Film Review: ‘Jurassic World’

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson

Age Restriction: 10-12 PG V        

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi      

Runtime: 125 minutes
 
Release date: 12 June 2015

It’s been almost 14 years since the last instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise hit cinemas back in 2001 and since then, a fourth film has been in the works but for years went through development hell… until now.

Instead of having Jurassic Park and a number four in the title, the filmmakers have instead opted to call the film Jurassic World, and with good reason as the new film takes the franchise in a slightly different direction.

Taking place 22 years after the original film, Jurassic World finally fulfils the ambitions of what those pesky humans were trying to do in the first two instalments: run a successful dinosaur theme park. Only this time, the theme park is being called Jurassic World and not Jurassic Park.

Jurassic World has been running successfully for its 10-year life span and visitor attendances have since spiked.

As we know, humans are never satisfied with anything and are constantly trying to outdo themselves and make more profits. So in order to draw more visitors, the scientists invent a new attraction: a hybrid dinosaur called the Indominus Rex – said to be bigger than a T-Rex.

With the creation of a completely new dinosaur, the Indominus Rex proves to be far more intelligent than originally anticipated and practically fools almost everyone, resulting in her escape from captivity.

With the most powerful dinosaur ever created now on the loose, expect things to go awry as the humans try to correct their mistake and attempt to save countless lives from death.

Director Colin Trevorrow – whose only feature film credits include indie film Safety Not Guaranteed – helms his sophomore film with Jurassic World. One can only wonder how Trevorrow – who moved up from a small scale indie to an epic blockbuster – ended up pulling it off like a pro.

This makes it clearly evident that a fan directed this movie, as Jurassic World showcases his passion and love for the mythology.

Trevorrow was actually one of the main writers behind the film’s script, and he along with Derek Connolly crafted an impressive and well-rounded story that will enthral audiences right from the opening shot until the very end.

We have a successful fully functioning dinosaur theme park, a newly created dinosaur on the loose, a ranger – played by Chris Pratt – who trains Velociraptors, operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) – who has to deal with it all including her two stranded nephews – and of course, dinosaurs on the loose.

That’s one big story I might add; but thankfully, Trevorrow handles it with care making sure that everything balances evenly; with the addition of unexpected surprises that will impress.  

Jurassic World completely blew expectations out of the water, positioning itself as possibly one of the best films of the blockbuster movie season. (Yes, it’s actually better than Avengers: Age of Ultron.)

Jurassic World features one of the best action sequences of the year and is definitely the most action-packed instalment yet. The sheer scale of the film itself is fairly epic and demands to be seen in IMAX 3D to get that full experience.

Jurassic World will immerse audiences into the film as it captivates them with wondrous moments, breathtaking landscapes and green jungles courtesy of the impressive cinematography, set design and filming locations.

Updates in technology allow for vastly improved visual effects, impressive CGI dinosaurs and memorable yet explosive action set pieces.

Like its predecessors before it, expect thrills, chills, tension and nostalgia with lots of references to the original film.

While Jurassic World may not be able to capture the magic and originality of the first film, it at least surpasses the two sequels by a large margin and has earned its place as the second best film in the franchise.

Like most films Jurassic World has its flaws; thankfully though, they’re only teeny weenie issues which can be overlooked.

During the course of the film, audiences are able to explore some of the attractions the park has to offer. The sad thing is that because we’re dealing with a large story, Trevorrow has no choice but to only show us a few things before moving on with the story.

The film also needed further dinosaur knowledge and lacked more science fiction. These two elements along with the exploration are what made the original so creative.

While Pratt and Dallas Howard bring in good performances, their characters essentially needed more development to truly standout. Pratt once again proves his worth as an actor belting out his witty dialogue quite naturally. He is quite charismatic and showcases his expertise as an action star.

Dallas Howard truly captures all the transitions Claire experiences in the film – starting out as an uptight and driven personality before being hit with panic and fear, subsequently followed by guts and heroism.

Claire’s nephews Zach and Gray Mitchell are the only well-developed characters in the film adding that emotion and will have audiences rooting for them on the side.

Verdict: There’s just so much to like about Jurassic World as the film truly reinvigorates the franchise taking audiences on a highly entertaining thrill ride. While Jurassic World may not be able to top the original, it certainly outdoes the sequels by a long shot, taking its rightful place as the second best film in the franchise.