Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Jurassic World Dominion
The release of Jurassic World Dominion marks the final entry in the story that started with Jurassic Park back in 1993. The sixth entry in the series and the last in the Jurassic World trilogy sees the heroes battling BioSyn’s nefarious activities, carrying many references to the first film.
These range from acknowledgments to things that happened to Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm in the original park to the presence of dinosaurs like the Dilophosaurus and T-Rex. It’s interesting to see how the references can be overt or subtle nods to elements found in Jurassic Park and long-time fans will no doubt love checking out the best ones.
Ellie's Removal Of Her Glasses
One of the most well-known scenes from Jurassic Park saw Ellie remove her shades when she was awestruck by the dinosaurs. It’s become a recognizable trait of the character, which was shown in Jurassic World Dominion during her first scene.
Here, Ellie was shocked by the arrival of thousands of locusts and slowly removed her glasses, mimicking the way she had done so in the first movie. Even her expression was much the same, with Ellie showcasing shock at seeing something she never expected.
Alan's Introduction At An Excavation
Alan’s first scene in Jurassic Park takes place at an excavation site where John Hammond drops by unannounced. It seems that he has a habit of getting unexpected visitors because the same thing happens to him in Jurassic World Dominion when Ellie drops in.
This scene is a reference to Alan’s original introduction, along with continuing a trend of him being seen at digs since he was also present at one in the opening of Jurassic Park III. Jurassic World Dominion also featured a site similar to where Alan was present in the original film.
The Jurassic Park Theme Song
One of the ways Jurassic World has made the franchise better is by sticking close to elements that made the Jurassic Park series such a success. The theme song is a favorite among the fanbase and it makes its appearance when Alan is introduced.
The theme shows up at numerous points in the movie, usually when Alan, Ellie, and Ian are onscreen. The use of the track for the original characters alludes to their involvement in Jurassic Park to kickstart the franchise.
Ellie's Interaction With A Triceratops
The first dinosaur Ellie interacts with in person is a Triceratops in Jurassic Park, which she finds during an illness. Jurassic World Dominion didn’t feature an ill dinosaur, but Ellie coming across a Triceratops upon her arrival at the BioSyn facility was the same.
Alan accompanying Ellie, along with the presence of personnel with them, was also a nod to the scene in Jurassic Park. It was a good way to reconfirm to viewers that Ellie was still the same as far as her core personality was concerned.
Ellie Rebooting The Power
Ellie is easily among the bravest characters in the Jurassic Park series, having ventured into the power room in the original movie when raptors were on the prowl. She rebooted the system while she was guided on how to do so, which was repeated in Jurassic World Dominion.
This time around, Ellie had help with Claire joining her in their goal to turn the A.D.S. back on so that they could head to the helicopter safely. John Hammond was on the mic in the original and his role was filled in by Ian in this entry. Like the first time, Ellie was the one to reboot the system.
Return Of Lewis Dodgson
Social commentary on the dangers of greed is one of the ways Jurassic Park holds up well today, with Lewis Dodgson responsible for corrupting Dennis Nedry. Although a different actor played him, Jurassic World Dominion made reference to Dodgson’s machinations by making him the primary antagonist.
He was technically the villain in Jurassic Park since he made the entire conflict possible, which was a point that was brought forward for Jurassic World Dominion. Dodgson’s attempts to exploit the genes of Maisie and Beta reconfirmed his villainy in the series, connecting all the films together.
Ian Malcolm Saving The Others From A Dinosaur
The arrival of the T-Rex in Jurassic Park saw Ian play the hero when he took out a flare to distract it away from Alan and the kids. This act of heroism returned in Jurassic World Dominion, where Ian managed to pull off the same move against the Giganotosaurus.
When the characters were cornered by the dinosaur and nearly devoured, Ian took up a burning torch to distract it. While this was a clear reference to Jurassic Park, he managed to do one better by tossing the torch straight into the Giganotosaurus’ mouth.
Alan Grant Telling Everyone Not To Move
When the T-Rex showed up in Jurassic Park, Alan instructed Ian not to move because its vision was based on movement, but go into conflict with it regardless. Later on, he tried the same with Lex and Tim, only for the dinosaur stampede to run their way.
Jurassic World Dominion referenced this gag by having both Alan and Owen say the same thing to the group when the Giganotosaurus showed up. Much in the same way, the dinosaur turned out to be too frightening to pay heed to these words and everyone ran off to save themselves.
Ian Malcolm's Unbuttoned Shirt
Ian’s open shirt became one of the most popular images from Jurassic Park, with the scene being highlighted in the film. While he didn’t get to pose as he did in the first entry, Ian’s shirt was open enough for Kayla to take note and point it out.
Ian ended up buttoning his shirt, which was a way to poke fun at the lack of reason for his shirt to be unbuttoned in the first place. Long-time Jurassic Park fans will have loved the reference since it’s become one of the series’ most well-known moments.
The Dilophosaurus' Reappearance
One of the most exciting things in the Jurassic World Dominion trailer was the presence of the Dilophosaurus, whose killing of Dennis Nedry is arguably the most famous in the Jurassic Park series. Not only did the latest entry bring the dinosaur back, but it paid homage to Nedry’s killing.
Dodgson was the unlucky one to suffer this death, as he found himself trapped with three of these creatures - he was killed off the same way as Nedry, with the dinosaurs spraying him in the face before he was devoured in a sadistic fashion.
The T-Rex's Return
No reference gets bigger than the original T-Rex, who’s affectionately known as Rexy by the fanbase. Ramsay revealed that BioSyn managed to capture her after three years, moving her to the island, which enabled Rexy to be part of the action.
As in Jurassic Park, Rexy was involved in the final clash between the dinosaurs, this time taking on the Giganotosaurus to save the heroes as she did decades prior. While she survived like the previous occasion, a heartwarming change was that Rexy found a T-Rex family of her own by the end of the movie.