On the same day that the film became the 3rd highest grossing movie of all-time and that it was announced that a sequel was now in the works, I finally saw Jurassic World. I am a huge fan of the movie and an even bigger fan of the original novel by one of my favorite writers, Michael Crichton. Oddly enough, out of all 4 films in the Jurassic series, this was the first one I saw in theaters.
Jurassic World takes place some 20 years after the first film. The dream of John Hammond has finally been realized and Isla Nublar has been converted into the technological theme park marvel, Jurassic World. The park is run by super-efficient park manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) who has trouble seeing the human side of things. Her nephews are visiting the park for the week, but she doesn't even have any time for them as she is super busy wooing prospective corporate sponsors for the park's newest coming attraction- the Indominus Rex.
This hybrid dinosaur is super stealthy and wicked mean. It's proof of what Jeff Goldblum's character, Ian Malcolm, in the first film advises- 'Man should not play GOD!' When the hybrid manages to break loose, it's up to ex-Navy Seal Owen (Chris Pratt) to save the day. He's been working on a super secret project with Jurassic World's genetic research parent company InGen involving the training of velociraptors as army weapons.
During the melee, Claire realizes that her nephews are unaccounted for and seeks Owen's help to rescue them. While on their rescue mission, they see first hand the carnage of the Indominus Rex, who isn't killing for food but sport, setting itself up to become the dominant thunder lizard of the park. However, there are several species of dinosaur ready to challenge the Indominus as alpha dog as the giant creature destroys park attraction after park attraction and unleashes a hell on the visitors of the park some 65-million years in the making.
Jurassic World was an excellent film. It's no Jurassic Park and it doesn't really try to be. However, there are several easter eggs that elude to that classic film and it pays a respectable homage to it without being gaudy or flashy.
Yes, there are a few plot devices that were borrowed from the original film and some cliches were telegraphed from the beginning. Particularly as you could tell from when certain characters were first introduced in the film that they would become dino-chow by the time the credits roll. However, the film was a fresh take on a film series over 2 decades old and I didn't feel like I've seen this movie before. (Well, there was one scene in which a flock of flying dinos terrorize the park. I remember leaning over to my wife and saying 'Where's Ian Zeiring (of the Sharknado films) when you need him?")
The acting was quite good and both Howard and Pratt steal just about every scene they are in which is saying something as there are dinosaurs in just about everyone one of those scenes. Without giving away too much of the end of the film, I will say that I am glad both are set to return in the sequel but I really haven't the foggiest clue how they are going to be able to do a 2nd (technically 5th) film after the amount of dino-destruction Jurassic World occurs.
A fun 2-hour ride that really puts you in the film. I didn't see the movie in 3-D as that technology gives me massive headaches. But I could see how many would think this movie was made only to be seen in that format. It should be noted- if you see the film in regular 2-D, some scenes will look grainy and I think that is because those scenes were particularly shot to be viewed in 3-D.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment