Review – Jurassic World

You would think that after all the chaos, destruction, and deaths that occurred the first time John Hammond wanted to open up Jurassic Park, there would be no possible way for the park to ever happen.  Even when they visited Jurassic Park Site B and the second InGen dinosaur lab, the dinosaurs ran wild and people died, giving further proof that dinosaurs should not be genetically made and they don’t mix well with humans.

Well, it looks like someone in the Jurassic Park (1993) universe wants to keep trying because here we are again with Jurassic World an entertaining summer blockbuster that lacks character depth and the magic of the 1993 original.

Jurassic World brings us to Isla Nublar, site of the original Jurassic Park, where there is now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park that has been around for ten years.  However, guests are apparently getting bored with the same old dinosaurs, so change needs to happen. That is why park owner Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) and park manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) decide to make a new dinosaur called Indominus Rex.  The Indominus Rex is a genetically altered dinosaur that includes some T-Rex, cuttlefish, some lizards, and another major dinosaur that I won’t spoil for you.  This dinosaur is a big, mean killing machine and it eventually breaks out of its cage and creates mayhem throughout the park by eating people and killing off other dinosaurs.

We follow a cast of characters during this chaos.  Owen (Chris Pratt) is a raptor trainer who is also Claire’s love interest.  Claire’s nephews, Gray and Zach (Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson) are at the island visiting their aunt and getting a full tour of the park.  And Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio) is head of security with plans of his own.

Pratt’s star power continues to grow, but he is essentially the same character that he was in last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy.  He’s funny, charming, and does all the action really well, almost as if he was trying out to be the new Indiana Jones or something. Bryce Dallas Howard continues to be the B-grade Jessica Chastain and does her best with what she can, continuously running and looking scared. D’Onofrio, who gave the performance of a lifetime as Wilson ‘Kingpin’ Fisk in Netflix’s Daredevil, is just another side character who could have been played by any random actor.

The biggest issue I have with Jurassic World is the film’s script.  The characters are very standard, action movie characters and the females characters might as well not even be there.  And let me tell you about the kids.  To say I hated them is an understatement.  They had terrible chemistry for being brothers, and they tried to make us feel sympathetic towards them because they didn’t get along and there parents were getting a divorce.  Personally, I wanted them to get eaten by the Indominus about 45 minutes into the movie.

The first half of the film is kind of slow, but it really picks up in the second half, with some great chase sequences and dino-on-dino battles.  The last fight is the fight everyone in the theater was waiting for and we were not disappointed.  The special effects are top notch, but the nostalgia side of me preferred the animatronic dinosaurs from the original.  Michael Giacchino’s score may not be as legendary as John Williams’ classic, but it definitely adds emotion to the film while also bringing us back to the first island.

Director Colin Trevorrow, who made one of my favorite indie movies of this decade with Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) has done a solid job with his first big budget film.  However, with an underwhelming script, standard characters, and lackluster beginning, Jurassic World is just an average summer blockbuster and yet another unnecessary sequel to a beloved classic.

MY RATING – 2.5/4

Did you see Jurassic World?  What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook at Kevflix.