Jurassic Park – BREAKING GEEK Radio: The Podcast

Cinema’s 8 Most Nefarious Organizations: From #8. Death Eaters to #5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Age of Ultron, Avengers, Captain America, Jurassic World, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, SPECTRE, Star Wars, The Force Awakens, Villains

Evil organizations are all the craze these days on the silver screen, taking center stage in at least four 2015 Major Blockbusters: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, SPECTRE (ha), and the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Nothing like a whole industry of villains and evil doers, often, but not always, operating in the shadows. And though several of the “organizations” chosen are literally companies, they also fit the mold of “Nefarious Organizations.” Not just any company will do, but these certainly more than your simple morally corrupt businesses.

I’ve gone ahead and ranked them, most effective to least.

Let’s start with #8 through #5!

8. Death Eaters from the Harry Potter Franchise

Voldemort takes a cue or two from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but instead of rings they all got matching tattoos!

I’m not even a Harry Potter fan (I’ve read 6 and 1/2 of the books, but never made it far enough in the film franchise to see said organization), but my roommate tells me I should look past my own interests, and the Death Eaters were the 1st Evil Organization I could think of outside my traditional Geek World (which would be mostly Marvel Comic Book Evil Organizations…).

Death Eaters definitely qualify as a Nefarious Organization, one that, like the best of them (that follow), have members at every level of government, Hogwarts, and even that weird Magical Bank with the trolls. Not a lot is scarier than a group of zealots awaiting and/or aiding the return of their evil leader: He who must not be named!

7. OSCORP Industries from The Amazing Spider-Man Films

In Sam Raimi’s original films, Oscorp was simply the company that Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) would experiment on himself… and kill… to remain in control and keep profitable. In Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man films, the corporation is responsible for a man-lizard, an electricity man, a mutated head of the company, and a series of enhanced soldier suits based on animals including a rhinoceros, a vulture, and an octopus.

A little hokey, sure, but it actually makes more sense than the original 2002 Spider-Man. Think about the major superhero villains these days. Tony Stark’s genius leads to Iron Monger, Whiplash, Extemis, and Ultron. The Super Soldier serum administered by the same scientist creates both Red Skull and Captain America. Batman’s appearance brings the Joker into the world as a direct response to his theatrical vigilantism. But in Spider-Man, it’s simply a hard to believe coincidence (even if you’ve bought into a man who can stick to walls and swing from webs) that Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) was bitten by a radioactive spider the very same night that Norman Osborn accidentally turns himself into a crazy super soldier to save his company. Ridiculous!

Mending this storytelling shortfall, Oscorp is behind all the foes Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker faces, whether that be an overreaction or not. Certainly qualifying the company that Norman Osborn built a spot on this list!

6. InGen from the The Lost World: Jurassic Park & Jurassic World

InGen didn’t seem like such a bad company when John Hammond was around. But since he hit his death bed, other forces within the corporation have put profits above human safety… and worse.

It starts with Hammond’s nephew in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, who will stop at nothing to grab dinosaurs out of their new “natural” habitat on Isla Sorna, a.k.a. “Site B” and present them to the masses. Even when the star exhibit, a full grown T-Rex, wrecks havoc in San Diego.

Even worse, Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) and Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofiro) clearly have a real shady deal going on behind the scenes of the theme park, Jurassic World. Hoskin’s obsession with military applications for carnivores and Dr. Wu’s gene-splicing skills offer even more trouble than in the 1st Jurassic World film, paving the way for a trilogy of InGen’s evil doings!

5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from the 007 Franchise

No matching tattoos here, but of course Agents of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. have matching jewelry!

S.P.E.C.T.R.E. has been on the big screen longer than any other Nefarious Organization on this list, originating in Sean Connery’s days only to be revived this year in Daniel Craig’s world. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stands for Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion (like with do-gooder organization S.H.I.E.L.D., someone just really wanted to spell SPECTRE, albeit incorrectly).

Now, if you read my review for SPECTRE, you know the film was lacking… a lot. In fact, S.P.E.C.T.R.E., the supposed ultimate Nefarious Organization of all time, doesn’t get its due in the 2015 007 film. While Daniel Craig’s 007 movies have improved on every aspect of the character from Casino Royale through Skyfall, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. does not live up to the organization Connery built (well, fought) back in the 60’s.

Perhaps if the film SPECTRE was better, this ultimate Evil Organization would have landed on the better half of the list. After all, it is the original shadow group with tentacles in every countries government on all ends of the globe, controlling resources, governments, and intelligence rather than always seeking to start WWIII like later Bond villains.

And that’s a wrap! For now… Check back later when I reveal The Top 4 Nefarious Organizations in Cinema, including H.Y.D.R.A. and The First Order, formally the Galactic Empire!

The Best Movies of Summer 2015: PART II – No. 3, 2 & 1!

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, Reviews

After much soul searching, I can finally finish the list of my 6 Favorite Movies of the Summer that kept on giving. And giving. And giving!

Read Part I, where I cover my 6th through 4th favorite movies now if you missed it.

First, I must make a clarification; on the first part of my list, I stated that I’m trying to balance quality and enjoyment level when ranking the best films of Summer 2015. I now realize, that what is really important is the enjoyment factor. In fact, looking back, #6: Man From UNCLE, #5: Ant-Man, and #4: Avengers: Age of Ultron were already based on enjoyment factor and NOT quality of film. So I intend to continue that trend… Now!

SPOILERS may follow for any of the films covered.

3. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

If I were to base this list purely on quality of film, then Mad Max: Fury Road would have been #1. It really is a masterpiece; light-years better than any of George Miller’s previous Mad Max films, though that has nothing to with replacing Mel Gibson with Tom Hardy. You can tell Miller has been working on the film (at least in his head) for 20 years, and the result is visually stunning with an unbelievably complex “feminist” narrative supported by limited dialog. And George Miller is one of the only people making films in the 21st Century that does stunts… for real.

Highlights: Everything mostly… mostly.

As stated previously, the movie is visually stunning, from the amazing color contrast of the “Australian” wasteland (shot in Africa) to actually watching REAL cars flip and explode. Sure, there is CGI abound, but it is there to enhance the effects (and create a crazy sandstorm that would make 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol jealous), not replace the real feeling of flipping or blowing up dozens of vehicles.

This Mad Max is also the best at world building, from Immortan Joe’s Citadel, to the valley watched over by those with “spiky cars,” mention of “Gas Town,” the former “Green Lands” of the many mothers, and finally that creepy bog with human survivors walking on stilts, almost appearing bird-like in their garb.

The plot is fantastic, though simple on the surface, dialog is sparse but effective, and Tom Hardy rocks the role of Max Rockatansky just as hard (if not harder) than Mel Gibson. Charlize Theron is obviously fantastic as well as the true protagonist of the movie, with Max just along for the ride.

Finally, can we talk of Junkie XL’s score? Amazing on every level: you don’t simply watch Fury Road, you rock out to it. Can’t wait to hear the composer’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice score as well as his recently announced Deadpool music.

Weaknesses: As I find with most films showered with critical acclaim, Mad Max: Fury Road is just not as re-watchable as nearly any other film on the list. It is indeed the highest quality, but it doesn’t offer the same enjoyment and re-watch-ability as the next two movies on my list.

2. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

I don’t know how they do it. Mission: Impossible is one of the few franchises getting better by the film, after the terrible M:I – 2. I keep waiting for a stinker, but each M:I film has been better than the last ever since J.J. Abrams saved the franchise with M:I:III.

If the 1st Mission: Impossible had a baby with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and the Usual Suspects had a baby with Edge of Tomorrow (which you may know as Live. Die. Repeat.)… and those babies fucked… you’d have Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. That’s the result of baby fucking. (It’s no surprise the writer/director of Rogue Nation previously wrote both Usual Suspects and Edge of Tomorrow.)

Rogue Nation is the second best film in the franchise, in my opinion, because the 1st film is a Sacred Cow, not unlike Jurassic Park, which can be honored with good sequels, but never outdone.

Highlights: I LOVE that the film hearkens back to the slower thriller elements of the first Mission: Impossible while simultaneously combining the action and spectacle one would expect coming off of Brad Bird’s endlessly entertaining Ghost Protocol.

You got your, “Oh-My-God-I-Can’t-Believe-Tom-Cruise-Did That!” element similar to Ghost Protocol‘s Dubai Tower scene, this time with Tom Cruise attaching himself to an actual A400 airplane and doing 7 full take-offs to get the scene just right. Like George Miller, Tom Cruise feels he owes it to his fans to do as much as he can for real, one of the main reasons the film ranks so high. Though my #1 favorite movie of the summer is a CGI bonanza, I have extreme respect for Rogue Nation‘s attempt to use as little CGI as possible in exchange for stunts like Cruise on a plane, the crazy motorcycle chase, and his underwater adventures for which he did hold his breath for over 3 minutes a take!

Meanwhile, you have a more personal and one could say, smaller scope film that brings back the espionage and thriller elements of the original film. After all, though M:I – 2 through Rogue Nation are action movies, the 1st film is a tight and smaller thriller, with only one full action scene to speak of. Rogue Nation does a little of both. There’s a lot of smaller, yet impossible situations than the Plane Sequence, from the conundrum at the Opera to the personal/not-action-packed finale on the streets of London. A shoot-out closes Rogue Nation, in contrast to the giant action scene that closed out Ghost Protocol.

Now, let’s talk about the new talent on screen! Rebecca Ferguson nearly steals the film from Tom Cruise as the, “Can we trust her?” Femme Fatale. In this more personal film, she is what “The Woman” (Irene Adler) is to Sherlock Holmes; Ethan Hunt’s female equal.

Meanwhile, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with the supremely creepy and soft-spoken Soloman Lane, played by Sean Harris (Prometheus), and his “Syndicate.” What SPECTRE is to 007, the Syndicate is to Hunt, including with Soloman Lane serving as a sort of Moriarty or Blofeld, always one step ahead of the disbanded IMF.

Weaknesses: Well, it’s not as good as the 1st one, but I can’t hold it against Rogue Nation.

Mainly, I just wanted to see more Soloman Lane! He is pulling the strings behind everything, again making Moriarty and apt comparison, but Sean Harris doesn’t have enough scenes to really make his creepy presence known. Though I believe him to be the best villain of the franchise, he is without meaty scenes like Phillip Seymor Hoffman had in M:I:III. Lane’s nasal voice and his creep factor could have been even more effective if we saw more of him!

1. JURASSIC WORLD

There you go! Not the highest quality movie of the summer, only average-to-pure-popcorn-movie if you judge it purely on quality, but God Damn Jurassic World is the most enjoyable movie I watched all summer!

I don’t need to go too far into it, because I’ve written about Jurassic World again and again, including writing an actual review, but the movie delivers everything you want from a Jurassic Park sequel…

A theme park setting! New dinosaurs! Classic Spielbergian elements! Velociraptors devouring people (most important)! T-Rex!… The list goes on and on.

I feel like my other posts about Jurassic World speak for themselves.

So, with that, here are the Best Films of 2015!

6. MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

5. ANT-MAN

4. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

3. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

2. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

1. JURASSIC WORLD

Great summer, all! Can’t wait to judge me some Holiday blockbusters! SPECTRE and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are on the horizon!

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 4: JURASSIC PARK Winks & Shoves

Posted on July 10, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

Observations of a sad little man who has seen Jurassic World six times… so far (Me!).

As always, SPOILERS Abound!

First, catch up with the 1st three parts of this glorious expedition.

Part 1: Everything You Missed (Or Didn’t)

Part 2: InGen, Please!

Part 3: Universal Studios Hollywood & Product Placement.

This Issue: All (Or Most) the references to Jurassic Park Explored!

As Lowery (Jake Johnson) reminds us while wearing his Jurassic Park shirt he purchased on eBay for $150, “That first Park was legit!” So it’s no wonder that Jurassic World tries to recreate/update images and throw “Easter Eggs” our way straight from the original 1993 movie.

The 1st trailer was so rich with Jurassic Park imagery that it caused Nostalgia to be an even more important part of the film’s draw than even superstar Chris Pratt.

(By the way, Lowey’s Jurassic Park shirt is the 1st reference on this list! Booyah!)

The Sickly Hatchling and Her Sister In The Lab

Jurassic World opens with two eggs and two lil’ baby Indominus Rexs. As one struggles to breath and break the shell, our main Monster Antagonist is quick to break the shell and will later go on to eat said sibling.

This scene is very reminiscent of Hammond helping the hatching baby Raptor in Jurassic Park. So is the set itself; the egg chambers/laboratory all look like the room Dr. Wu (BD Wong) introduced us to 22 years ago.

Said laboratory is also still a visible attraction to guests with no animatronics (sorry, Mr. Donald Gennaro [Martin Ferrero] the lawyer); just real scientists going about their “Mad Science.”

Dinos Evolved Into Birds

Never verbally stated in this film, we are reminded of Dr. Alan Grant’s (Sam Neill) words from Jurassic Park about Dinos sharing a lot in common with birds with the film’s second image: a T-Rex looking foot striking the ground, only reveled to be a bird as the (CGI) camera pulls out. And that’s all we need.

“That 1st Park Was Legit!”

The new Park itself pays homage to the original in many ways, from the sweeping shots of Isla Nublar splashed together with John William’s original theme as Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson) arrive via ferry and even pass through the giant Jurassic World gate that was made from wood salvaged from the original gate in the old Park (so Brad Bird as the monorail guide tells us).

Though ferries are more piratical for a Park of 20,000 guests, we still get our Helicopter over Isla Nublar experience thanks to “pilot” & InGen CEO Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan). Pure nostalgia.

I could talk about obvious scenes like this for post after post, but let’s get deeper into the nitty-gritty references that are less obvious.

Mr. DNA

How can you miss Mr. DNA from Jurassic Park in the scene where Gray first excitingly enters the Samsung Innovation Center (which is not product placement) and plays with a child’s interactive display?

Fun note: Dr. DNA may sound the same, but writer/director Colin Trevorrow actually voices him in Jurassic World.

