CARNOSAUR aka JURASSIC PARK (China, 2025) - MINI REVIEW

Why rip off one IP when you can rip off two?

A group of scientists and soldiers travel to an isolated, hidden island to harvest a plant that could cure cancer. But inhabiting the island are the original bloodthirsty beasts of our planet - dinosaurs.

Specifically, raptors! Because these scientists have stumbled across the abandoned remains of Jurassic Park and a family of raptors who hunt everything in their way.

More of an homage than a rip-off, this Chinese monster movie uses the typical template for these movies: a group of scientists looking for a life-saving cure, a rich and evil businessman, a handful of hot women, a group of hot-headed soldiers and a single parent who reluctantly joins this motley crew as the resident expert.

Pretty much the only thing that ever changes is the monster - it could be snakes, crocodiles, bees, abominable snowmen, octopuses, sharks etc. It doesn’t really matter. And the funny thing is, I make fun of Jagged Edge for making the same movie over and over again, these Chinese monster web-movies are worse. At least their visual effects are far better.

Also, I don’t actually know the English title for this film. The opening credits of the movie title it as “Jurassic Park”, the movie poster calls it “Who Is The Trespasser”, a posting for the trailer on YouTube calls it “Intruders”, while the listing of the film on the site I watched it on called it “Carnosaur” - and you could be forgiven for thinking this is a remake or a sequel to the original 90’s b-grade trilogy of the same name.

Then, as if to add more confusion, the literal translation of the movie is “Return To The Jurassic”. Jurassic what? Jurassic Park? It certainly is a running joke in the movie. There are several, possibly unlicensed, clips of the original 1992 movie throughout, as well as countless other references such as the electric fence joke and the original park gates.

So, after all of this, is it worth watching this movie?

If you like raptors, then I would say yes. The CGI raptors in the movie look half decent but not fantastic. They don’t even look as good as the raptors in the original film, but they’re definitely better than any other b-grade dinosaur movie you’ve seen.

Being a Chinese monster movie, it has to follow the template to the letter. There is no deviation there, so that means the main soldier is incredibly hot-headed and thirsty for revenge. He is your typical bad guy, and when he massacres the raptor’s nest of eggs and kills the little ones, you really start to hate him. Same with the businessman who sacrifices everyone for his own greed, only to suffer the same fate.

You’re definitely cheering that on.

But like I mentioned, you’re watching this for the dinosaurs and because you’ve heard that the new Jurassic World movie isn’t that good. And if you are going to watch a dinosaur movie that isn’t that good, you might as well watch a short, silly movie with plenty of action, some nice eye candy and a depressing environmental message.

No one is mistaking this for Jurassic Park, at least I don’t think they are. But in crowded Chinese dinosaur monster movie market, this is one of the funnier titles. Although I still think it takes itself too seriously at certain times.

GENRE Chinese Dinosaur Monster Movie
DIRECTOR Li Fei
STARRING Gu Minghan, Yang Xue, Mao Fan, Zhang Yonghua
ORIGINAL TITLE 重返侏罗纪
ALTERNATIVE TITLE Carnosaur, Jurassic Park, Return to the Jurassic, Intruders
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN China
RELEASE DATE 17 January 2025

More about this movie can be found here, including a link to watch it with English subtitles (VIP Membership required).