Jurassic World (2015) Universal/Action-Adventure-Sci-Fi RT: 124 minutes Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of sci-fi violence and peril) Director: Colin Trevorrow Screenplay: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow Music: Michael Giacchino Cinematography: John Schwartzman Release date: June 12, 2015 (US) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, B.D. Wong, Jake Johnson, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Tee, Katie McGrath, Judy Greer, Andy Buckley. Box Office: $653.4M (US)/$1.6B (World)
Rating: ***
In summer of ’93, audiences stampeded to multiplexes to witness dinosaurs (including one bad ass T-Rex!) rampaging in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Now, twenty-two years (to the day!) and two lackluster sequels later, prehistoric beasts are on the loose once again in Jurassic World, a solid summer action-adventure flick sure to scare up a decent box office haul.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed), the movie is best summed up by recalling the scene where Bryce Dallas Howard’s park manager explains to investors how upping the “WOW!” factor (i.e. bigger, scarier and cooler) will draw bigger crowds. That’s precisely what the director, making his first big budget Hollywood film, attempts to do with Jurassic World. It’s certainly bigger and scarier, but definitely not cooler. Oh well, two out of three ain’t bad.
Two decades after the initial disaster, Jurassic World (as it’s now named so as not to recall the previous incident) is a fully functional theme park that attracts enormous crowds. People come to gape at no-longer-extinct prehistoric creatures, but they’ve grown bored. As Claire Dearing (the aforementioned ops manager played by Ms. Howard) observes, seeing such animals now is no different from seeing an elephant at the zoo. The solution? Genetically engineer a bunch of new attractions, of course.
In the lab, Dr. Wu (Wong from the first movie) has cooked up something called the Indominus Rex. It’s a hybrid of a T-Rex and several other species making it a super-dinosaur. Naturally, it escapes its enclosure and starts heading towards the park. This occurs the same day that Claire’s two nephews, intelligent kid Gray (Simpkins, the Insidious movies) and older brother Zach (Robinson, The Kings of Summer), are visiting the park. Naturally, the two kids manage to put themselves directly in the line of danger, so Claire goes to Velociraptor trainer Owen Grady (Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy) to help find and rescue them.
No movie like Jurassic World is complete without a human baddie that you hope becomes dinosaur chow by the end. In ’93, it was Wayne Knight’s corporate traitor. In ’15, it’s gung-ho security head Vic Hoskins (D’Onofrio, Law & Order: CI) who has the brilliant idea of using Owen’s raptors as weapons of mass destruction. Since they can be trained to obey orders, is it such a stretch to replace soldiers with the vicious little beasties? Yeah, I know, pretty far-fetched and silly, right? Good thing Jurassic World is so much fun.
It’s a good movie, but it lacks the awesomeness of the first movie. With the first one, audience reaction was “Oh WOW!!! Dinosaurs!!!” Now it’s like, “Oh, dinosaurs.” That being said, the I-Rex is pretty cool. It has tree frog DNA meaning that she’s (yes, it’s a girl!) capable of changing her body temperature as a means of concealment. However, the truly impressive new beast is the Mosasaurus, a huge aquatic monster with 88 teeth. All I can say is “DAMN!” In what has to be a tip of the hat to Spielberg, the creature’s intro scene shows him jumping out of the water and swallowing a great white shark. Maybe it’s a set-up for a Jaws crossover? Heh heh!
The special effects in Jurassic World are very good. The creature attacks are scary and exciting. I’m especially fond of the scene where the pterodactyls take to the skies and go after the panicking humans, snatching terrified visitors in their talons and tossing them around. Trevorrow recreates a key scene from the first movie with the I-Rex chasing and closing in on the vehicle containing several main characters.
As for the characters, Jurassic World contains all the usual types. The macho and sarcastic hero, the no-nonsense career woman forced into protective maternal mode, the hiss-worthy villain, the arrogant scientist and the two bickering siblings that realize they do care about each other. All present and accounted for. The acting isn’t anything special, although I do think that Pratt makes a more than decent action hero. Howard, on the other hand, reminded me of a Stepford wife with her flawless appearance and mannequin-like mannerisms. D’Onofrio, who makes a good villain, seems to be channeling R. Lee Ermey (of Full Metal Jacket) at times.
Jurassic World is a solid three-star matinee picture. It’s, by far, the best of the sequels. Spielberg’s magic touch is missed, but Trevorrow does a respectable job with his first time playing in the majors. He doesn’t beat you over the head with the obligatory “Don’t play God!” message. It’s an effective hot weather thrill machine.
