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 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
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