See how the Jurassic World trailer shamelessly rehashes the original film

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Oh, this is the Jurassic movie where things don't go as planned. Photo: Universal
Oh, this is the Jurassic movie where things don't go as planned. Photo: Universal

We recently got our first look at the Jurassic World trailer, the spot for Universal’s fourth installment in the blockbuster dinosauring-gone-awry franchise. And while I was listening to all of that crappy dialogue and looking at the pretty graphics, something felt weird. Kind of … familiar.

I couldn’t quite figure out where the déjà vu was coming from, but something made me want to watch the trailer for the first movie again.

As it turns out, Universal is recycling a lot of the same imagery from the older ad in hopes of making us excited about the movie in an almost subliminal way. Check it out:

Getting to the island

OK, this more than likely falls under “basic storytelling.” They have to get within nomming range of the dinos somehow. And the shots aren’t identical, but already, we’re looking at least similar.

Here they are going to Jurassic World ... Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Here they are going to Jurassic World … Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
...and here they were going to Jurassic Park. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
…and here they were going to Jurassic Park. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

The gate

The gate that lets people into the park is iconic; if it wasn’t there in the new trailer, we’d think something strange was going on. But here it is anyway so that you can remember thinking, “Hey, I know that thing they’re showing!”

Plus, it opens in 2014. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Plus, it opens in 2014. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
It closed in 1993. See? Totally different. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
It closed in 1993. See? Totally different. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Those Gallimimuses

Then we get to the obligatory, “Hey look, dinosaurs.” First, we see a bunch of people rolling along adjacent to some Gallimimuses.

Cool, right? Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Cool, right? Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Here’s the related shot in the Park trailer. Notice how the humans are still on the left, and the Gallis are on the right.

Sam Neill didn't have a cool tank-car in the '90s, though, so he and those kids had to frolic on foot. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Sam Neill didn’t have a cool tank-car in the ’90s, though, so he and those kids had to frolic on foot. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Oh hai, Brachiosaurus

The carefree sightseeing continues as our heroes meet a friendly, giant herbivore.

They approach from the left, and we don't see the dinosaur's whole body. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
They approach from the left, and we don’t see the dinosaur’s whole body. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

And 20 years ago:

They approach from the left, and we don't see the dinosaur's whole body. The Brachiosaurus would have to wait like an hour to get proper face time.  Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
They approach from the left, and we don’t see the dinosaur’s whole body. The Brachiosaurus would have to wait like an hour to get proper face time. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Oh no, it’s the claw

Later on, things start to go wrong because how dare they play god, and people start looking less amazed and more “Don’t eat me; I’m stringy.” And in the middle of all that, this happens:

Run, Star Lord! Use your rockets! Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Run, Star Lord! Use your rockets! Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

We get two steps from the Mystery Dino here, but look: The foot comes down and, we see it sink into the dirt and leaves. Sound familiar?

And I'm pretty sure Sony and TriStar ripped this same image off for their horrible Godzilla movie five years later. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
And I’m pretty sure Sony and TriStar ripped this same image off for their horrible Godzilla movie five years later. But I try not to remember those 139 minutes of my life. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

So of course we were going to see some of the same iconic stuff like the island and the gate, but Jurassic World is lifting entire shots to remind us that it’s related to that movie that made all of the money. And then, for good measure, they threw in a lot of. …

Shots of people looking at things offscreen

This is a staple in a lot of event-film trailers, but Steven Spielberg in particular is fond of shots of people looking up in awe. So just for fun, I’ve compiled every shot from both trailers of people looking in horror, amazement, or surprise at things that we, the audience, can’t see.

First, in Park:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOQQgWKTvj4

Now, in World:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ40S8JTXk8

Eerie.

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