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Review: Jurassic World

Finally delivering on the promise of John Hammond, Jurassic World is a theme park we’ve all dreamed of. A place where people can ride a Triceratops. A place where you can roam in the middle of a  Stegosaurus herd in a gyro sphere. Where you can take a boat tour down the river, and travel from attraction to attraction on a high tech monorail. It’s fully functional, with enough inspiration for ten parks.

 

Years after Jurassic World has opened, society’s enthusiasm for Dinosaurs has lessened. Not to worry, though, the management and  scientists (including Dr. Wu, played by B.D. Wong, the only returning cast member from the original film) have  manufactured an all new dinosaur, Indominus Rex, made from the DNA of….well, I’ll let you find that out for yourself. Ignoring the warnings of raptor trainer/whisperer/lover Owen (Pratt), who tells them they shouldn’t grossly meddle with nature, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and billionaire owner Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan)proceed with the I-Rex preparations. To further complicate matters, Claire’s two nephews have been sent there by their divorcing parents.

Director Colin Trevorrow does such a great job with setting up the park that it’s a shame we aren’t there enjoying it longer. The film knows why we’re here, and in no time, we’re on our way to the park, and the moment the Jurassic Park theme begins with the horns, the filmmakers know you’re hooked, and they milk it for all its worth to tremendous effect. John Williams isn’t in charge of the musical score, but thankfully musical genius Michael Giacchino takes over, delivering a masterful score, one that combines the same grace and bombast as Williams’ original.

All of the characters are developed just enough so that you’ll be moderately invested in their safety once all hell breaks loose.  Immediately after all the pawns are in place, Indominus Rex makes his escape, and the film becomes a non-stop chase sequence, all the way to its fist pumping finale. Trevorrow pulls no punches, subjecting the human to some grizzly ends, complete with gushes of blood and bone crunching that pushes the PG-13 rating.

“Jurassic World” serves as a great example of the importance of hiring a great cast. For the most part, the actors rise above a somewhat lackluster script; you won’t notice the plot holes until after you’ve left the theatre. Pratt continues to prove that he’s the real thing, an actor with enormous amount of screen presence, able to transition between seriousness and humor perfectly. He sells the absurd occupation that is “Raptor Trainer.” Bryce Dallas Howard is equally as wonderful, going from stuck up, work obsessed park manager, concerned only with numbers, to a full fledged action heroine who doesn’t allow Pratt to be the only one saving the day. Vincent D’Onofrio is having a blast chewing more scenery than the dinosaurs chew flesh, playing InGen’s security leader who wishes to train dinosaurs for the military.

Spielberg held back as much as he could with the original, giving the audience roughly 15 minutes of dino action. Jurassic World comments on how aggressively we demand more and more from our entertainment (an early monologue by Jake Johnson clumsily spells this out for us), and as a result, it teeters precariously on becoming the thing it’s condemning. Once the dinosaurs are released, the film really doesn’t take a moment to catch a breath, which thankfully never becomes too tedious or overwhelming, a result of graceful directing and editing. The creation of Indominus Rex turned into a disaster, a beast intended to quench the desires of the visitors. Speaking of Indominus Rex, for all the epic scope of the film, there’s never a shot of the creature in all its glory. If you were to ask me to draw it, I would be at a loss.

Jurassic World is set during the holiday season, surprisingly, which is appropriate because the fact the the film is as good as it is might be the greatest surprise of the summer. It doesn’t reach Mad Max: Fury Road levels of brilliance, and it’s not as transcendent as the first film, but it comes really, really close. Jurassic Word is a supremely entertaining film with some fun performances. Colin Trevorrow should be applauded for delivering a rousing, smart summer blockbuster with some great themes. It’s a sequel that doesn’t stand in the shadow of its predecessor, but right beside it. In the end, even the most jaded film goer will watch with a smile on their face.

It truly is a Christmas miracle.

 

Film