First vs latest raptor introduction scene

Originally posted to tumblr on September 12 2018. Reposted here for archiving of posts I want to keep.

[spoilers for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom]

Thinking about the opening scene of Jurassic Park reminded me of how in some ways the Indoraptor’s introduction at the auction in Fallen Kingdom is an inversion of that scene.

• In Jurassic Park, the Velociraptor in the cage is being transported by a park crew on full alert and terrified of the animal, waiting for her to be brought over in solemn silence broken only by no-nonsense orders having to do with the job they’re here to do. They jump away from the cage at the smallest rattling, even though the raptor should be contained and the cage safe to handle - the dinosaur’s mere existence is otherworldly enough, who knows what it can do.
  
• In Fallen Kingdom, the crowd welcoming the Indoraptor has no fear of getting eaten by the dinosaur whose bloodthirstiness Eversoll is bragging about. The Indoraptor is a product for them to consume. Being startled by him trying to attack someone through the bars is followed by laughter, it’s all part of the show. Silly of this creature to think the humans who made and own it wouldn’t have full control over it.
  
• The transport crew in Jurassic Park is armed with at least tasers, which Muldoon tells them to set to full charge, in case of an accident. It isn’t until when a person’s life is in danger they actually use them. The raptor is probably pretty stressed from the move, too, but the people present don’t go out of their way to make her more so. They just want to get this over with without incident.
  
• The Indoraptor’s cage is brought into view accompanied by taser flashes, because apparently him just standing there isn’t impressively intimidating enough, and they want menacing roars and aggressive lashing out. That inducing those involves torturing the animal is of no concern.
  
• Also, in Jurassic Park the raptor is barely shown, this being the first scene and full reveal of the dinosaurs being saved for later, while for the Indoraptor this is the scene he’s finally seen fully in. Bonus for both scenes including a moment where the raptor forebodingly locks eyes with one of the human main characters.
  
• When the Velociraptor in Jurassic Park kills Jophery, it’s horrifying and tragic. He had done nothing to deserve such an end, probably wasn’t paid enough for doing what he was hired to do. He’s unquestionably the victim. Hammond is ultimately responsible for his death as the owner of the park and the person whose vision and affording to do something about it caused the dinosaurs’ cloning in the first place. But Hammond is also a well-meaning, nice man we’re mostly meant to like, not consider the monster or the villain (though he does get his share of callouts for his own arrogance in the face of nature over the course of the movie).
  
• The Indoraptor may be a monster, but his being so is evidence against the real villains, the real monsters, and he is their victim, too.
  
  And his first on-screen kill?

Guess which one I’m rooting for. :)