Life finds a way. That path may be a difficult one to travel but life does find its way out. That is the same path that scientists in Jurassic Park have taken to recreate dinosaurs. Once they discovered that man could play God by creating life through will, man used that power like a toy. It provided wonder due to the fact they were able to bring back dinosaurs. It opened opportunities to make profit as well. But according to some, they also created monstrosities. Despite the scientists’ best efforts to make dinosaurs appear authentic or cool, some saw monsters. Monsters would eventually become deliberate. But not all monsters are created the same. Jurassic World: Rebirth will introduce a new animal that can be seen as a monster, but is actually a failed attempt to wield genetic power. Since it was teased in the newest trailer, it has caused fans to debate its place in the Jurassic universe. But given the themes of the franchise, it has a home in the Jurassic universe just as much as Rexy.
At first glance, the Jurassic universe is all about dinosaurs. Duh. That’s the selling point. Whether it is Rexy, the Raptors, Blue, the Spinosaurus or the sick triceratops, dinosaurs are the first things that come to mind when Jurassic Park/World is mentioned. The sound of the Rex’s roar or seeing giant dinosaurs clashing is the best. But there’s much more than dinosaurs when it comes to Jurassic Park. If there is one theme about the franchise that might triumph over dinosaurs, it’s the ethical and philosophical questions regarding the limits of science. Jurassic Park and Jurassic World were perhaps the films that carried this theme the most. The franchise does make it clear that genetic power is a power that is difficult to wield at the least and should not be wielded at all at the most. That power is Pandora’s Box. Multiple times in the franchise chaos is let of the box, and man has to suffer from the consequences. Despite the previous failure of letting that power run its destructive course, man believes it could tame a power man should be not be wielding in the first place. And that’s the thing, the FIRST place. The warning signs had to be there from the get go. And its man’s ignorance that kept on going. The mutant dinosaur represents that first warning.
The science that had to be perfected wasn’t an overnight success. The scientists had a brand new, uncharted, unexplored field of science. Even though the dinosaurs were ‘perfected’ in Jurassic Park, of course, they were not the very first product from this new science. For anyone who is working with art, the first couple of pieces are not going to be masterpieces. Those few, are going to be tattered, messy, and incomplete. The same when it comes to genetically created animals. The work that the Jurassic Park scientists had to complete was complex, involving splicing the DNA of multiple animals just to create one. That could lead up to a lot of failed experiments until they got the perfect one.
Having a mutant dinosaur that grew up to be a giant apex predator adds depth to this universe. Fans were led to believe that the dinosaurs were the first chapter in this universe. In fact, maybe the second chapter, since scientists had to gather the DNA samples first. But having a mutant dinosaur rewrites history. It shows that true monsters were created before theme park monsters were created. It also shows the resilience, and also arrogance, of man to continuing to chase the sun. And by taking a step back in Jurassic Park science, it strengthens the theme set up in Jurassic World. In this installment, scientists double down on their ability to create dinosaurs to make a brand new, hybrid dinosaur. It was the arrogance and pride of man at full display. But going from an unintended abomination to an intentional abomination reveals how far, how successful, and how dangerous this type of science is. Without that mutant dinosaur serving as a practice run, every dinosaur wouldn’t have had the opportunity to live. It’s the phrase of ‘X walked, so Y could run’ come to life. The mutant dinosaur is patient zero. The dinosaur that set everything up. Its cruel life set up the potential and possibility of everything that came after it. It was life that was never meant to get out, only studied, but fans know that life does not like to be contained in the Jurassic Universe.
Of course, the dinosaurs are the main attraction of this franchise. They have every right to be. But through all the roars, the unsung story in this universe is the science. The strongest films in this franchise tend to have that part as the center of the story. Jurassic World: Rebirth is tracking to be one of those films because the morality of science practices may be back in the forefront being represented by the mutant dinosaur. It’s this storytelling that makes these movies engaging. So whether it’s a T-Rex, a tamed Velociraptor, a hybrid, or a mutant dinosaur, the mad science behind this franchise is the element that holds it all together.
