JW & JWFK: Which lead character do you prefer? Claire or Owen? (SPOILERS)

Embryo Posts : 6 Reputation : 2 Join date : 2018-07-03

IMO it’s so hard to be invested on Owen, especially when we compare him with Claire, the main character of the new trilogy. To prove my point I decided to look at the characters arc in the two movies so far, starting with Claire:

Jurassic World:

When we met her in “Jurassic World”, she has this cold business woman persona and it isn’t hard to see why she acts that way. During the helicopter scene in the first act of the movie you can notice that Masrani don’t care at all about the park‘s situation , she’s pretty much commanding the place by herself, it’s a pretty hard task and distancing herself from her relationships and the dinosaurs is the way that she figured out to keep herself centered in her job. When the Indominus Rex (a creature that she was involved at creating) breaks free and her nephews are in danger, we see the character going throught a whole personal journey where she becomes vulnerable enough to invest in her relationships and we also get the key scene with the dying apatosaurus where she realizes that she can’t keep pretending that those living creatures are only assets. At the end of the movie she uses her knowledge about the park (with a little help from Gray and Lowery) and ends up saving everyone risking her own life by releasing Rexy. She’s the true human hero of the movie and the only character who had a notable arc. Sure, she has her ammount of blame for the events that happened in the island but that comes back to haunt her in “Fallen Kingdom”.

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom:

I know that some of you guys feels like Claire becoming a dinosaur protection activist feels too agressive but it makes perfect sense to me. She’s seeking for redemption, she explored those creatures for years pretending that they were not living animals and now she’s trying to make up for her mistakes by giving them the protection that they deserved in first place. Her whole arc in “Fallen Kingdom” circles around her mission of taking care of the dinosaurs and at the end of the movie she has to face a situation where the only way for her to acomplish her goal is by releasing the dinosaurs on mainland and in a pretty clever decision by the screenwriters, she decides to let them die, not because she doesn’t care about them but because she learned from her mistakes and she knows that if she releases them, she may be responsible (again) for more humans dying, those are the type of decisions that adds depth to the the plot. Claire also has a relationship with Owen but that is the least interesting thing about her story which says a lot about how good of a character she is.

Now let’s talk about Owen, the most bland lead character of the franchise.

Jurassic World:

He’s a alpha male figure who trains raptors and had a past with Claire. At the end of the movie he has to see the raptors dying and Blue going away and he and Claire get back together. That’s pretty much his arc, he has no depth or whatever.

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom:

We learn that him and Claire broke up. While she used the “Jurassic World” incident to try to redimee herself, he tried to runaway from the past. We also get to know more about his relationship with Blue and that’s pretty nice. At the end of the movie he and Claire get back together and he has to watch Blue go away once again. The movie tries to blame him for being the reason why the dinosaurs are being weaponized but the character doesn’t seem affected by that at all. I admitt that Owen had more development this time but he’s pretty much still the same: A alpha male figure who likes to save the day and has relationships with a woman and a dinosaur.

I don’t hate Owen, he’s okay but what I wanna say is while Claire is a character who actually feels like a human and embraced her mistakes by trying to correct them, Owen is some kind of super hero who survives insane scenarios and only has two things to deal: his relationship with Blue and his relationship with Claire. Anyway, between those two, which lead character from the new trilogy do you like the most?

There should definitely be a poll for this thread. Also, I prefer Claire for the reasons you mentioned, although I do think FK gave Owen some depth he didn't have in JW.

Embryo Posts : 6 Reputation : 2 Join date : 2018-07-03

V.a.nublarensis wrote:: There should definitely be a poll for this thread. Also, I prefer Claire for the reasons you mentioned, although I do think FK gave Owen some depth he didn't have in JW.

Yep. I'm new here tho (that was my first post) so I'm still learning how to use the forum Razz

spectroul wrote:: Yep. I'm new here tho (that was my first post) so I'm still learning how to use the forum

In that case, welcome to the mainframe! Hope you have a good time here. Cool

You can edit your first post (top right of the post) and below the post box, there's an option to add a poll.

Embryo Posts : 6 Reputation : 2 Join date : 2018-07-03

V.a.nublarensis wrote:

spectroul wrote:: Yep. I'm new here tho (that was my first post) so I'm still learning how to use the forum

In that case, welcome to the mainframe! Hope you have a good time here. Cool

You can edit your first post (top right of the post) and below the post box, there's an option to add a poll.

