REVIEW - JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXPERIENCE

VF
Jun 8
3 min read

Updated: Jun 9

T-Rexceptional Event Knocks Rivals out of the Jurassic Park

One, T-Rexceptional event knocks all other dino experiences out of the Jurassic Park.

Jurassic World: The Experience is the only official, live adaptation of one of the biggest blockbuster franchises in movie history.

Life finds a way at Battersea Power Station's new NEON venue, as 16 of the film’s most famous, scaly stars take over 34,000 square feet for the immersive event.

The experience begins on a ferry from London to Isla Nubar, near Costa Rica, watching the sea lap against the boat from the windows, and being gently lulled into the false sense of security essential for any action movie.

After a gruelling, two-minute sea expedition, we step off the ferry as John Williams’ famous score booms out, and the iconic Jurassic World gates slowly open, to reveal an enormous Brachiosaurus, gracefully nibbling leaves from trees in the lush jungle.

We discover astonishingly realistic creatures, from a graceful triceratops ambling along with her child, to a giant, armoured ankylosaurus, ominously shaking its club-ended tail.

The path leads us to the famous Hammond Creation Lab - one of many highlights for our four and seven-year-old childen.

Here, we discover impossibly cute, baby dinosaurs panting in incubation. The children can tap computer screens to scan various dinosaur eggs, or don enormous rubber gloves to feel different types of pulsating, dinosaur dung.

Scientists occasionally pop out with blinking, dino infants for children to gently stroke. And grown-up nerds can check out the famous amber collection and DNA research.

Pleasingly, you are never rushed or moved on, so can take your time in each section - the whole experience averages about 45 minutes to an hour.

When our children have satisfied their dung-fondling needs, they have the chance to play palaentologists, digging for fossils in giant, archaeological sandpits and checking out dinosaur bones that have already been recovered, including a satisfyingly giant, T-Rex skull.

Then a guide - enthusiastically aping Chris Pratt - leads us into the next section for some Raptor training with Blue herself.

He cautions us to keep our distance from the pen, which is studded with warnings about the 10,000 volts of electricity charging through it.

Eventually, a 12 foot velociraptor leaps through the door, perilously close to ourselves. The guide keeps the tone light, with jokes about her diva antics, chucking food at her and encouraging us all to join in with the famous "stand down" line.

Next, is one of the biggest showstoppers of the experience - an opportunity to meet the fourth film’s deadly, hybrid creature, the Indominus Rex.

Plants rustle and move in the dimly lit jungle, as the giant shadow of a prehistoric creature ominously spreads across the set. The moody suspense is broken by an enormous, uplit dinosaur swaying about, jerking its enormous, muscular head towards the crowd before opening her jaws and roaring.

Alarms then ring and the tour guides inform us that a T-Rex has escaped. There is strobe-lit drama and a huge, T-Rex rears its head behind us above the canopy and as it charges through the jungle and lunges towards us.

Before it has an opportunity to tear us limb from limb, we’re rescued and led through the doors into the gift shop, where we blink at the bright lights and are immediately ordered to buy armfuls of T-Rex cuddly toys by our enraptured children.

Only Jeff Goldblum reclining across the gift shop counter with a nipple winking at us, could have made it any better - it is a must for any dino and movie fans.

Jurassic World: The Experience, NEON at Battersea Power Station, Until 30 September. Tickets from £25.95 per adult, £19.95 per child