Jurassic Tennis & River Cruise

In Jurassic Park, while our protagonists are having an argument about whether or not Hammond should have created Dinosaurs over lunch, various displays projected on the walls behind them advertise future Jurassic Park attractions like ‘Jurassic Tennis’ and a water attraction similar to the kayaking among dinosaur ride we see briefly in Jurassic World. ‘Jurassic Tennis’ appears as an attraction on the hotel room screen when Gray and Zach arrive.

God Creates Dinosaur by Dr. Ian Malcolm

Either Dr. Malcolm’s (Jeff Goldblum) book God Creates Dinosaur just hit shelves or it’s still topping the New York Times best-seller list, because we see two different people in possession of the book; one actively reading it. Lowery has a copy on his desk, and Claire’s (Bryce Dallas Howard) assitant Zara (Katie McGrath) reads it throughout the film.

The OG Visitor Center & Jeep #29

I was hoping going into Jurassic World for the 1st time that we would see some of the old park; more specifically the Visitor Center. Guess what? I did!

It’s magic seeing this center of Jurassic Park, with the very scaffolding Grant, Ellie (Laura Dern), and the kids climbed down to escape the Velociraptors. We see part of the “When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth” banner that T-Rex knocked down. We see the painted Velociraptor in the dining room that was covered in shadow to alert Lex and Tim to hide in the kitchen. We see night vision goggles identical to the one Tim used to watch T-Rex eat the goat. There is so much nostalgia here it is maddening to try to remember it all!

But on to Jeep #29. The jeep that Zach and Gray fix up is the very jeep Muldoon (Bob Peck) and Ellie took to rescue Ian Malcolm (“Must go faster! Must go faster!”).

We even get to see Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) jump the T-Rex skull when Indominus attacks (but not any sharks thankfully).

“Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear”

Remember when the T-Rex chased Jeep #29 and Muldoon looked in the rear-view mirror only to see a T-Rex and the typical “Objects In the Mirror are Closer Than They Appear” warning.

In Jurassic World Claire watches a Raptor in the rear view mirror as it rushes toward her vehicle. Coincidence? Not in this kind of movie.

Mosquitos In Amber

An obvious image straight from the original film. We see an actual specimen on Dr. Wu’s desk when Mr. Masrani confronts him about Indominus Rex, even though Gray told his brother (and the audience) that now scientists can extract DNA directly from Dinosaur bones.

You don’t just see this image in the lab, there are decorations of giant (fake) amber stones with giant mosquito on Main Street. Owen actually hides behind one while his Raptors took on Indominus.

The Queen of Isla Nublar

It was with a cheer and a shout that I welcomed T-Rex back to the playing field in the finale of Jurassic World. Though Raptors are always the scariest Dinos in any Jurassic Park film, T-Rex is the most iconic.

Did you notice that the T-Rex in Jurassic World was the very same one as Jurassic Park? Even had her two decade old scars from his Velociraptor battle that saved Alan Grant & Co.

Likewise, it’s no coincidence that flares get the Queen of Isla Nublar’s attention. Ian Malcolm taught her that flares mean “Lawyer Food” in 1993.

And like the spectacular finale to Jurassic Park, Jurassic World ends with T-Rex roaring over Isla Nublar, reminding everyone that now that the monster Indominus Rex is dead, she is the Queen of Jurassic World.

One Jurassic Park III Reference

When T-Rex shows up to save the day in Jurassic World, he bursts though the skeleton of a Spinosaurous (see picture above). Proving, that, even though that wretched dinosaur killed a Rex on Isla Sorna, T-Rex is back to being the superior Dinosaur of the Jurassic Park franchise.

I’m sure there is more I am forgetting, as the movie is so layered and rich with numerous references to Jurassic Park. But, this post is long and my brain is running out of references, so let’s call it a day!

Next (and final time) on Jurassic World Explored Part 5

Speilbergian Themes & Imagery

The Aliens Homage.

Are All The Dinos In Jurassic World Still Female?

They Are Breeding Raptors On Isla Nublar!

Jurassic Park vs. Jurassic World Character Comparisons

Coming Soon To This Website Near You!!

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 3: Universal Studios Hollywood & Product Placement

Posted on July 8, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

More Jurassic World observations made after seeing the film 6 times!

Read PART 1 or PART 2 first!

This Issue: Jurassic World May As Well Be Universal Studios Isla Nublar!

Having worked on the Universal Studios lot in Studio City and having been to the Theme Park itself once, the similarities to the design Universal Studios Hollywood and the final design of Jurassic World are striking.

When brothers Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson) first arrive at Isla Nublar, we see a covered, staircase/escalator that runs up the side of a steep hill to a monorail. Though only Disney does monorails, the staircase itself is so similar to those running up and down Universal Studios Hollywood, which rests on a sharp hill itself, connecting the upper part of the park with the “New” Simpsons Ride (formally Back to the Future Ride… bummer) to Jurassic Park the Ride at the bottom. I swear, the staircases are so similar, they may have shot one at the real park and changed its surroundings in post-production to look more exotic.

Not interesting enough? What about…

JIMMY FALLON!

In a not-so-subtle cameo (because it’s not supposed to be one, dummy), Jimmy Fallon appears as the host of the Gyrosphere attraction. He makes jokes about the Gyrosphere itself, how safe it is including it’s ability to block Dilophosaurus venom (one of two references to the creature we last saw with… Newman!), yada, yada, yada.

Some people in the auditorium chuckle at Fallon’s cameo when I see Jurassic World, not from a place of amusement from from a place of “what a silly non-sense cameo to include that detracts from the movie.” Or at least that’s what I think that chuckle sometimes means.

Really, this is another idea taken straight from the actual Universal Studios Hollywood Park. Jimmy Fallon is the current video host of the Studio Tour ride, taking over after they revamped it with their 3D King Kong attraction (no one got eaten at that attraction).

Apparently InGen brought in Universal Studios to design its new Park.

All That Product Placement on Main St.

Hey, guess what? The Samsung Innovation Center is not paid product placement by Samsung.

Looking at all the different brands and restaurants represented on Jurassic World’s Main St, none of that is product placement! Rather, using brands as they do allows the filmmakers to further explore the themes of the film.

In my 1st Jurassic World Explored post, I already discussed the idea of the movie plot imitating life. Just like a real (Universal even) Theme Park, there are sponsors and there are restaurants who want some prime resort real estate. A fully realized Theme Park on Isla Nublar would be flush with both.

Seeing the whole Samsung logo (pictured above) may cause people to groan with product placement fatigue, but it’s all calculated to serve the story. Director Colin Trevorrow claims that there was NO paid Product Placement in the film. And I believe him (like a sucker?).

I mean, look at Main Street! It has a Margaritaville (Fun Cameo: Jimmy Buffet is the dude running with two Margaritas when the Pterodactyls attack)! The whole layout of the Park’s Main St reminds me of Universal City Walk (shopping center adjacent to Hollywood Theme Park entrance) combined with the aesthetic of the restaurant next to the Jurassic Park Ride (within the Theme Park).

Some of those gates from the angles they shot look like they could have been the ones right there at Universal City Walk. I’ve been behind some of those gates, walked the “Walk” often when I worked at the Studio itself (which was down that crazy staircase on the hill I was talking about!) and it looks awefully familiar.

Next Time on Jurassic World Explored:

They Are Breeding Raptors On Isla Nublar!

Are All The Dinos Still Female!

Jurassic Park Winks and Shoves!

And The Queen of Isla Nublar!

READ PART 4 NOW! Oh…Yeah…

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 1: Everything You Missed (Or Didn’t)

Posted on July 7, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

I may have seen Jurassic World six times (I did… why lie?). With such a great number of repeat viewings comes great responsibility, including insight into new details/themes/symbols/”Easter Eggs,” producing more material to analyze and explore than in my original review for the Jurassic Park‘s best and most profitable (movie in the world?) sequel.

Some theories/ideas may be bullshit; some connections I make may seem forced or just “overthought.” I am also likely going to forget some of my deeper thoughts about the film as it is much easier to analyze every scene and moment when actually watching the movie. I’ll do my best to use my memory and cover all my observations.

Obviously… SPOILERS Abound!

Jurassic World is Meta… Man…

Writer/Director Colin Trevorrow has said Jurassic World the film is a metaphor for Jurassic World the theme park.

Universal Execs wanted more Jurassic Park (it was too for them hard to let their highest grossing franchise go extinct); they wanted it bigger, badder, scarier. So Trevorrow gave them a movie about InGen Execs pushing for a dinosaur that is bigger, badder, with more teeth; a metaphor for the film’s very existence. Like the events of the film, such an action could have “gone awry” in the wrong hands, but Trevorrow nailed it, bringing Universal their biggest movie… ever. And no one got eaten (that we know of).

“We Need More Teeth”

Obviously, the above line was important enough to the finale of Jurassic World that you likely remember it. Gray’s (Ty Simpkins) statement gives Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) the idea to release more teeth against Indominus Rex in the form of Jurassic Park‘s original T-Rex (more on in a future issue).

Even some of the Viral Marketing Materials included the statement, "More Teeth" — Even some of the Viral Marketing Materials included the statement, “More Teeth”

Teeth are a recurring image throughout the film (not literally, though there are a lot of shots of simply Indominus Rex’s mouth) starting in the 1st act when Gray and his brother Zach (Nick Robinson) board the ferry for Isla Nublar and Gray cannot help but discuss the carnivores and their “teeth” count in a Dino-obsessive one-sided discussion that would make young Tim from Jurassic Park proud.

If you listen for it, there are many conversations about teeth, including Claire’s description of what the public wants in the park’s “New Attraction,” Verizon Wireless presents Indominus Rex, and Dr. Henry Wu’s (BD Wong) talk with Mr. Simon Masrani (Irrffan Khan) about his newest “Asset.”

“You Are Not In Control!”

Just like Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) said 22 years ago to then InGen CEO John Hammond, “You never had control! That’s the illusion!”

So it is in Jurassic World, but it appears John Hammond never shared that wisdom with Mr. Simon Masrani, just the fact that he “spared no expense.” Control is often discussed in the film, but very rarely in terms of controlling the dinosaurs, rather in reference to which human is in control (a big miscalculation).

My favorite piece of irony involving the different characters vying for control comes during the scene where Claire sends in an ACU unit with “non-lethals.” Owen Grady (Chris Pratt!!!) makes the observation about the practically unarmed men, “Those men are going to die,” ordering them to get them out of there before the Indominus Rex rips them to shreds. Claire shouts at Owen, “You are not in control here!” The irony is, neither is she.

“Control” is passed around ending with InGen’s Isla Nublar division being taken over by the War Hawk Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), from the control room to “the mission” involving putting the raptors that under Owen’s “control” to the test.

Of course, as Owen says himself earlier in the film, “It’s not about control with these animals, it’s about respect.” This makes him the only man to understand the fragility of the park’s ecosystem/security; a real Ian Malcolm want to be!

We’ve only scratched the surface of what is left to explore in Jurassic World. I’ve started a little obvious with the recurring imagery I’ve pointed out, so hopefully those looking for a more immersive experience will gleam more next post!

Or even for the common fan who just wants to know all the Easter Eggs from Jurassic Park… Welcome, to Jurassic World!

READ PART 2… NOW!!! Or later.

JURASSIC WORLD Review: This Ain’t Your Childhood’s JURASSIC PARK (But that can be a good thing!)

Posted on June 11, 2015April 6, 2016 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Movies, Reviews

Perhaps writer/director Colin Trevorrow put it best in a recent article: Jurassic World‘s very story is a commentary on its existence. Universal Execs wanted to revive their 2nd biggest film franchise (it used to be #1 but has been bested by the sheer number of Fast & Furious films); they wanted Jurassic Park again, only bigger, scarier, more action packed. So, Trevorrow made a film about greedy InGen executives wanting something bigger and more dangerous, resulting in Indominus Rex and the popular synopsis for any film: “things go awry.”

Does Jurassic World live up to its real life mirror? Is bigger, scarier, and more action packed, a film gone “awry,” disappointing fans the world over? Or have the Universal Execs outsmarted InGen’s, creating a new monster that is not dangerous to your Jurassic Park loving self?

I am happy to report, that though no film could ever top the intelligence, heart, and magic of 1993’s original Jurassic Park, Jurassic World is an incredibly worthy sequel; something The Lost World and Jurassic Park III could never manage.

The best way to sum up the movie is that I saw every scene and location I wanted to see! Indominus Rex wrecking havoc? Check! A little bit o’ T-Rex? Check! (Human) Siblings in peril? Check! Chris Pratt continuing to rock the summer blockbuster? Double Check!!!

Most importantly, are the scariest parts of Jurassic Park, the famed Velociraptors (sometimes in the kitchen), neutered pets for Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to control? Fuck no! This is by far the scariest and most vicious the famed raptors have been since 1993’s trip to Isla Nublar.

Jurassic World smartly builds on Jurassic Park with a few fun winks; not so much as to feel like a rehash or a misguided attempt to reference the original as much as possible.

It’s amazing to see that red flares are used to get the attention of the T-Rex to ensure he actually eats the goat at feeding time; Ian Malcolm taught old Rex flares mean tasty treats 22 years ago (it is, indeed, the very same T-Rex that provided the franchise’s best scene when he famously escaped his pen). The events of Jurassic Park are also referenced by the Lowery, played brilliantly by Jake Johnson. He wears a Jurassic Park shirt he found on Ebay for $150, which may or may not be in poor taste. He’s a Jurassic Park groupie in the same way Charlie Day played a “Kaiju groupie” in Pacific Rim. And a hero.

Likewise, contrary to popular theories going into the film, InGen head Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) isn’t a greedy man like John Hammond’s nephew in The Lost World, he is like Hammond himself, reminding us that though Hammond spared no expense (Masrani actually says that very line, crediting Hammond), the Park was always intended the be for everyone, not just for the rich. Masrani believes this should be the fun division of InGen, not necessarily the profitable one.

Of course, other InGen employees tend to disagree, starting with Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), day-to-day park manager who can’t make time to see her two nephews visiting Jurassic World (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) because she is obsessed with creating newer, scarier attractions for the profit of literal sponsorship (her vision is “Verizon Wireless Presents Indominus Rex”). Claire’s own greed puts extra lives at risk, with a scene reminiscent of Jaws featuring Claire refusing to evacuate the park because of the loss in profit and a second where she sends mercenaries/security to track Indominus Rex with non-lethal weaponry, because he is a mulit-million dollar “asset.” Of course, she comes around after the men are all slaughtered and she learns her own nephews are lost in the park.

Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins are the best kids the JP franchise has seen since Lex and Tim in the original film. They don’t ruin the danger of the movie by beating Velociraptors with gymnastics (The Lost World) or by surviving on an island by themselves for weeks (Jurassic Park III). They are closer to the original archetypes of scared siblings lost in the wild, though there is a moment where they are a little too smart and inventive for their own good.

Speaking of Jurassic Park archetypes, Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady is an interesting mash-up of Allan Grant and Muldoon. He isn’t given a ton to do, acting wise, but he brings life and charm in what could have been an overly stereotypical role. And of course he can handle action scenes like the best of them.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD. Skip the next paragraph if ye’ be afraid.

Like any good Zombie movie, what would a Jurassic Park film be without human villains? (Besides Jurassic Park III which is 100% rotten in my opinion.) Here we seem to have two, Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), the only returning cast member from any Jurassic Park film, and Vincent D’Onofrio (who is on fire this year with Run All Night, JW, Daredevil, and being cast in the remake of Magnificent Seven… with Chris Pratt) as Hoskins. Between the two of them (Hoskins’ exact role is unknown, is he just a military man, or a former military man who seems to run the shady side of the company?), InGen has begun to look more like The Amazing Spider-Man’s Oscorp. Hoskins has a dream of using Velociraptors to hunt down terrorists in caves, while being involved in some sort of hybrid program with Dr. Wu that goes deeper than Indominus Rex and may even be the strand used to build a sequel.

SPOILERS OVER… For Now.

Finally, let’s talk Dinos. You can tell CGI has come a long way in 22 years, from the new level of detail to classic Dinos like Gallimimus and Velociraptors, to the creation of a new dinosaur; Mr. Indominus Rex.

Indominus Rex avoids the pitfalls of the Spinosaurus, Universal’s bright(?) idea for a scarier dinosaur than T-Rex in Jurassic Park III. He’s bigger, smarter, etc, but he’s also… cooler? Is that the best descriptor? He really gets the best of all worlds, with a size bigger than T-Rex, useful arms for slinging humans into trees to kill them, and intelligence that may surpass the Velociraptor… as well as a bunch of other nifty feature I won’t spoil here. He gets all the scenes T-Rex got back in day, crushing a vehicle with kids in it and leaning close to Owen Grady, nostrils flaring and a mouthful of teeth opened just wide enough to get the point across.

Back to the Raptors… no one could ever hope to top Raptors in the kitchen, or that “Clever Girl” moment, but Jurassic World delivers the best Raptor thrills and scares since the 1st film. It’s great watching Owen train them like dolphins at the beginning, only having to test his Raptor whispering skills when a young paddock worker falls in with the dangerous, intelligent Dinos. But it gets better when greedy Hoskins finally gets what he wants and sets the Raptors free… leading to exactly what you would expect. MINOR MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Before I wrap up this overly long review, I want to express my excitement about one element of the film I was hoping for going in. A look at the OG Jurassic Park buildings from 1993, reclaimed by the jungles of Isla Nublar. Revisiting the original Visitor Center (no pun intended) was a treat, especially the uncovering of a small part of a film-famous banner and the use of an Original “Jurassic Park” labeled Jeep.

MAJOR 3RD ACT SPOILERS AHEAD. Skip to last paragraph if need be.

The finale is probably the most polarizing part of the film. Some people will love it, others may think it is cheesy. Let’s just say it’s T-Rex and the Raptor named Blue squaring off against Indominus Rex… even with an assist by the aquatic Mosasaurus. The fact these three work together to fight off the “monster” dinosaur that shouldn’t exist, could simply be “Life Finding A Way” (again, though technically all the dinosaurs are unnatural “monsters,” built from Dino AND Frog DNA – among other things) or it could be over-the-top action with little sense. For whatever the reason, just like in Jurassic Park,T-Rex does save the day in an almost Godzilla (2014) way; a monster simply bringing balance to the ecosystem and saving “mankind.” The last scene of the film even has the classic King of the Dinos (well, Queen, all the animals in Jurassic Park were supposed to be female) T-Rex, roaring over his domain of Isla Nublar from on high. Still, since the T-Rex only appears in the 3rd act (mostly…mostly), he remains a letdown, no scenes to rival the first film or even Lost World. At least his neck isn’t broken by a Spinosaurus in the 1st act like Jurassic Park III… * Shudder*

SPOILERS OVER

Like 99% of sequels, Jurassic World has moments that make you cringe or upset you because it doesn’t play close enough to the original film. But, overall, it is a fantastic film, not disappointing this Jurassic Park mega-fan (JP is in my top 5 favorite movies and JW is my most anticipated movie of the year), becoming the best Jurassic Park sequel to date (you know they want to make another, especially with the one loose thread involving Hoskins and Dr. Wu’s secret work), delivering every scene and dinosaur scare I expected to see.

New ‘Jurassic World’ TV Spot Paints Poor Indominus Rex as a Psychopath. With An Entire Trailer Worth of Screen Grabs!

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Movies, Original Screen Grabs, Trailers

With a lack of a second trailer for ‘Jurassic World,’ the best footage we’ve gotten of the Park’s new killing attraction, Indominus Rex, has come from TV Spots. Both the Superbowl spot, and the one you are about to watch.

It starts off with the same old introduction to the park… and then we learn things about the Indominous Rex that only Velicoraptors would approve of… partially. Even they seem to have better morals than InGen’s new monster creation.

Watch the TV spot first! Then I got a complete batch of brand new Screen Grabs for ya’.

Wow! Right?

It’s not just killing for sport, she ate her own sibling! Hopefully the Maximoff twins know better (‘Avengers’ reference!).

Check out the entire trailer in Screen Grabs below!

This TV Spot is all well and good, but with Universal’s ‘Furious 7’ hitting theaters Friday, one would hope the studio is ready for a real, feature length trailer for the film.

The Park is Open June 12th.

‘Lego Jurassic World’ Original Screen Grabs

Posted on March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Original Screen Grabs, Trailers, Video Games

Below are original screen grabs from the new ‘Lego Jurassic World’ Video Game trailer that launched today. I have a screenshot of (nearly) every scene, so relive every moment at your own pace! Or catch something new!

Or find a new FBook cover! (Or not.)

Jurassic Park’s Opening Sequence

T-Rex’s Escape

Arrival: The Visitor Center

Velociraptor Feeding Time

Clever Girl

The Great Door

Gallimimus Stampede

“Kids!”

Sick Triceratops

Only ‘Jurassic Park III’ Scene: The Spinosaurus Chase

Lego Ian Malcolm!

T-Rex Escape: Part II

Journey to Isla Nublar… in a Lego Helicopter.

‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’s Only Scene: Fighting Raptors

The Jeep Chase… Now With Lego Humor!

Even though the trailer obviously focuses on ‘Jurassic Park’ memorable scenes, we’ll get the whole ‘Jurassic World’ experience when the game hits in June.

‘Lego Jurassic World’ Video Game Explores All 4 Films… Complete With Official Dialog!

