When the original Jurassic Park hit theaters in 1993, it was a spectacle to behold, not only in terms of special effects, but also in creativity of the story. Over two decades later, we are invited to visit a well-oiled theme park: Jurassic World. The novelty of dinosaurs being brought back from the dead is gone, and now the power of creation is taken even further when the scientists involved with the park decide to create a brand spankin’ new creature. Chaos ensues, and delightfully so.
Colin Trevorrow wasn’t the obvious choice to quarterback this film, as he’s known for the indie flick, Safety Not Guaranteed. Having said that, he directed a well-paced, popcorn muncher that easily steps all over the other sequels. The script isn’t exactly thought-provoking, and the characters have plenty of forgettable lines, but it works as a blockbuster movie.
The film uses a combination of CGI and animatronics to bring the dinosaurs back to life, and does so very well. The dinosaurs, for the most part, look like living, breathing creatures, which helps to instill a feeling of dread for the characters, even though none of them are worth caring for. The dinosaurs are truly the stars of this film, especially the new guy in town: the Indominus Rex. Jurassic World also brings back the A-list dinosaurs, the crowd-pleasers of the park. It will make you want a raptor as a pet, and also put up a fanboy poster for the T-rex. The film is at it’s most interesting when the dinosaurs are involved, tearing into each other or ripping puny human beings to shreds; it’s a beautiful thing indeed.
The characters in this film are more or less cardboard cutouts, but they barely make it by to not ruin the movie. Chris Pratt plays Owen, a Navy man turned Raptor trainer that’s projected to be a badass. He’s probably the most likable character in the flick, but that’s not saying much. Pratt delivers his cheesy lines the best he can, and he makes some of them work, at least half way. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Claire, an uptight lady who helps manage and run the attractions. Claire is a sight to look at, but that about sums it up. Lowery, one of the tech personnel, is probably the only other somewhat likable character in the film, and he’s played by Jake Johnson. Lowery is a nerd that’s a fanatic of the original Jurassic Park; in short, he’s like 80% of the audience watching. Regardless of the weak characters, the film is still very much entertaining.
In addition to the vicious dinosaurs, there are quite a few references to the original Jurassic Park that may or may not make your heart melt. Whenever John Williams’ original theme song comes on, it’s pretty hard not to get swept away in the magic of it all.
Overall, Jurassic World is by far the best of the sequels, but it definitely doesn’t touch the original. It’s an exciting popcorn flick that has the ability to make you feel like a kid again. The adrenaline junkie in you might also wish that Jurassic World was real, minus the incompetent staff. Long live dinosaurs!
Grade: B
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJJrkyHas78[/youtube]
