Camp Cretaceous Review written by the Ent on 9/19/2020 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch Camp Cretaceous on Netflix
Show: Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Season 1 (Find our season 2 review here!)
Rating: TV-PG
Age Suggestion: 10+
Running Time: Eight 30 minute episodes
Release Date: September 18, 2020 on Netflix
Themes: Friendship, Purpose, Connectedness, and Social Media
Warnings: Although it is all animated, the dinosaurs and action could still be quite scary for younger viewers not used to it. Death and lack of parents. Some people are eaten by dinosaurs (This takes place off screen).
Camp Cretaceous Quick Summary:
Camp Cretaceous takes place during the same time period as Jurassic World, but on the other side of the island. Six teens are brought to the island as the new adventure camp is being designed. As usually is the case in the Jurassic series, things don’t always go as planned.
Camp Cretaceous Review:
*light spoilers beyond this point!*
-Is Camp Cretaceous Appropriate?:
If you have a kid that has watched any of the Jurassic Park or Jurassic World movies, then this series will not be an issue. The cartoon nature of the series takes a bit of the edge off of frightening images of the movies.
If you are wanting this to be an introduction to kids, then just be warned that the imagery can definitely still be very scary for younger viewers. Also, much of the drama is regular teenage drama, which may be boring or unappealing to them.
-Characters & Acting:
When the characters are first introduced in the series, everyone except for Darius (the main character) comes off as very one dimensional. The show actually does a very good job at creating a good amount of character depth and development throughout a relatively short season. By the end of the season, even if you don’t like everyone, you know why they act like they do.
-Script & Story:
Although it can come off as a bit cliche with so many Jurassic movies in the books, the plot of this show is actually quite enjoyable. What happens when all of the adults who are supposed to protect you are gone and you are left to your own devices along five other teens? The answer: an entertaining TV show!
Despite the plot being somewhat predictable, there are several subplots that carry the story forward very well. This show is very character driven which plays into the overarching story line very well.
–Favorite Moments:
*Darius’ backstory does an amazing job at making him a lovable character and getting you emotionally attached to him.
*The sacrifice of one of the characters was done in a very beautifully poignant moment of character development.
*The music and noises from the Jurassic World movies elevate this entire series by linking it to a great movie and one of the best film scores in history.
Camp Cretaceous Discussion Questions:
1) Which of the six teenagers did you most identify with? Why?
2) Sammy tries to befriend Yaz, but Yaz is very hesitant. Have you ever had to convince someone to be your friend or viceverse?
3) From your friends and family, who would you want to be paired up with if you were stuck on an island with rampant dinosaurs?
4) Are you excited for a season 2? What do you want to see happen?
If you enjoyed our Camp Cretaceous review, take a second to share this post! And check out these….
-Top choices for Family Friendly Netflix Shows and Movies
-The Step Into Reading Series: Camp Cretaceous
-Our Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Season 2 Review
–5 Fantasy Shows on Netflix
–Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse review
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