It's sad because he's wanted to direct a sequel since the first movie. He was making himself available for The Lost World, finally got his chance with JP3, but was somehow still in the running to direct JP4 for one of the earlier scripts. Imagine a dark version of this universe where Johnston got to direct three sequels to Jurassic Park.
All the situations the characters find themselves in feel like they were leftover ideas that went unused in The Lost World or even retreads of similar stuff that happened in JP2 (one example was the two hanging vehicles in both films).
I guess it felt like JP2.5, well, not even that much.
Yeah, off the top of my head, all the big encounters save for the bird cage were rehashed or were "paid homage to" previous film's events. From what I remember:
Jeep in the tree = airplane in the tree
T-Rex attack at night in the rain = Spinosaur attack at night in the rain
Dig through dino shit to find poisonous plant = Dig through dino shit to find satellite phone
Raptor pack encounter in old abandoned building = Raptor pack encounter in old abandoned building
Return baby T-Rex to parents subplot = Return Raptor eggs to parents subplot
Grant's research is paid to get him to Jurassic Park = Grant's research is paid* to get him to Isla Sorna
* = He ultimately wasn't paid so he went to Isla Sorna without clearing the check beforehand because... reasons.
I'm sure this was already posted and I missed it (also sorry to interrupt JP3 bashing, but well deserved and absolutely terrible movie) and its already a couple people's avatars.
http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/804...11/Jurassic-World-T-Rex-1.jpg?w=630&cdnnode=1
At least they are going to incorporate the original T-Rex from the first movie. I think a full fledged fight between it and the Diabolus Rex would make a cool conclusion.
Phew, I'm good for some on-topic conversation amidst all this catharsis
It was a crazy realization when I saw the T-Rex on the website and wondered where the scars were from; and instantly got a flashback of the ending in Jurassic Park. For some reason it never occurred to me for a second that Jurassic World would house the original T-Rex, and that the film would take note of it. It's an incredibly cool idea and it makes me even more excited to see the T-Rex since I now know that it's the original Rex I first saw and admired in JP. A small, but super neat nod. Giddy as hell to finally see her official reveal, either in a future trailer or the film.