Jurassic World, rated PG-13
** ½
This film (the fourth in the Jurassic Park series based on characters from Michael Crichton novels), starts with brothers Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) going to Jurassic World to visit their Aunt Claire who runs the park (Bryce Dallas Howard from The Help and The Village, and Ron Howard’s daughter). They’re traveling to Costa Rica over their Christmas break while their parents work on their marriage problems back home. But Claire is much too busy trying to attract more visitors to the park and entertain investors than spend any time with her nephews. Instead she has her uninterested assistant look after them.
Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Jurassic World (theme park, hotels, shops, restaurants), is now a full-functioning dinosaur theme resort as originally envisioned by John Hammond. This new park was built, and is now owned, by the Masrani Corporation. Jurassic World is built on the remains of the original park on Isla Nublar.
Claire and Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong, who appeared in the original Jurassic Park film in 1993), are pushed by park owner Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) to come up with dinosaurs that are bigger and scarier to keep interest and attendance up. A new genetically-modified hybrid dinosaur called Indominus Rex, is their solution.
Owen (Chris Pratt, Peter Quill from Guardians of the Galaxy), the most likeable character in the film, was brought in to care for and train the raptors, and he’s doing a good job at that. Claire asks him to come over to look at Indominus Rex in his enclosure when he can’t be located. When Indominus Rex escapes his enclosure, the movie really gets started. He can’t be stopped and park personnel don’t want to kill him because of the huge investment they have in him.
If you are looking for character development, great dialogue or an intriguing plot, this is not your film. However the computer generated imagery (CGI) of the dinosaurs (Indominus Rex, raptors, pterodactyls, the giant alligator-like mosasaur) is incredible. The film will be scary for young children, and amazingly some parents thought it was a good idea to bring their young children to the showing we attended. (Then they wonder why they have bad dreams!)
The film contains more distracting product placement than I’ve seen in a long time. Count ‘em! Mercedes, Coke, Blackstone, Pandora, Starbucks, etc. It also includes some adult language which seemed to be forced into the dialogue. The film earns it’s “PG-13” rating due to the violent content.
Based on the long line of people we saw outside of the theatre as we exited the $150 million film directed by Colin Trevorrow, it will have a huge opening weekend. Original series director Stephen Spielberg served as Executive Producer this time.
This is the perfect summer movie – big, fun and exciting, but ultimately disposable.
