It’s safe to say that Jurassic Park has been fascinating fans for decades. The first film was released in 1993, and it is a franchise that will probably never get old. Where the first three films were based on the novel (with varying degrees of accuracy), the later additions, dubbed Jurassic World, have been free to play with new concepts set in the same world. Despite this, there are many connections to be found between the two franchises. Everything from recurring characters to background details and beyond. Truthfully, there are so many details that we’re still spotting Easter eggs to this day.
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Easter eggs are a clever way for filmmakers to have a conversation with their fans. By including hidden details and subtle references, eagle-eyed fans can often learn something about the lore or otherwise pick up on a fun little gag. For example, one of our favorites to watch for is the hidden Han Solo figures tucked throughout multiple episodes of Firefly. In the case of Jurassic World, the Easter egg we just spotted is significantly larger, and it is yet another thread tying the film back to the original.
A Conveniently Placed Means of Escape
In a way, Jurassic World took Hammond’s dream and made it a reality: a massive and successful adventure park openly available to the public. Unlike in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, his company figured out a way to make the park world while still on the island, something that theoretically added some safety measures. As we all know, those measures were always destined to fail; this is a Jurassic Park movie, after all.
That brings us to Jurassic World‘s Gray and Zach Mitchell, two siblings who immediately ditch their “sitter” to explore the park on their own. This proves to be a pretty big mistake, as they find themselves directly in the path of the Indominus Rex. They escape their first encounter with this fierce hunter and begin making their way back to safety, courtesy of a well-placed jeep. The jeep in question has the iconic Jurassic Park colors, and given its abandoned appearance, it’s safe for viewers to assume that this is one of the original jeeps from Jurassic Park.
Mind you, this Jeep has been abandoned for 22 years, and any Jeep owner can (and will) tell you how bad that is. Jurassic World makes a point of showing the boys swapping the old battery out for a nearby find, but let’s be real: there’s likely a lot of other problems going on with that Jeep, so it’s a miracle it started and made it all the way back to base. Come to think of it, that Jeep really deserves a medal for making it so far after all these years.
The Familiar Jeep
Here’s the thing: we don’t have to rely on assumptions here — there’s a tag hanging from the mirror that tells us everything we need to know! This Jeep is Jurassic Park Jeep #29, one of two heavily featured Jeeps seen in Jurassic Park. It’s a manual transmission Jeep that runs independently; in other words, it isn’t one of the cars tied directly to the tour experience, and can go off-road as needed. That bit is important, given the work that likely needed to be done around the island.
Jeep 29 is the one responsible for carrying John Hammon and Donald Gennaro from the Heliport to the Visitor Center, with a stop at the Bracciosaurus enclosure along the way, because the scene must be set. While its connection to Gennaro may feel like foreshadowing, this Jeep survives everything that follows, against all odds.
Conversely, Jeep 10 likely had a slightly rougher go of it, since it was involved in that infamous T. rex chase. While it got damaged during the fight, Jeep 10 was able to save the day by being the mode of emergency exit for survivors at the end of the film.
Thanks to Jurassic World, Jeep 29 has also had the chance to save some lives, and we love that this brings its journey full circle. Undoubtedly, its journey from the old Visitor Center to Main Street will be the last ride that Jeep ever made, but at least it went out on a high note. Well done!
Perhaps we should have realized this Jeep connection earlier, but details like this give us a whole new level of appreciation for all the work that goes into Jurassic World and its sequels.
Jurassic Park is available to stream on Netflix. Jurassic World is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
What are some of your favorite Easter eggs in the franchise? Let us know in the comments below!
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