Thanks!

I tried to add a poll but I'm pretty sure it didn't worked so I must be doing something wrong, lol.

Welcome to the Mainframe! Smile

To answer your post, I mostly agree with you. I think Claire is the real main character of the trilogy (at least so far), while Owen, while very important to the story, feels more like the "action hero" of the movie.

I think he has a character arc in FK. It's subtle, but I think the Owen we see driving the car during the ending of FK is different and more mature than the Owen we see at the bar talking with Claire.
He admits his faults in the prison, he decides to take his responsibilities, and face his fears (I think Owen, while apparently a sort of fearless super hero, is more scared than Claire about the whole situation. That's why she wants to go back to Nublar, and Owen doesn't, initially).
He's not the immature Owen who left Claire because of silly reasons and who doesn't want to take his responsibilities and go to save the dinosaurs. He now even has to care about a child, which should make him become a bit more mature and less childish.

Yeah, I loved that button scene: Claire fought years in order to preserve these animals, and now that she has the power to save them, she does not. She had to choose between her own search for redemption and the safety of humans. Curious thing is, by choosing the latter, she did a very mature thing and almost redeemed herself.
Then of course Maisie will push that button, since the little girl had much more reason to do it than Claire.

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Jurassic World exists to remind us how very small we are, how new. You can't put a price on that Velociraptor

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/owenpratt93

To be honest, I like Owen which doesn't make that much sense seeing as how Claire has gotten way more development. I hope I'm not just being sexist (which I'm sure I'm not because I like Rey in Star Wars more than Finn and even Poe). I think Owen got some nice development in FK.

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Have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness

[color=#33ccff]

TheRexMan22 wrote:: To be honest, I like Owen which doesn't make that much sense seeing as how Claire has gotten way more development. I hope I'm not just being sexist (which I'm sure I'm not because I like Rey in Star Wars more than Finn and even Poe). I think Owen got some nice development in FK.

I'm just curious as to what development you mean. I didnt feel he developed but perhaps I missed something that you noticed.

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Jurassic Role Play: Live The Legend Redux

I prefer Claire, simply because she's more human and flawed than Owen, who at times seems like a Gary Stu straight from a Jurassic Park fanfic (he even has the mandatory friendship with Velociraptors). That, and I'm really tired of Pratt's "quippy action hero" characters.

Though to be honest, I'm not that crazy about either of these characters. Claire has character development and an arc in the first movie, but it's really weird and poorly handled. Also, she's essentially a completely different character with completely different motivations in the two movies we saw her, and the movie doesn't even bother to explain why. I mean, yeah, she was sad at seeing an Apatosaurus die in JW, but in the very next scene near the waterfall she was back at calling the dinosaurs "dumb animals". It's even more jarring than the Malcolm's change between JP and TLW.

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"In the end, it was not guns or bombs that defeated the aliens, but that humblest of all God's creatures... the Tyrannosaurus rex."

"Try to imagine yourself in the Late Quaternary. You get your first look at this six-foot Psittacosaurus as you enter a city. You stay still, because you think that maybe its visual acuity is based on movement. Maybe it's not all that bright. But no... not Homo sapiens. You stare at it, and it stares right back at you. And that's when it starts shooting you with this... THE GUN!" - Dr. Mongoliensis

"Damn animals", not "dumb animals" btw

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Jurassic World exists to remind us how very small we are, how new. You can't put a price on that Velociraptor

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/owenpratt93

Hatchling Posts : 96 Reputation : 5 Join date : 2016-06-07

I'm mostly waiting for the third film to pass final judgement, as I still feel Fallen Kingdom pulled some punches there and only made baby steps for both characters.

I certainly don't feel like the films have underlined Claire's development but I think we've seen a really interesting arc so far and I'm looking forward to how JW3 deals with that. I thought JW did a really good job keeping her cool and in control, if not compassionate, and letting herself open up emotionally, and FK certainly did not reset her back, but didn't really underline the line from A to B. I'm hoping the next film brings that out better while hopefully giving us a satisfying final step.

Owen has served his story purpose and there's been hints of him opening up from being an uncaring loner to someone with a little more compassion for other humans, but it feels underwritten at times. All that aid, you know, a part of me is glad they aren't trying to push Owen too hard over Claire, and appreciates him as a strong male supporting protagonist to a female lead protagonist. I really hope the next film, again, does better to underline the development arc that has already occurred as it finishes it. I think he might deserve a little more focus this time around though, as he has more catching up to do than Claire.