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Trailers, Video Games

Thus far, we have only seen a theatrical teaser trailer and a much more revealing Superbowl spot for June 12’s ‘Jurassic World’ starring Chris Pratt.

Now… we have a trailer for ‘Lego Jurassic Park: The Video Game;’ a game that like ‘Lego Indiana Jones’ and ‘Lego Star Wars’ covers all four films in the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise.Though the idea seemed silly at first (like a Lego movie…), the Lego games have become the standard for excellent movie adaptations with great control schemes, smart level design, and loads of humor (like ‘The Lego Movie!’).

Lego has cornered the market on Video Game Movie Adaptations, with ‘Lego Indiana Jones’ being the best ‘Indiana Jones’ game ever made and ‘Lego Star Wars’ among the creme of the crop of ‘Star Wars’ video games. These games put Lego on the map and there have been plenty of Lego games since. In fact, the Lego games gave been getting better; giving each hero a unique control scheme in ‘Lego Marvel Heroes’ and making the movie to game adaptation seamless in the form of ‘The Lego Movie: The Video Game.’

Like past Lego games, humor is at the heart of the “Jurassic Wolrd’ game, but unlike ‘Lego Star Wars’ and ‘Lego Indiana Jones,’ ‘Lego Jurassic World’ uses more than visual gags to tell the story. In fact, having already added dialog to ‘Lego Marvel Heroes’ and ‘Lego Movie: The Video Game,’ ‘Lego Jurassic World’ actually takes dialog directly from all four ‘Jurassic Park’ films. That means you get to hear the voice talents of Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum without the nearly impossible feat of getting the original cast into a recording studio (of course all the actors will get a chunk of the profit).What we have here is the only real ‘Jurassic Park’ game made in years; the only one for current and next-gen titles. TellTale Games, who made their classic “Chapter” style of video games, including past ‘Jurassic Park’ adventures, is making the game with Lego and Warner Bros Games.

With no other ‘Jurassic World’ game in production (maybe there will be an update to the Park Builder games), it looks like Lego has again cornered the market, surely producing the best ‘Jurassic Park’ related game to date… if you can put up with Legos.

Jeep chases, battling Velociraptors, and John Williams’ score abound, I cannot wait to return to (Lego) Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna (“Site B”)!

Watch the trailer now!

Time to start saving money… between this and ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ I have two games I need to get this June.

Happy gaming, geeks!

LOTS of New ‘Jurassic World’ Screen Grabs For You!

Posted on February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Movies, Original Screen Grabs, Trailers

I have here a load of screen grabs of all the new key moments in the 2nd ‘Jurassic World’ trailer that aired with the Superbowl. (I choose not to screen-grab the shit we’ve already seen. For brevity’s sake, bro.)

Now, I couldn’t find the trailer any higher def than 720p, so these glorious pics ain’t HD as hell, but there is still much to glean and enjoy their beauty.

Training Time

Chris Pratt proves he can outdo Robert Muldoon by training the clever creatures. (I refrain from using that ole’ JP pun… for now…)

Raptor Training with Chris Pratt Jurassic World — Chris Pratt trains his pet Raptors. So they can help him one day live his dream of hunting down a hybrid-monster-dinosaur.

The Indominus Paddock

When dinosaurs live in paddocks as crazy as this super-sized version of ‘Jurassic Park’s Velociraptor pen… well… “That’s probably not a good idea.”

The face of a cold-blooded killer.

Literally.

Chris Pratt and an Employee Run For Their Lives from Indominus Rex

This won't be the last time you see that claw. — This won’t be the last time you see that claw.

...And... the JW Employee is Gone! — …And… the JW Employee is Gone!

Time to Hide, Mr. Pratt!

Make it like the old days! To rekindle old memories of people hiding back in 1993’s ‘Jurassic Park’

Montage Time!

The Indominus Rex Kills Dinosaurs Like This One for Sport!

I swear this image is from the new 'Jurassic World' trailer and not the original 1993 film. — I swear this image is from the new ‘Jurassic World’ trailer and not the original 1993 film.

The Jaws of Indominus Rex. Yes, he does have more teeth.

Pterodactyls! Spooked by Indominus Rex tramping around Isla Nublar?

It's like Alfred Hitchcock's 'Birds!' Only they're Pterpdactyls! — It’s like Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Birds!’ Only they’re Pterpdactyls!

Lady gets grabbed... — Lady gets grabbed…

... And she's gone too! — … And she’s gone too

"We're going after it." But I won't say if it's my human team or my raptor team! — “We’re going after it.” But I won’t say if it’s my human team or my raptor team!

Pratt Pops a Wheely. Seen with Raptors before and after this shot, so he choose his dino-team. Raptors.... ASSEMBLE!!! — Pratt Pops a Wheely. Seen with Raptors before and after this shot, so he choose his dino-team. Raptors…. ASSEMBLE!!!

Finally… Suffer the Little Children…

I told you last time his claw seems to be his most lethal feature behind his mouth.

There you have it. A bunch of “rad” screen grabs from the hours old ‘Jurassic World’ Superbowl trailer. Enjoy.

I’m sure we’ll see more before June 12th.

My 7 Most Anticipated Films of 2015

Posted on January 14, 2015September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, SPECTRE, Star Wars, The Force Awakens, Trailers

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… 2015 is going to be fucking ridiculous… when it comes to the year’s movie slate.

He told you he'd be back. — He told you he’d be back.

There’s a lot to gush about; new movies in classic franchises like ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Mad Max: Fury Road, ‘ ‘007: SPECTRE’ and ‘Terminator Genisys.’ Following Marvel’s most successful year, when it came to quality of movies, we have a sequel to 2012’s ‘The Avengers’ as well as the origin story of a new Avenger in ‘Ant-Man.’ Even 20th Century Fox is shilling a non-X-Men Marvel property in the form of their ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot.

But what looks the best? What are the 7 movies I really can’t wait to see (couldn’t narrow it down to 5…)? Can I put them in order?

Yes I can, other Nick. Yes I can.

7. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

While several of the titles I used in my intro don’t make the list at all, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (formally ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’) gets the bottom spot.

Why?

We haven’t seen much footage at all, I work at the movie theater and have seen the trailer a dozen times in 3D and the final scene still makes me nauseous, and it’s so damn far away in comparison to most the titles on my list.

Plus… we’ve all played this ‘Star Wars’ anticipation game before and it backfired, horribly.

I’m actually a fan of the new lightsaber! And I know the trailer is supposed to showcase new characters in classic vehicles and uniforms (the stormtrooper armor), which were fun to see, but I want to see Han Solo, dammit!

6. ANT-MAN

Great trailer, but still a hard sell. The trailer jumps back and forth from a darker tone akin to that of ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ to the comedy stylings of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man (but still not ‘Guardians’ funny).

The trailer does look awesome; only those flying ant scenes seem questionable, even though it’s an image straight from the comics. I like the mostly serious tone of the trailer, anchored by a pretty great speech by Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

What’s the most unique thing about ‘Ant-Man’ when compared to the other Avengers in the MCU? He’s the only every-man in the group of billionaire science genius, another scientist who turned himself green, an every-man who leaves that life behind when he gets a super-soldier serum, and a God.

