No Dunks Podcast: ‘Jurassic World’ Rewatch | Jurassic Pals

Date: August 29, 2025
Hosts: J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kirby, J.D.

Episode Overview

This episode of No Dunks’ “Jurassic Pals” summer series dives into Jurassic World (2015), revisiting the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. The hosts unpack the blockbuster’s plot, its new additions to the dino-universe, standout characters (and deaths), fan service moments, and the film’s position within the larger franchise. The discussion fluctuates between playful banter and thoughtful criticism, with plenty of nostalgia and laughs along the way.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Revisiting Jurassic World: Success & Setup

• Released 14 years after Jurassic Park 3, Jurassic World opened in 2015, revitalizing the franchise.
• Major financial success: $1.67 billion worldwide; one of the highest-grossing movies ever.
• Basic plot: A new park on the original site (Isla Nublar) creates a genetically-modified dinosaur, Indominus Rex, that escapes and wreaks havoc.
• Directed by Colin Trevorrow, previously best known for Safety Not Guaranteed.
• Stars Chris Pratt (Owen Grady), Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire Dearing), and Ty Simpkins (Gray Mitchell).

JD on the new director:
"Colin did Safety Not Guaranteed, which is a movie I've heard of...but yeah, he's running this one." (02:37)

Experiencing Franchise Fatigue?

• The hosts joke about how, after watching so many dino movies back-to-back, every dinosaur entrance prompts an involuntary, “Oh, hello.”
• Skeets admits: "Every time a dinosaur shows up now, we go, oh, hello. We can't stop doing it. So that's where I'm at..." (05:17)
• Trey mixes in other movies to avoid dino burnout but admits: “Jurassic is carrying the torch throughout the summer for me.” (03:18)

Getting to Know Jurassic World

• Opening establishes brothers Zach and Gray, their strained family background, and aunt Claire as operations manager.
• The park feels like “Disney World meets dino chaos”—wristbands, Epcot vibes, elaborate attractions.
• Noted lack of visible Christmas decorations despite being set during “winter break.”
• Gray’s dino obsession leads to nitpicks (“How many pounds is the island?”).

On the opening vibe:
"It definitely feels like Disney, too...even the band, like the wristbands...That's basically Disney, right?" – Tas (08:54)

Consumerism & Making 'Bigger, Louder, More Teeth'

• The plot critiques the public’s insatiable appetite for spectacle, leading to the creation of Indominus Rex.
• Claire: "Consumers want dinosaurs to have bigger, louder, more teeth." (12:11)
• The hosts reflect: was our herbivore-only park dream misguided? “She is basically saying, yeah, that works for a year or two, dummy. But then nobody cares.” – Skeets (12:34)

DNA Secrets and Returning Characters

• Dr. Henry Wu is back as the geneticist, keeping the Indominus recipe a secret, which Skeets questions.
• JD explains: “Look what happened with Nedry...they need to lock down security.” (15:07)
• Wu’s reveal that Indominus has cuttlefish, tree frog, and raptor DNA sets up later twists.

Park Operations & Control Room Comedy

• Control room features Lowry (Jake Johnson, great in “comedy nerd” mode) and Vivian (Lauren Lapkus), who “don’t get enough to do.”
• Running joke: Lowry’s vintage Jurassic Park T-shirt—“Yeah, I know it was in poor taste...But that first park was legit.” (24:08)
• Unrequited chemistry: “It’s a dud of a bit because there’s no chemistry between them for the entire movie,” – JD (28:02)

A New Hammond? Simon Masrani

• Park owner Masrani is both “likable” and “a menace”—a blend of naïve optimism and hubris.
• “He captures Hammond’s original enthusiasm...but still has the sort of, you know, the audacity to do all of it without suffering the consequences — or not thinking about the consequences.” – JD (30:07)
• His reckless helicopter piloting is a running gag and ultimately the cause of greater disaster.

Chris Pratt as Owen: The Raptor Whisperer

• Pratt’s Owen trains a “raptor squad” (Blue, Charlie, Delta, Echo), the only characters with “new” dinosaur names that stick.
• Hilarious overview of raptor training: “This dude, man, clicking his clicker like a damn fool. Too many clicks!” – Skeets (35:51)
• Introduction of the military angle (“weaponizing dinosaurs”) led by Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio as a memorable, creepy villain).

On raptor military use:
“I would love to see a velociraptor leading a military.” – Tas (38:18)
“Is he gonna be, like, running a raptor show?” – Trey (41:58)

Action Sequences & Set Pieces

The Attractions

• Hosts love the theme park details: a dino petting zoo, the Gyrosphere ride, and the Mosasaurus show (SeaWorld meets dinosaurs).
• Mosasaurus show is a favorite: “Every attraction looks like it would be amazing to go on.” – Trey (55:51)

Indominus’ Escape & Carnage

• The Indominus “outsmarts” its enclosure by camouflaging and hiding its thermal signature.
• Non-lethal response teams (ACU) get wiped out—“You'll never guess who wins!” – Skeets (53:12)
• Indominus removes its tracker, demonstrating intelligence and plot armor.