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Let's work together to #CancelJurassicWorld3 and let this franchise be where it belongs - extinct.

Claire, by MILES away.

Claire has development, depth, personality, anything Mr. Owen badass bro Grady doesn't.

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"Chaos theory is a pseudoscience you asshole" - Headcanon line from Sickle_Claw

Former JPL member, Spinosaur4.4.

JW & JWFK: Which lead character do you prefer? Claire or Owen? (SPOILERS) LYHX0zA

JW & JWFK: Which lead character do you prefer? Claire or Owen? (SPOILERS) LYHX0zA

Embryo Posts : 16 Reputation : 2 Join date : 2018-06-28

TheRexMan22 wrote:: To be honest, I like Owen which doesn't make that much sense seeing as how Claire has gotten way more development. I hope I'm not just being sexist (which I'm sure I'm not because I like Rey in Star Wars more than Finn and even Poe). I think Owen got some nice development in FK.

You’re perfectly fine with liking Owen more than Claire without having to worry about being called a sexist lol. Don’t let other people try to bring you down. Besides, everyone has their own personal favourite characters.

Claire is the character that is expected to evolve more throughout this trilogy and Colin Trevorrow also stated this a while back.

Personally I prefer Owen than Claire. As an individual, Owen is more physically fitter and stronger and more independent, he tells it like it is, is somebody that isn’t afraid of what other people think of him and in a survival situation he is the person that would more than likely survive than let’s say Claire due to his own coping mechanisms and survival techniques. Plus he had been committed his whole life to working directly with dinosaurs (velociraptors) putting his life a risk. Also, clearly Owen is not a crowd follower.

So for me it’s Owen. Owen is the more stronger physically and mentally. He represents the positive role-model and idol for many than any of the other characters in the Jurassic World trilogy.

Comparing Owen and Claire by their personal traits, many people would likely respect Owen more for putting himself more out there and for being more independent (living) who has expressed he is more than capable of being able to cope and live on his own (and we have seen this in FK building his own place etc.), is not easily persuaded or manipulated by others and because of his own natural survival tactics and his mutual respect for the wildlife and dinosaurs - plus Owens respect has always remained and been consistent unlike Claire, signalling that she is of a character that can easily change her respect and beliefs at any given time to suit her own agenda and needs at that moment in time. Owens firmness, passion and loyalty has always been consistent.

It’s just the way that his character has been executed through storyline is not as great and prominent as Claire’s. Trevorrow did say Claire is the more thought out character that will evolve more than anybody else’s.

Sure, Claire has had more of an emotional or life changing journey and we should respect her for it, yet that does’nt always automatically equate to being somebody of a character who is better than another (like Owen) for the reasons mention above. Somebody showing consistency in behaviour and attitude will always be demanded more respect no matter if they are more flawed or less flawed, more strong or less strong than somebody else.

For fairness they should both really be given equal opportunity as characters to grow and develop.
And for further fairness, Owen should really be given his own novel also and I’m sure there are many more people who would have liked to have read his story too.

[quote="JurassicJ"]

TheRexMan22 wrote:: Comparing Owen and Claire by their personal traits, many people would likely respect Owen more for putting himself more out there and for being more independent (living) who has expressed he is more than capable of being able to cope and live on his own (and we have seen this in FK building his own place etc.), is not easily persuaded or manipulated by others and because of his own natural survival tactics and his mutual respect for the wildlife and dinosaurs - plus Owens respect has always remained and been consistent unlike Claire, signalling that she is of a character that can easily change her respect and beliefs at any given time to suit her own agenda and needs at that moment in time. Owens firmness, passion and loyalty has always been consistent.
.

I actually would argue that Owen's loyalty is not much present at the beginning of FK, when he almost refuses to come with Claire, apparently not caring about Blue's life. I think that was a moment when he was scared to come back, facing his daemons once again. He's brave, but he also wants to live alone (thus why seems like his favorite company is animals, with the exception of Claire).
Although I think Claire was scared too, but she also really wanted to get redemption. Owen thought he didn't need that much of a redemption, until Mills told him that his researches lead to the creation of the hybrids, which consequentially bring Owen to admit his faults to Claire in the cage.

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Jurassic World exists to remind us how very small we are, how new. You can't put a price on that Velociraptor

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/owenpratt93

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