The IMAX preview of introduce more new dinosaurs, it also looks to be trying to one-up one of Spielberg's most iconic shots.
One of the most famous shots in Jurassic Park, as well as, arguably, modern cinema as a whole, comes during the film’s climax. As Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, Tim, and Lex are seemingly cornered by raptors inside the park’s visitor’s center, a Tyrannosaurus appears, killing the raptors and allowing them to abscond with John Hammond and Ian Malcolm. The Tyrannosaurus turns and lets out an ungodly roar, as a banner reading “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth” flutters down from the ceiling, creating one of the most iconic shots in contemporary film.
Nearly 30 years later, audiences are gearing up for Jurassic World: Dominion with an IMAX preview ahead of villainous Tyrannosaurus almost appearing to come right out of the screen to attack.
But on the other hand, it conjures a lot of the same feelings as the classic museum scene from the original. There’s nothing quite as immediately identifiable with the Jurassic Park series as the gaping maw of a full-size T. rex, right down to the film’s logo itself, and by juxtaposing that roar with a distinctly modern background, like the original’s museum or Dominion’s drive-in movie theater, both shots manage to visually represent the genius and terror of John Hammond’s original idea; that is, bringing the creatures of 65 million years ago screaming into the present, whether it’s a wise idea or not. By upping the number of potential victims and, in turn, the fear of this T. rex, director Colin Trevorrow is upping the ante of that original scene.
From 1993 until now, the Jurassic Park series has contained some of the most beautifully composed images seen on a movie screen, from the idyllic and the serene to the absolutely terrifying. And however the scenes in Jurassic World: Dominion might be calling back to those of Jurassic Park, it will surely contain scores of new shots to be poured over and examined for years to come.
