Seen the movie. Enjoyed it. Had an absolutely great time. Jurassic World is one of the best blockbusters to be released this summer…forget one of the best, it is the best! It promised something to us and it delivered us that, with some extra masala. And if you go in the theatre without expecting a Godfather II or Terminator 2 (they are 2 in a century phenomenon…), I am sure you won’t be disappointed!
Agreed it’s not the best sequel ever, agreed it doesn’t topple the original Jurassic Park in terms of sheer deliverance, but you also can’t help but agree that JW is much better than Lost World and Jurassic Park 3. The way it handled the audience expectations, without making it to be just run-of-the-mill kind of stuff is exactly what makes it one of the best sequels to be released in recent times, something that we need to learn from it. Let’s look at five things Bollywood can learn fromJW for nailing the sequel right.
1. Don’t be the exact replica of the original…
Why Dabanng 2 is not spoken in the same vein as Dabanng? ‘Cos it is just a rehash of the original, only this time, it’s didn’t meet the required ISI standards. Yup, people went to see Chulbul Pandey and his antics, but they expected something different. Showing them the same thing is just playing with their love for the character. Jurassic World is nowhere close to the original in terms of narrative, it’s an entirely original concept and that’s what make it works.
2. …but don’t be so original that you change the genre.
The rebooted Don was an average thriller flick that was saved by a last-minute twist. The sequel, though much superior, went into a heist mode on the lines of Ocean’s trilogy, with another twist, that failed to work this time. It was like watching two very different films with the same cast.Jurassic World, while being quite different from the original, didn’t change the genre. It played with the same shtick, i.e man playing God, and dinos making them pay for that mistake, but it brought in a lot new dinosaurs and a lot of freshness ion the script, which worked well. And it also didn’t make the viewers feel they are watching a different franchise.
3. Pay adequate homage to the films that started the franchise, without going overboard.
Lage Raho Munna Bhai was one of the best sequels Bollywood ever had, but it had a minor flaw. Apart from the lead characters’ names and reprising the few of the cast members, it had no connection with the original film; it’s like it’s set in an alternate universe. Jurassic World is a soft reboot of the original film, but it played adequate homages to the original film – like the appearance of the scientist from the original JP, the bust of John Hammond etc., the appearance of the original Jurassic Park facility, without directly referencing the events as an exposition.
4. Give equal importance to both the heroes and the villains
Dhoom franchise had one major flaw – as they made the sequels, they increased the star-power of the villains, while decreasing the importance of the heroes. So when Dhoom 3 came, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra were reduced to supporting characters in their own franchise. Agreed that people go to watch dinosaurs in a Jurassic Park film, but it will be no fun, if humans are just reduced to chowder or spectators (like in the Lost World). There need to be likeable and relatable hero, and we have two in Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
5. Take the risk in bringing something novel (Could backfire, but no one will accuse you of making factory product!)
When the makers announced they will be introducing a completely new dinosaur for the latest film, people were wary. When we have so many dinosaurs to choose, why fabricate one and spoil the fun? However Colin Trevorrow (another risk taken by the producers, considering he has made only one indie film before) stuck to his guns, and the result is the I-Rex actually gels well with the other members of the franchise and gives the film a new and a terrifying twist. Something the makers of Housefull and Hera Pheri franchise need to learn.
6. Accept and learn from your previous mistakes…
The biggest mistake about Jurassic Park 3, apart from a really weak script, is that the main baddie of the film, Spinosauraus, lacks any character and is purely one-dimensional, unlike T-Rex. It’s only there because it’s the largest carnivore in the dino world, and it’s only job was to chase humans with failing results. JW accepted this mistake and made I-Rex a multi-hued villain, making her a character of her own. It also didn’t over-expose the franchise’s mainstay, T-Rex (like the Lost World), using her only for the most opportune moment here.
However, there are a couple of things about the movie, that we should totally ignore or improve on…
1. How to handle kids
Seriously, JP, why keep on insisting to have irritating kids in every movie to cause more problems for the heroes as well as the viewers? We know you don’t have the guts to do anything bad to them, so all the tension related to their sub-plots are just pointless!
2. Give meat to supporting characters (especially if you have strong actors playing them)
You have Irrfan Khan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jake Johnson and Judy Greer in your movie, and yet only Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are the only characters that has some kind of development. Irrfan’s Simon Masrani is no John Hammond; before we get to know him very well, he is (Spoiler Alert!) killed. Vincent D’Onofrio remains a one-dimensional villain, and rest just passes muster.
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