Scott Lang hangs his superhero suit in the shower.

Sure, Capt. did start an every-man, but even with the suit and powers of Ant-Man, Scott Lang seems grounded, even leaving his super-suit hanging in the shower.

Oh, and he has a daughter; a first for nearly any superhero franchise. The only exception I can think of is Sandman in ‘Spider-Man 3.’ A similar situation is going on here (and will hopefully go better) with criminal Lang stealing for his family and becoming the hero his daughter thinks he is. Ant-Man is not saving his world, he’s saving ours.

5. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5

Tom Cruise's latest crazy stunt. — Tom Cruise’s latest crazy stunt.

We haven’t seen any footage yet, but Tom Cruise’s new stunt is ko-ko-bananas, even in comparison to his scaling the tallest building in the world in the last installment, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.’

3 out of the 4 films in this franchise have been better than good; theeeeeey’re GREAT!

While the first is the best, ‘Ghost Protocol’ was a very strong entry that revitalized the franchise and introduced us to team members Benji (Simon Pegg) and Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Joining them this time is Luthor (Ving Rhames) who has been on Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) task force every film except ‘Ghost Protocol.’

Same Team, minus Paula Patton's Jane and plus a Luthor. — Same Team, minus Paula Patton’s Jane and plus a Luthor.

Only reservation is the director: Christopher McQuarrie. Though he wrote ‘Usual Suspects’ and last year’s ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ he also directed ‘Jack Reacher’ which was a terrible Tom Cruise thriller.

4. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Tom Hardy is Mad Max! The trailer is glorious! There’s more stunt-work than you can shake a stick at, something very rare in Hollywood. Boom!

Sure, there’s plenty of CGI as well, but most that exploding carnage is done the old fashioned way with stuntmen and actual pyrotechnics!

3. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

You would think this would be at the top of my list (I thought so! Especially after the first trailer…), but my excitement has waned and worry has found a foothold in my brain.

Let’s be honest here, ‘The Avengers’ is in my top 3 MCU movies (with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Winter Soldier’) mainly because it was literally a game-changer. It was the first cross-pollination of superheroes, part of a shared universe, coming together after each carried their own franchises. Everyone else is still trying to pull this off, including DC Entertainment. The plot wasn’t that great, action scenes were few and far between, but the movie will always be remembered for bringing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together.

‘Age of Ultron’ will need to step up its game to reach the quality of movies Marvel Studios put out in 2014. Likewise, it better be bigger and better, which it appears to be, but I hope that a great storyteller like Joss Whedon can avoid the movie from becoming a jumbled mess; cause there is A LOT going on between the two official trailers.

I also hope it’s good enough to avoid the fate of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ (which I personally love) where most people were disappointed by the film, mainly because it had to follow the incredibly beloved ‘Dark Knight.’

In James Spader I trust.

2. 007: SPECTRE

This may be blasphemy, but ‘Skyfall’ is my favorite Bond movie… ever. It was so fucking good, bringing in the best 007 baddie of all time (Javier Bardem), and shaking up the 007 universe a bit.

The writers and director, Sam Mendes, from ‘Skyfall’ return and the title promises the revival of the terrorist organization SPECTRE (formally ‘Quantum’ in the D. Craig movies), as classic to the franchise as Vesper Martinis, shaken, not stirred.

Andrew Scott from 'Sherlock' would make a great Blofeld... — Andrew Scott from ‘Sherlock’ would make a great Blofeld…

Better yet? The villain cast is unbelievable with Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’) as a henchman, the incomparable Christoph Waltz (whose villainy can only be matched by Javier Bardem), and my personal favorite, Andrew Scott whose portrayal of Moriarty on BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ is perhaps the greatest TV villain of all time.

1. JURASSIC WORLD

It’s just too damn nostalgic. While I’ve watched the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ trailer a million times and have had enough, I can still watch the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer anywhere, anytime.

We’re back on Isla Nublar! The movie is sticking close to the original and ignoring the sequels! Chris Pratt gets to hunt a new hybrid-dinosaur! There are child siblings in peril! Velociraptors!

And those notes from John Williams’ classic score… magic. Lightning in a bottle, at least as far as we can tell from the trailer!

The Park is Open, Mother Fuckers!

Goddamn is that trailer spin-tingly-great.

Enjoy 2015! I’ll be see you… at the movies.

Excited for ‘Jurassic World?’ These Videos Will Help Curb Your Appetite

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Movies, Music, Trailers, TV Shows

‘Jurassic World’ is still months away with a release date of June 12th, yet it is the 2015 film I am most excited for (sorry Avengers, 007, Max, and Han Solo).

Like with any giant Youtube video (the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer is one of the most played trailers on the video platform) there are mash-ups, other videos analyzing the trailer, and old people reacting to it.

No old people here! The two videos I got here are better than that (though they could be loosely classified as mash-ups)!

First, be amazed at how close the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer sticks to the source material, in this case, the original 1993 film, ‘Jurassic Park.’

I personally believe the fact that new director Colin Trevorrow is working so hard to duplicate the magic of ‘Jurassic Park’ in a film that harkens back to that original more than either of the other two sequels, including Steve Spielberg directed ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ is a good decision.

This seems to be the key with most sequels to decades old franchises this year with ‘Terminator Genisys’ recalling exact images from the original 1984 film and 1991’s ‘Judgement Day’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ bringing back classic ships and characters.

Now that you’ve watched the trailer shot-by-shot ‘Jurassic Park’/’Jurassic World’ comparison, I have an even sweeter treat, especially if you are a ‘Parks and Recreation’ fan.

Andy Dwyer (chubby old-school Chris Pratt) gets transferred to ‘Jurassic World’ in ‘Jurassic Parks & Recreation’ mash-up.

Pretty fantastic, no?

Finally, as a bonus, I have a blast from the past in the form of this ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic claymation (yay!) music video from his 1993 song, ‘Jurassic Park.’ The lyrics are great, but the claymation seals the deal.

So there you have, 3 fantastic ‘Jurassic World’ related videos to further get you psyched for June 12th’s film starring Chris Pratt and that genetically engineered hybrid.

You’re welcome.

Why Are They Breeding Raptors On Isla Nublar?

Posted on January 7, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Movies, Villains

“Clever Girl.”

Velociraptors.

Though T-Rex makes the park logo (of both the failed Jurassic Park and the new Jurassic World) and has the best single scene in the franchise (“someone let T-Rex out of his pen”), for me, the Jurassic Park franchise is all about Velociraptors.

There are few things scarier than the Velociraptor; in fact, it may be the scariest monster to ever grace the silver screen.

Sure, ‘Jaws’ is scary, but to avoid Bruce you just need to stay out of the water. But Velociraptors… if you are on Isla Nublar or Isla Sorna (aka ‘Site B’), can get to you anywhere. They talk to each-other, open doors, and have one hell of a claw.

The Velociraptors haven’t had the best track record in the ‘Jurassic Park’ sequels. Raptors in the grass is terrifying in ‘Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ but then the incredibly smart beasts are bested by Ian Malcom’s teenage daughter doing gymnastics.

In ‘Jurassic Park III’ they have feathers… and are only after Alan Grant and company to protect their eggs. In fact, blowing through their vocal cavity causes them to leave you alone completely.

