Bursting onto Netflix like a rampaging T-Rex, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous has arrived to make fans of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises laugh, cry, and of course, be terrified of rampaging dinosaurs. The series follows Darius and his fellow campers at Isla Nublar's Camp Cretaceous just before and during the events of Jurassic World, and it does a commendable job tying their adventures into the greater narrative.
While Camp Cretaceous can absolutely be enjoyed on its own, it acquires a layer of extra excitement and nostalgia as fans point out aspects of the film franchises that it directly references. There are components of all eight episodes that will make much more sense if viewers have seen the movies and can connect them to the show's plotlines. In this regard, Camp Cretaceous is an imaginative and exciting way to expand the worldbuilding of the franchises.
Darius Using A Raptor Resonating Chamber
When Darius is playing the Jurassic World video game, he can't move beyond the final boss fight against the T-Rex without dying. In a last-ditch effort, his character picks up a raptor resonating chamber and, using it like a flute, blows into it to call for raptor reinforcements.
This skill was first used by Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park 3 when circled by a group of genetically modified raptors. By using the resonating chamber from a dead raptor to communicate with them, he theorized he could "explain" to them that he wasn't prey. He was successful and managed to escape, though the science is still out on whether or not it really would have worked.
Mr. DNA
In case viewers were wondering why a 2D piece of animation appeared in Darius' video game, it's the original MC of Jurassic Park, Mr. DNA. Mr. DNA first appeared when Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, and Dr. Malcolm took the video tour at Isla Nublar's Visitor Center, where Mr. DNA explained the park's genetic research.
Mr. DNA has always been a part of the welcoming committee for the park's interface, and his presence is not only fun and engaging, it's also nostalgic for viewers who grew up on the Jurassic Park trilogy and recall his iconic dialogue.
Dr. Wu's Cameo
The austere Dr. Henry Wu from Camp Cretaceous wasn't always so unfriendly, but over the course of the Jurassic World films, viewers watched him go from being an altruistic young research scientist to a Machiavellian geneticist. First appearing in Jurassic Park, he evacuated from Isla Nublar before the dinosaurs got loose.
He was absent from the sequels, but when he reappeared in Jurassic World, he had grown resentful and secretive, wanting to be left alone with his work to genetically modify dinosaurs beyond John Hammond's wildest dreams. Viewers learn where he was during the Indominus Rex outbreak in Jurassic World over the walkie-talkie chatter featured in Camp Cretaceous.
Darius' Namedropping
Dino-obsessed Darius knows all there is to know about dinosaurs, and like Tim in Jurassic Park, also knows what the experts in the fields of paleontology and paleobotany have to say on the subject. He constantly namedrops with his fellow campers and they, along with viewers who haven't seen the films, might not know who he's referencing.
Before he even gets to Camp Cretaceous he shows his dad that Dr. Alan Grant's blog is constantly being updated with new information about dinosaur behavior. While at camp he drops Grant's name again, as well as his colleague, Dr. Ellie Sattler, whose main focus of study was on prehistoric plant life.
Underestimating Compies
When the campers arrive on Isla Nublar, their first encounter with a dinosaur involves a Compsognathus, or "Compy" for short. Darius' desire to see one up close with Kenji nearly gets the whole group in trouble on their first day.
Compies have long been underestimated in the franchise due to their small and relatively nonthreatening appearance. Towards the end of the series Darius warns the group about the appearance of multiple Compies, as they can be very vicious when in a pack. The Lost World: Jurassic Park featured two prominent scenes involving Compies swarming a victim.
The Indominus Rex Breaking Containment
The main thrill of Jurassic World was not only seeing John Hammond's theme park finally up and running, but to watch it fall prey to the same fate as Jurassic Park, with dinosaurs breaking free of their enclosures. The newest apex predator to be unveiled was the Indominus Rex, which breaks free of its paddock and terrorizes tourists.
The appearance of the Indominus Rex to Camp Cretaceous occurs at the exact moment it has broken containment in Jurassic World, showing its rampage through the north half of the park.
Alex And Dave's Connection To Claire Dearing
At one point, Roxie and Dave head to the south side of the park in an effort to track down Claire Dearing, head of park operations, in an effort to discuss the calamities befalling Camp Cretaceous. She had intended to send her nephews to meet the other children, but the staff caution against it.
The connection to Claire Dearing and her nephews further ties Camp Cretaceous to the events of Jurassic World. Roxie and Dave end up not being able to reach Claire because at that point she's lost in the south side of the park with Owen Grady.
Gyrospheres
The infamous Gyrospheres from Jurassic World make an appearance as the campers use them to help drive herds of migrating dinosaurs across the park. They eventually get separated from the staff in their Gyrospheres and end up destroying one, but they aren't the only ones.
Later in the series, Darius and his friends encounter the Gyrosphere that Claire Dearing's nephews Zach and Gray were riding in during the first half of Jurassic World, broken and abandoned at the site of their crash.
Jurassic Lagoon
After the Jurassic Park River Adventure, Darius and co. are spit out into the Jurassic Lagoon, where the enormous Mosasaurus lurks beneath their kayaks. It waits to shoot to the service and devour them, much like during mealtime shows at the deserted amphitheater.
The large crowds that gathered in Jurassic World to see it put on the terrifying version of a whale show have long since left, desperate to make the ferries at the south docks that are evacuating the island.
Carnotaurus And Pteranodons
The Carnotaurus from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom makes a return appearance in a much grander way in Camp Cretaceous when Kenji and Darius decide to enter its area of the park and get a closer look. It wasn't seen in Jurassic World, and now viewers know why — it was busy terrorizing the campers on the other side of the island!
The Pteranodons, first seen at the end of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, make an appearance after Mr. Masrani's helicopter crashes into their aviary, the same scene featured in Jurassic World. They then escape and appear at various times to wreak havoc on the campers.