Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Colin Trevorrow
Written By: Derek Connolly (Screenplay), Colin Trevorrow (Screenplay), Michael Crichton (Characters)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simpkins
- Preamble -
It is one of the quintessential films of the 90's. For many, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park was not only a source of innovation, but also one that captured new awe for the extinct species. It could have even lead many to become archaeologists. Even the music has withstood the test of time in ways that were unforeseen at the time. It's even so popular that there's a ride at Universal Studios Theme Park dedicated to it. Basically, the film is very special and holds a special place in a lot of our hearts.
The following sequels didn't quite take the world by storm as much however and left a trail of strange studio movies with monsters as central villains. This isn't a problem, but by the end of it all, there was Godzilla, a film that was reviled at the time. This isn't including Jurassic Park's own sequels, which were fine, but almost seemed subsequent to the original in every manner. It was the innovator for one of 90's biggest themes while also being its greatest downfall.
Then came the reboot culture on the backs of old sci-fi properties. With Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Godzilla burning up the box office this year, it seems like it was only time before Jurassic Park made it into the decade. For starters, the film is often more about spectacle than about specific actors. That is unfortunately one of the great modern trends that makes it easy to churn out these films, especially with indie directors that don't have too much baggage and can work on a scaled back budget. This is an ingenious formula that has made modern cinema work as productively as it has.
I cannot say personally that I am as infatuated with Jurassic Park as most people. It is a really good movie, but I don't return to it as often as some. While I enjoyed Colin Trevorrow's previous film Safety Not Guaranteed, there wasn't enough there to make me feel immediate confidence in him taking on this project. Much like Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer), I am more skeptical and pray that he doesn't just become a hacky director that makes mediocre films. I like that these directors are given shots at the big times, but I do also feel like it is bankrupting their potential. There is doubt that Trevorrow as a director will get a creative stamp on this.
- Dissection -
For starters, it was a rather solid opening to the trailer. Regardless of thoughts, I feel like introducing the new Jurassic World via a kid walking into the park is a solid start. It is our first glance into everything, and the results are staggering. It starts off with enchantment as the park doors open and the dinosaurs come to life. It is everything that should be done when introducing a new Jurassic Park film. Again, characters sadly don't matter that much and they are only vessels to get to spectacle. That doesn't matter, as it looks pretty good as it is.
Then things begin to develop in the familiar patterns. We see the dinosaurs roaming the fields. There's even a water show to appease things. The park looks pretty good. For purists, there's a strong chance that the CGI creations are going to be problematic. It is reflective of the modern era's reliance on cheap effects over big models. Both have their perks, though the latter usually has the better screen presence. There's plenty to go into here, but for what is seen, not too much appears to be wrong with them. I'll reserve judgment on their actual quality when the actual film comes out.
Then there's of course the inciting incident. Dinosaurs are let loose and Chris Pratt is called in to deal with the chaos at hand. From there, there's hints at the chaos. I am unsure if I care to have all of these elements revealed. I am glad that teaser trailer culture has at least evolved back into teasing us with enough to care, but I still want to have some suspense of what's to come. Sure, we don't actually see any great set pieces, but its intrigue is already in play and that may be a little too much. I'm not sure. We already know what to expect from a Jurassic Park film, so it isn't too much of a surprise with all things considered.
Then of course, there's the theme song by John Williams, altered into a woodwind sound. It is a nice, eerie touch that gives weight to the eeriness that ends the trailer. I am unsure what exactly the trailer could have done differently to get me to care more, but I feel like I have seen most of this before. Even the music has that familiarity. Sure, it gets the tone right, but beyond the new settings, I am not sure what the point of the trailer was than to say that it's coming back. It could just be me, but I feel like some of these recent trailers are useless. We'll be there on opening day anyways. No need to give us actual footage.
- One Sentence Sell -
There's a new Jurassic Park movie coming out and if you liked the others, you'll likely already be seeing this.
- Trove or Trash -
TRASH
It isn't because anything in the trailer is necessarily bad. In fact, it looks consistent to what I would hope a Jurassic Park movie would look like. However, I don't necessarily have anything that gives me more excitement than I already had. It's fine and gives me confident. I just wish that it gave me more curiosity, which is impossible when considering that I will likely be watching it anyways at some point that year.
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