'Jurassic World' trailer literally jumps the shark

Posted Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 11:51 AM Central

by John Couture

Everyone knows the saying and for many, the fact that Steven Spielberg was going back to the Jurassic well yet again (as Executive Producer only), was confirmation that the Jurassic Park franchise had indeed jumped the proverbial shark. Well, as the director of Jaws, Spielberg knows a thing or two about sharks and it's pretty clear that there will be no shark jumping in this film.

Trust me, I was as skeptical about Jurassic World as the next guy, but yesterday's trailer tease was enough to get me excited again. Although I did have a glimmer of hope in relative newcomer director Colin Trevorrow and his ability to deliver a great film. That hope hinged on the only other film he's ever directed Safety Not Guaranteed which is about as opposite of a film as you can get from Jurassic World.

But as they say, a great filmmaker tells great stories, both big and small. It's a lot harder to keep an audience riveted to their seats without a bunch of CGI dinosaurs roaming around. Of course, it also helps that he has the second coming of Harrison Ford starring in the film in the form of Star-Lord himself Chris Pratt.

Pratt, whom my wife is still unable to pick out of a lineup, doesn't stroll too far from his career-defining role (so far) in this one. He basically looks like Star-Lord and he's returned to Earth to battle dinosaurs. Hmm, maybe I should call someone up at Marvel.

The trailer proves that the franchise has gotten back to the core elements, really cool dinosaurs and the hubris of man. I think we can all agree that the last film in the franchise was a mistake, but this one looks to set things right. I still can't believe that humans continue to think that they can play God and expect different results. This time, though, the island is full of people and the stakes are that much greater.

The film looks great, but I wonder why Universal leaked it out early. It was supposed to debut on Thursday during football, but they pushed it up a full two days early. Were they concerned that it would leak early? Was this a move poised to counter the Force Awakens trailer announcement yesterday?

Whatever the real reason, one thing is for sure. Next year is already shaping up to not only be a great year filled with wonderful films, but also a year in which studios will be upping their gamesmanship as well.