If you don’t know what Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is, then you are moving with the wrong crowd, for the Netflix series has captured the imagination of ‘Jurassic Park’ fans all over the world.

It may be just two seasons old, but the fast-moving storyline and the diverse characters make it one of the most loved shows on the streaming platform. Add all kinds of dinosaurs to the equation and you have something to cherish, until the next Jurassic World movie hits the cinemas next year.

The animated series revolves around a group of children who get an opportunity to visit Camp Cretaceous, an exclusive adventure dinosaur camp on Isla Nublar, the original site of Jurassic Park. There is dino-nerd Darius Bowman, alongside the sensitive Ben Pincus, rich brat Kenji Kon, celebrity vlogger Brooklyn, athlete Yasmina Fadoula and the mysterious Sammy Gutierrez who is there on a mission of her own.

While the first half of the Season One revolves around the introduction of all characters, the second half changes gear and shows how a perfectly safe adventure park can become the centre of mayhem and chaos.

With dinosaurs of all types and sizes on the loose, Darius leads his friends from one safe place to another, until they are finally left alone on the island.

The viewers had hoped that the Season Two might reunite them with their families, but the reunion has to wait, as the girls and guys have a lot to do before being rescued.

The gang not only gets to befriend some dinosaurs (yup, you read it right!) but also do some exploring that makes them realise that a) they might have company, and b) there is more to Camp Cretaceous than they thought. Add to that the possibility of sending a distress signal, distracting a T-Rex, and the probability of getting rescued, and you have a perfect second season in hand.

One of the best things about the series is that it has only 16 episodes of less than half an hour duration, making it easy to watch and re-watch. John Williams’ iconic score is there to add suspense to the plot as is the voice of actor BD Wong, who played the character of Dr Henry Wu in the films and makes his appearance in the First Season. Of course, fans of the franchise remember him as the geneticist who brought the dinosaurs to life, but like the films, he has an agenda of his own here as well.

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is a must-watch for the fans of Jurassic Park, especially those who can identify dinosaurs at will.

For those who are new to the series, it will serve as a throwback to the 90s, when Michael Crichton’s novel was brought to the screen by Steven Spielberg, and the rest is history.

Don’t be scared of T-Rex and others romping around freely, Darius is there to help, and educate. Happy adventuring, dino-nerds!

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 13th, 2021