Jurassic Park is open for business – and it’s about time, too. It was always a let-down that the first two sequels to Steven Spielberg’s original film were set in an uninhabited jungle environment, rather than the fully-functioning theme park promised by the title. Partly it was disappointing because a new setting would have moved the story on, whereas the sequels were essentially remakes of 1993’s blockbuster. But mainly it was disappointing because it made no sense. I mean, why hadn’t the park opened its doors? True, it had had a few teething problems, mostly involving Tyrannosaurus Rex teeth, but come on: an island stocked with real, live dinosaurs? Who wouldn’t want to go there?
Twenty-two years on, Jurassic World is finally up and running. Located on a lushly forested island off the coast of Costa Rica, it’s a luxurious, high-tech resort which lets visitors feed a Stegosaurus and ride a Triceratops. You can get splashed by a whale-sized Mosasaurus as it leaps from its Seaworld-like tank to swallow a shark in one gulp, and then the hydraulic seating will lower you for an underwater view. You can even go on safari through a grazing herd of Apatosauruses, not in a Jeep, but in some kind of motorised perspex ball. The hotel rooms look nice, too.