serious threat to Zora’s team. They will face threats from the land, the sea, and the sky. Ultimately, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth’s trailer makes me confident that Edwards was telling the truth when describing the genre, and I can’t wait to see the film.
