“Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous” Netflix Series Review by Steven Redgrave : Pop Culture Leftovers

“Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous” Netflix Series Review by Steven Redgrave

November 15, 2020 5:23 pm |

The Jurassic franchise has always teetered on the line of family friendly and targeted toward an older audience, but the Netflix Original series created by Dreamworks, Jurassic Park Camp Cretaceous, has finally put a line in the sand on the shores of Isla Nublar. Set on the very same iconic island that respawned generations of love for these prehistoric dinosaurs, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous developed by Zack Stentz, tells the events that took place during Jurassic World, the sequel film that soft reboot the franchise in 2015, but from the perspective of a young group of children visiting the park for an exclusive experience.

While the series provides backstories and focus on all of the children involved, the main protagonist and “leader” of the group is arguably Darius, voiced by Paul-Mikél Williams, a young dinosaur enthusiast, who joined the early-access camp by winning a video game contest. He is accompanied by Brooklynn(Jenna Ortega), a popular social media streamer visiting for marketing purposes; Yaz (Kauser Mohammed), a shy sponsored athlete; Kenji (Ryan Potter), the typical popular rich kid; Sammy (Raini Rodriguez), a girl from a small farming town; and Ben (Sean Giambrone), a seemingly sheltered boy with no real enthusiasm to be at the park.

They all have drastically different backgrounds and reasons for being a part of the camp experience. Naturally it seems like a formula for disaster, but their polar personalities and views are exactly what make this shows character dynamic work so well. Not only are they at odds in personality, they are also forced to work together to navigate and survive the park and all the unknown challenges within it, which is a pretty heavy task when dealing with dinosaurs. It is a refreshing change to see the group thrown into this chaos, being inexperienced and ill prepared for what they must do to survive. It’s a scenario that stands out from the rest of the franchise which typically have had protagonists with beneficial backgrounds to help their survival odds in these very situations. Each character has a variety of skills and weaknesses that the show reflects well, giving everyone their moment to shine in a time of need or show their flaws, because nobody is perfect. Giving the audience those scenes where they can relate is where it really highlights its best moments. This series really works as a coming of age story for the group. Every child goes through their own personal struggles and development and by the end of this season, no matter how you feel about the character, they will have certainly grown from where we initially met them. Of course this is targeted to a younger audience, so the experiences they share are more impactful and relatable to a young audience, but viewers of any age can appreciate what messages are being conveyed. Among them are other characters that are widely known and make quick guest appearances or in some cases just referenced. The overall context of their role within improves the storytelling and greatly expands into the larger Jurassic universe and canon.

However, this show is called Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and it wouldn’t be complete without the “dino” DNA of the franchise, dinosaurs. A variety of dinosaurs make an appearance. Most of which are returning to the franchise in some capacity, like the Indominous Rex, Stegosaurus, Mosasaurus, Pteranodon, and Compsognathus or “Compy”. All bringing a wide range of landscapes that the series can explore around the camp. Surprisingly, the more expected and iconic dinosaurs that have become fan favorites, were either missing all together or simply made a quick cameo appearance, but presumably will appear in a larger capacity with any further seasons of the series. Other dinosaurs were either referenced or given some form of an easter egg, like the Spinosaurus. One stand out dinosaur is a baby Ankylosaurus named Bumpy and she is an absolutely adorable dinosaur, designed to be that very nature, much like the concept of Baby Blue in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. It will be hard not to worry and cheer for this loveable character. Overall, the amount of dinosaurs that were included is enough to satisfy and impress any dinosaur enthusiast.

Along with dinosaurs, nostalgia is also a large aspect of what makes this series work for the older audience. From the iconic soundtrack used throughout to the subtle snippets of familiarity like the computer monitors, water ripples in a carnivorous looking footprint. Other things like the designs of the park, vehicles, and gear used among the staff. All plays into the environment like comfort food.

Something that stands out is the attention to detail, both visually and audibly. Despite the cartoony art style, the dinosaur designs are rather impressive. Details like skin texture and the visible vibrations of their saliva dripping roars add another level of realism and terror. Environmental scenery adds depth that fills the size perspective of this island, highlighting how big of a journey these kids truly are on. Even their facial expressions and physical appearances show wear as they find themselves beat up with despair and torn dirt covered clothes.

Seeing as this series is aimed at a younger audience, it does have some drawbacks for an older audience. While the group of kids has many redeeming qualities, they are also very much portrayed like kids. Several times, throughout the story, a very large lesson should have been learned, but somehow they find themselves oblivious and making the same mistakes again. This didn’t just limit itself to the children, the group was also intended to be monitored and looked after by two adult counselors, Roxie and Dave, but many times they would leave them unattended for a variety of miscellaneous reasons. Clearly the kids could not be trusted to be left making their own choices in a dinosaur filled park that would need extra detail to safety, but countless times we find them free to do whatever. It felt like the two counselors were intended as comedic banter and it did work at times, but other times it just felt forced. As an older viewer it was frustrating to see, but the purpose of these moments is understandable, no matter how illogical they feel. The kids need to be put in these life threatening situations or else the story would be boring. Luckily, the role of the counselors does become more satisfying, to an extent, as the series ties up by the end. Other unrealistic moments portray the kids falling from large heights and seemingly receiving no real injuries to themselves, but in a series based around surviving an island full of prehistoric dinosaurs, it should probably be overlooked…I guess.

As far as the graphic nature of this series, Netflix and Dreamworks did a quality job at bringing a family friendly concept to the franchise. While dinosaurs do inevitably eat people, the actual act is never shown and it is simply implied by the context of the scene. There aren’t any blood or body parts in these moments.

By the end of the series, the viewer will feel for these characters and while it is largely kid friendly, the story does take some surprising turns with legitimate concern for their safety, but parents shouldn’t worry, it is nothing that will cause real nightmares for your kids.This is a very light hearted take on a severely intense situation. It simply says more about the storytelling and the potential for this series to continue.

Camp Cretaceous adds to this universe, delivering a family-friendly experience, filled with nostalgia for older fans to share with a new generation of dinosaur enthusiasts.

PCL Rating: High Taste It

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