LAME!

Velociraptors are better as cold blooded, killing machines like in the first film.

Yet… in the film ‘Jurassic Park’ all the raptors are either killed or left for dead in a locked freezer.

Muldoon tells the park visitors that there are three raptors in the Velociraptor Pen. He explains that when they brought in the big one – you know, the one who eats that paddock worker at the beginning of the film (“Shoot Her!”) – she killed all the raptors in the pride but two.

So, we start the film with three velociraptors. Then Timmy locks one in the freezer in the 2nd best scene of the franchise: raptors in the kitchen. They may be able to open doors, but they can’t unlock one from the inside.

Finally, in the 3rd best scene (this is working out nicely), T-Rex comes to the rescue (in what is actually the biggest and most beloved cop-out of an ending in film history), killing the other two raptors.

So, by the end of 1993’s ‘Jurassic Park’ there are no live raptors left on Isla Nublar.

T-Rex earns his final, powerful image after killing two Raptors.

But, life finds a way (or studio executives at least) as Chris Pratt gets to ride a motorcycle with at least 5 of the creatures in the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer; ‘World’ being the first JP film to return to Isla Nublar since 1993.

So, in their infinite wisdom, did InGen (or its new parent company) breed new Raptors? Or even take old ones from Site B., Isla Sorna?

Or, did life really find away?

The Raptor Pen in 'Jurassic Park' — The Raptor Pen in ‘Jurassic Park’

Were there eggs in that pen? After all, we, and the park employees don’t really get a good look in there due to the danger level. Did the Raptors also change sex and breed? Who would raise the babies? Were there young raptors in the pen?

Alternate theory; did the Velociraptor in the freezer use her weight to force the door open? Did she raise some babies?

Likely, this won’t be addressed in ‘Jurassic World.’ I never realized that all three raptors met a terrible fate (that they deserved) until I rewatched ‘Jurassic Park’ for the millionth time. And I doubt the studio and writer expect us to remember this, if they even did.

But maybe, just maybe, we’ll get an explanation from Chris Pratt as to why he has his own pack of Raptors.

The motivating force of the ‘JurassicWorld’ plot is that park guests are tired of seeing the same old monsters after a decade of Jurassic World being open. Where raptors bred to give park goers that scare factor before management decided to just go ahead and make a new dinosaur? Where they bred to be used as samples to create what the web is calling the ‘D-Rex;’ possibly a hybrid Velocirapter/T-Rex?

Whatever the case.

“Probably not a good idea.”

I just hope the new Raptors are used for scares, not just as Pratt’s minions. After all, they are the cornerstone of Jurassic Park’s scares.

Is that really the new Hybrid... or is the shot more reminiscent of Timmy in the kitchen with Raptors! — Is that really the new Hybrid… or is the shot more reminiscent of Timmy in the kitchen with Raptors!

I do have a theory that the final scene in the trailer, pre-logo, the ominous shadow and growl over the young boy is that of a Raptor, not Jurassic World’s newest attraction.

All will be revealed (or glossed over) in ‘Jurassic World’ opening Jun 12th

‘Jurassic World’ trailer is here! Chris Pratt hunts a monster.

Posted on November 25, 2014November 30, 2014 by Nick Doll in Jurassic World, Movies, Trailers

The first full ‘Jurassic World’ trailer is here and it evokes mixed emotions.

Like with ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (formally ‘Star Wars: Episode VII), I feel it utterly impossible for ‘Jurassic World’ to be any worse than what came immediately before; the prequel trilogy in one case and ‘Jurassic Park 3’ on the other.

The trailer is pretty great, arousing strong nostalgia when seeing the new gates that read the new theme park’s name,’Jurassic World.’ Seeing the almost alternate reality of what it would have been like if ‘Jurassic Park’ opened in 1993 without a hitch. A safari ride among the gallimimus! A river boat cruise (which actually comes from the book)!

Hence another positive; the fourth in the franchise appears to be returning to the original book for ‘new’ material.

Of course, if the park continued to stay fine and dandy, we wouldn’t have a movie. Cue mass panic with an island full of tourists!

Watch the trailer for yourself!

Looks like a refreshing retake on the classic dinosaurs-escape-and-eat-man formula.

And as previously mentioned, oh, the nostalgia! Kids in peril! Flairs! Mosquitos in amber!Feeding a big animal to a more vicious animal! Sexy archaeologists/scientists. That melancholy score. Nostalgia!!! So much it nearly hurts! Hurts so good!

Bryce Dallas Howard as the 'classic JP scientist.' — Bryce Dallas Howard as the ‘classic JP scientist.’

Love the idea of the literal monster; a freak dinosaur hybrid with unknown strength and intelligence. The dinosaurs in ‘Jurassic Park’ were scary animals… this new movie is more of a monster movie with a more moderately a sized Godzilla (they spared some expense).

Great twist on the genre, love the nostalgia the movie seems to evoke, and really, really love the premise of the park being open for over a decade before the ‘incident’ this time, unlike the preview weekend for the original ‘1993’ Incident.

The only thing that worries me is Chris Pratt riding a bike among velociraptors at the end. A rumor suggests Chris Pratt’s dinosaur-man-role trained raptors to hunt down the dino-hybrid at the end. So if those raptors are muzzled like a set photo we saw, him riding among them will hopefully not be as ridiculous as Shia LaBeouf swinging with the monkeys. (How can it be? We’re comparing LaBeouf to Pratt here!)

Set photo showing muzzled velociraptor in JW

I’m still excited. You had my curiosity, ‘Jurassic World,’ but now you have my attention.

JW is out June 2015.

The Park is open.

Since When Was Jeff Goldblum So Cool? (Since 4-Ever! Yo!)

Posted on October 28, 2013February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Movies, TV Shows

I’ve enjoyed the comedic/acting stylings of Jeff Goldblum since I was a child.

What would JURASSIC PARK be without Ian Malcolm? (He was my most favorite character!… “When you gotta go, you gotta go.”)

Ian Malcolm was always a pimp, even when he was nearly crippled by a fucking T-Rex, yo!

Would JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD be entertaining at all without Jeff Goldblum? (Again as Ian Malcolm.)?

Answer: No, because gymnast girls can’t beat velociraptors. And Vince Vaughn is horribly miscast.

Jeff Goldblum was as big as Will Smith! Before Will Smith was the biggest actor ever... — Jeff Goldblum was as big as Will Smith! Before Will Smith was the biggest actor ever…

Who would have helped Will Smith and Bill Pullman save the entire planet in INDEPENDENCE DAY? After all, Will Smith can’t save the Earth without a partner, like Agent K… or Jeff Goldblum!

I even like HOLY MAN because of Jeff Goldblum. Eddie Murphy was okay… (Sorry, Eddie!)

But these were all from my childhood years. Great performances yes, with lasting impressions (JURASSIC PARK is one of my top five favorite flicks), but somehow, since the 90’s (the 1990’s, kids!), Goldblum has gotten greater…and far more funny… with age.

This is the story of Jeff Goldblum’s effect on my adult life…

Continue reading “Since When Was Jeff Goldblum So Cool? (Since 4-Ever! Yo!)” →

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