Maybe not reeeeeeeeeally reviving them, but close.

Standing at the entrance of the event, it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment; flanked by two towering stone pillars, and rust-encrusted lettering reading out ‘JURASSIC WORLD’, you can’t help but at least hum the iconic tune as you pass on through, or maybe that’s just my inner nine-year-old dinosaur nerdThe Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom media preview event may have been small, having to fit within the constraints of Plaza Singapura’s atrium, but it was filled from wall to wall with all kinds of activities and memorabilia from the coming movie. From the large silver jeep that the characters ride around in the movie, to the mysterious grey, rusty storage container that houses the dinosaurs, they had it all.There was even a small exhibition area, set up by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which housed everything from the skull of an Allosaurus (A theropod dinosaur from the Jurassic period), to the tailbone of a Diplodocus (A long necked diplodocid sauropod dinosaur also from the Jurassic period), and the complete skeleton of the strange dolphin-nosed, fish-bodied, arrow-finned Icthyosaur.

There was also a large area dedicated to the children at the event, part of it was dedicated to the new Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom toys from Mattel and LEGO, and an area where the children could use LEGO bricks to construct a 90,000 LEGO brick Tyrannosaurus Rex, an impressive feat that I could never accomplish, but did not seem like much of a challenge to these kids. The big highlight for the children was the large Sandpit Excavation Site in the middle of the showroom, where they could dig around and excavate various dinosaur fossils for the reward of some pretty cool looking exclusive dinosaur trading cards.

There were two interactive video games at the event; one being a Jurassic World pinball game that played out on a large flat screen TV, and the other a virtual reality game where the player takes the role of Blue the Velociraptor trying to escape the erupting volcano on the island. While the pinball game looked kind of interesting, the virtual reality game looked to be a real hoot; watching the myriad of people put on the VR headset and immediately start bumbling about as a virtual savage reptile in-game was as entertaining to watch as it was to play.

However, this was just window-dressing for the main event, which, after a bit of banter between the two hosts and hyping up the crowd, we were introduced to Wyatt, a Velociraptor behaviourist, and a large, near 2-meter-tall Velociraptor named Val.Yes, it was a man in a rubbery dinosaur suit, but with the detail in the costume, the movements and the sound effects, it was, in that moment, a live Velociraptor. However, despite Wyatt’s constant detailing of how dangerous Velociraptors are and how many ways they consumed and ripped other dinosaurs, even the Tyrannosaurus Rex, to shreds, Val was quite the sweet, if albeit playful, dinosaur. She seemed less interested in trying to make the audience into her dinner as much as she just wanted to keep making fake out attacks and gestures at Wyatt for her own amusement.

Sadly, it was not before long that Val returned to her storage facility to feed, however, there was more for the event: as the hosts sashayed over to the middle of the show area where a giant black tarp draped over a mysterious object. After a rousing round of cheers from the audience, the figure was revealed: a life-size statue of one of the main Velociraptors from the Jurassic World movies. It was insanely detailed, every scale, pore and orifice seemed perfectly defined, her eyes were glossy and shiny under the lights, and her razor-sharp teeth and claws, in addition to her dynamic pose, made it seem like she was ready to strike at any given moment. Truly one of the most amazing sculptures ever seen, and my photos cannot do justice to how beautiful it looked.

Overall, despite the short time spent there, the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom media preview event was a blast to experience. It may not have been the park in all its glory, but it was the slice of the movie that’s gotten me excited for the whole pie.

Thank you to United International Pictures Singapore for the opportunity to cover this event, and special thanks to Jedd Jong of InSing who let me take pictures with him and his impressive figurines of Owen and Blue the Velociraptor from Jurassic World!

Written by: Craig Chen

Edited by: Tan Yin Yun

Photo Credits: Craig Chen, United International Pictures