Movie Review: Jurassic World

They definitely spared no expense this time around

As a kid, I loved the original Jurassic Park. I've been told by my parents that I would watch that movie hundreds of times. I remember having tons of Jurassic Park themed toys and dinosaur related objects just because the original movie managed to create an unfathomable magic about those giant extinct lizards.

Unfortunately for the Jurassic Park franchise, the movies got worse and worse, failing to reignite the majesty and wonder that the original had. In a sense, my childhood took a hard beating and it didn't look to recover itself. So with the news that another Jurassic Park movie would be coming out, skepticism was at an all time high. There's no way this new movie could be better than the original, in fact there's no possible way this could even be any good whatsoever.

I was right though, it wasn't as good as the original. However I was wrong...incredibly wrong when I thought that this movie might end up being a train wreck. Jurassic World managed to be an incredible adventure that successfully reignited my love for the original. In short, I was blown away.

TIME TO SWOON EVERYBODY!

Jurassic World stars Hollywoods newest everyman pretty boy, Chris Pratt as Owen, a Velociraptor by trade and a manly badass as a general hobby. We also have Bryce Howard as Claire, the woman running Jurassic World and her nephews Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson). Jurassic World takes place several decades after the third film where a new, successful park has been opened, allowing the public to view and enjoy Dinosaurs in all their glory. What Jurassic World is, is essentially a theme park filled to the brim with extinct creatures. Guests will learn about different species, take tours with herds, watch a T-Rex feed, and many more. The majesty of Jurassic World is quite palpable...well, at least for us. The public has grown bored and weary of Dinosaurs at this point and the park needs something to bring in the crowd.

Introducing the Indominus Rex, a genetic hybrid dinosaur created by Jurassic World geneticists to create more interest amongst the public. Unfortunately, things go wrong every time there's a theme park dedicated to dinosaurs, and the genetic monster escapes, causing havoc around the entire island. What follows is an adventure of 'Jurassic' proportions, filled with enough nostalgic action to make you feel like a kid again. You thought that the original Jurassic Park had some badass dinosaurs? Well wait until you feast your eyes on the Mosasaurus. You wanted more Raptors? Well get ready for a single pack that you'll grow to adore. Want some extra T-Rex in your life? Oh boy are you going to get your fill.

Wow, people are bored of THIS??
This thing kicks Shamus ass!

Jurassic World doesn't quite amount to a perfect movie however, while filled to the brim with great visuals, action and suspense, I can't help but feel that the film was too predictable. Everything from what the Indominus Rex is made of to the secondary antagonists story were some of the weakpoints of the film in my opinion. I know, I said the movie was suspenseful, but that was only during the action sequences where I'd be at the edge of my seat as Indominus is hunting down Owen or the kids. That, I feel, is less important than major plot points that are far too predictable for my liking. As much as I loved the movie, I wish that they could have surprised me more.

Look! Child actors who aren't terrible! A species that Jurassic World brought back from extinction along with the Dinosaurs!

That being said, Jurassic World is a non-stop ride that will keep you wanting more and more despite it's predictability. One of the major positive points of this film is that it doesn't run out of (fossil) fuel. In fact, the film is clearly driven by the nostalgia the viewer may have for the original. The theme song, the sense of wonder, the introduction to the park, all of this is easily poking and prodding at the right areas of the brain that make you go 'oh man, I totally remember my first visit to Jurassic Park...'
Seeing the Mosasaurus for the first time made my jaw drop, similar to how I felt when I first laid eye on the T-Rex in the original film. Though the special effects this time around are nowhere near as impressive as the effects used in the original, they still managed to create a sense of wonder. I also loved the way Jurassic World did it's callbacks to the original. Statues of John Hammond, similar themes and shots, echoing the same lines from the original and so much more. It was a tasteful method that many other films fail to utilize. Instead of subtle hints and nods, we're normally bombarded with reminders and violent nudges telling us 'DO YOU REMEMBER THIS?'. Jurassic World, thankfully doesn't do this and let's us, as an audience, feel the nostalgia and memories flow through ourselves without any real help.

Yeah, this is still pretty cool

In terms of acting, every member of the cast had a solid performance. In fact, some managed to be massive improvements over the originals. Christ Pratt manages to be a manlier man than Jeff Goldblum, and Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson manage to be tolerable youngsters compared to Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello (Tim and Lex Murphy). In fact, I would say that the best thing to come out of Jurassic World was Owen's relationship with his Raptor pack. It was a fantasy relationship that felt real. The way Owen and the Raptors behaved around each other is very similar to how actual animal trainers and their animals behave. A sense of a true bond and a sense of irreplaceable comradery. I'm glad that my fears of a cringey, Hollywood-esque relationship have been put to rest.

This is now a famous shot being replicated by zoo-keepers around the world

Jurassic World stands as a shining beacon of hope that perhaps sequels for mega franchises won't always be terrible. In fact, they definitely have the ability to be just as amazing if you respect the original/source material. This has been such a pleasant surprise for me that I'm actually looking forward to Terminator Genisys. Maybe we'll get another amazing sequel to a long running franchise!

Verdict: 4.5/5