The Iconic Gyrosphere Chase

• The kids’ off-roading in the Gyrosphere is a standout scene: “It just works incredibly well...as exciting as the original T-Rex vs. Jeep scene.” – JD (58:49)
• Callback: “Jump! One, two—nobody says three.” (59:00)

Emotional Gut Punch: Brachiosaurus

• Hosts highlight the genuinely sad sequence of dead/dying Brachiosaurus after Indominus’ rampage.
• “That one, the main one where they're holding its head. Holy crap.” – Skeets (60:42)
• JD commends the use of animatronics for realism.

Park Mayhem: Pterosaurs & Death by Dinosaur

• The release of flying dinosaurs (pterosaurs) following Masrani’s helicopter crash leads to mass chaos on Main Street.
• Zara’s death (“executive assistant gets brutally chomped and dropped into the Mosasaurus pool”) is lauded as possibly the franchise’s best and most harrowing dino-death:
  “Best death in Jurassic Park.” – JD (71:44)

Final Battle: Dino Tag-Team

• Indominus battles both the T-Rex (“Sexy Rexy”) and Blue the Raptor.
• Ultimate takedown delivered by Mosasaurus dragging Indominus underwater: “Great teamwork...They all played their part.” – Skeets (87:59)
• “It's a little silly...the power of friendship with raptors...Now they're cool and cuddly.” – Trey (89:30)

Fan Service and Series Callbacks

• The ruined original Visitor Center—iconic banner, T-Rex skeleton, old Jeeps, Mr. DNA cameo.
• Ongoing debate over dinosaur names: “Indominus Rex does not roll off the tongue...let’s just call it Steve.” (13:42)
• Pop culture metacommentary: Jake Johnson’s Lowry as the audience surrogate, critiquing dino-corporate sponsorships and nostalgia grabs.

Lighthearted Nitpicks & Memorable Quotes

• Numerous gags about Claire’s high heels: “She's doing all of this...never ditches the high heels!” (65:56)
• Running commentary on product placement and naming rights for dinosaurs (Pepsisaurus vs. Tostitodon).
• “Give him the raptor flu!” – Skeets, riffing on ways to deal with dino-military escalation. (41:41)
• “Anytime The Mosasaurus makes an appearance. I’m like, hell yeah. Like, I love this thing.” – Skeets (73:48)
• “You got a real soft spot for these Brachiosaurus...” – JD teases Skeets (60:42)

Favorite Scenes, Characters, and Dinosaurs

(92:26-95:18)

• Favorite Scene:
  • Gyrosphere Escape (JD, Tas)
  • Pterosaur Attack/Main Street Chaos (Trey)
  • Dino Tag-Team Finale (Skeets)
• Favorite Character:
  • Lowry (Trey)
  • Zach & Gray (Tas)
  • Simon Masrani, Claire (Group)
• Favorite Dino:
  • Mosasaurus (Trey)
  • Raptors (JD)
  • T-Rex and Blue (All)

Rankings and Franchise Placement

(101:06-104:30)

• Scores:
  • Tas: 9/10 ("Feels more like the original Jurassic Park... pacing is great.")
  • JD: 8/10 ("Very derivative, but in the best possible way. I feel serviced as a fan.")
  • Skeets: 8/10 ("Looks awesome... I was amazed how much I liked this movie.")
  • Trey: 7/10 ("Even though it gets silly, I’m on board.")
• Consensus Ranking (so far):
  1. Jurassic Park (1993)
  2. Jurassic World (2015)
  3. Jurassic Park 3
  4. The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On the park’s theme:
  "Consumers want dinosaurs to have bigger, louder, more teeth." – Claire (12:11)
• Team dynamic:
  "We podcast together for survival." – Skeets (00:06)
• On Zara’s death:
  "Best death in Jurassic Park." – JD (71:44)
• On dino-military uses:
  “I would love to see a velociraptor leading a military.” – Tas (38:18)
• Favorite running joke:
  "You got a real soft spot for these Brachiosaurus..." – JD (60:42)

Easter Eggs and Trivia

(97:18-99:02)

• Dr. Ian Malcolm’s book (“God Creates Dinosaurs”) appears as an Easter egg.
• A fan theory (tongue-in-cheek) that Chris Pratt’s Owen is the grown-up “six foot turkey” kid from JP1—debunked by the hosts.
• Only franchise entry with no torrential downpour scene.

Closing Thoughts

The hosts were surprised by how much Jurassic World held up, praising its fun pacing, inventive dino-attractions, and satisfying callbacks while acknowledging its derivative, sometimes silly nature. The expanded spectacle and nostalgia play well, making it the clear favorite among the sequels to date.

Final Quote:
"Remember, the key to a happy life is to accept you are never actually in control. Embrace the day people." (105:99)