So it turns out that Jurassic World, the movie, proves to be the inferior Jurassic World. Yes, the year’s biggest cinema giant is easily dwarfed – by its own spin-off game. In fact its flaws become clear when broken down to bricks.
Most will be familiar with the LEGO console games that have recreated the worlds of movie franchises such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Avengers. Well we now have Jurassic World the LEGO game.
While Jurassic World may be a genetically engineered goliath at the box office, here are ten reasons why the Jurassic World game that has hit stores at the same time is by far the better movie.
SHARING THE JURASSIC SHADOW
The original Spielberg blockbuster casts a massive prehistoric shadow over the latest movie. It wasn’t the first film to gross more than a billion, as it only crossed that box office mark with a recent re-release. Yet it is five years older than any other member of that club. It is hard to remember just how impressed we all were. The digital effects we now take for granted blew our tiny little minds back then.
But it was also really well structured. World has a few handicaps. Chris Pratt is asked to do the work of both Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum as action star and comic relief. The need to avoid killing tens of thousands of innocents requires the film to start making logical leaps. It escalates the monster on monster madness, but it can never outgrow the shadow.
The game isn’t afraid of Jurassic Park. It includes it. In fact it uses the prologue of the first film as a natural introduction to either tale. There are even comedic cross-overs.
The game knows its predecessor was wonderful and revels in it rather than rivaling it.
A MONSTROUS PLOT
If you saw a script for Jurassic World, you might expect the last half of the story to be encapsulated on the final page. Something along the lines of: “They fight … they fight some more … some more come … they fight too … you won’t believe what happens next. THE END.”
The game makers clearly had full access to the real script (not that imagined – albeit brilliant – précis) and have followed it really well. Which is to say they’ve carefully left out a few bits, inserted a few others and all up told a MUCH BETTER STORY that contains exactly the same beats. Motivations change. Results differ. It is a FAR BETTER TALE.
The film vaguely acknowledges the other sequels but essentially hints that this is the only real sequel (with one T-Rex sized exception). The game may as well have a neon sign that says “2 AND 3 NEVER HAPPENED.” That is a good sign.
FLAT SHOES
Heard about the silly footwear choices? They are silly.
Not in LEGO. LEGO Bryce Dallas Howard gets around on white LEGO legs. She never slips. Never falls. Stylish, smart, sticking to the floor. Brilliant.
LEGO WOMEN ROCK
Whether or not you think the film has a bit of a tough guy saves the damsel in distress vibe, the game spreads the useful skills evenly. He can cut things sure, but she can jump higher. She can use the island’s wifi, while he can find things in dinosaur poo.
No really. It’s awesome. He’s a dino-dump-diver.
LEGO KIDS ROCK
Jurassic World shamelessly mirrors the original by having children who are also relatives turn up to the island only to find themselves alone in peril. They’re ok. They can change car batteries. They contribute. At least until the half way point where the scriptwriters clearly got bored of giving them the capacity to think.
The game shamelessly mirrors the movie by having the two boys, but then it makes them genuine heroes. They are problem solvers. They are crafty. They get some action work too. It’s almost like they’re real characters.
NOT EVERYONE IS YELLOW AND THAT’S OK
Hollywood loves Omar Sy. I love Omar Sy. And – mild spoiler – it’s really great that being the only black (and French) man on the island didn’t mean Barry was the first one killed. But it’s a bit sad that his method of survival is to fall out of the film altogether.
Barry is in the game too and HE IS AWESOME. Easily the best character to navigate with. Just awesome. So much so when he disappears towards the end you suspect it’s just because he is too good and the final ‘big bad’ would just run away.
SMART DINOSAURS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SMART
The film goes to great, extended lengths to tell us how smart Indominous Rex is. And she is. For the first half of the film. If she’s so smart she must have been really disappointed when she read ahead in the script. For the last half hour she goes all hind-brain.
Not so the LEGO dinosaurs. You know why? BECAUSE WE GET TO BE THE DINOSAURS. And yes, it’s awesome.
Also the dinosaurs have a lot more character here. They are clever, cunning and often intentionally funny.
HUMOUR
Oh yes, funny. Remember that? Don’t get me wrong, I love Chris Pratt. And he has some great fun in the movie. But he is busy being the hero. Otherwise it’s down to Jake Johnson as Lowery who does his best but his character never actually gets to be in a scene with a dinosaur so he’s somewhat limited.
Not in the game. The problems are funny. The winks to the former films are funny. And the dialogue has been jazzed up because the (re)writers clearly let themselves believe one thing: Anyone can be funny every now and again.
It’s quite refreshing actually. You suddenly realise how many characters in films are never allowed to be funny just because of some fear that one clever remark would see them labeled clown.
In the game, everyone is a clown, which means no one is. It works its lack-of-socks off.
CONSISTENT AND CLEVER
The best thing about the game is that the format forces the story to be constantly driven by characters. In every scene the fact that a player has to manually make each choice, each step and each conclusion means that the motivations, information and results are all comprehensively considered. No one does something just because the script says so.
A NEW ENDING
The obsession with consistency and brains means the final few scenes need massive rewrites, which rather indicates how unevolved the climax was in the movie.
One extra scene is added after the finale of the film, and while it is more about the junior nature of the audience it is still a cracker. The bigger changes though come in the lead up to the final action scene and the actions of the heroes within it.
Imagine a world – a Jurassic World – where the heroes don’t beg off the final battle. Where the youngest kid ends up being the biggest hero of all.
It’s a world that is funny, clever, consistent, and celebrates its ancestry.
You don’t have to imagine it. It’s all there in the game.
So if it’s not too late. If you love Jurassic Park and want to know the story to the latest edition. Don’t see it. Play it.
It turns out the game is by far the better movie.
