Jurassic World: Movie Review

"The park is open."

Steven Spielberg's dinosaur action/adventure park is back in business. The executive producer's famed franchise hopes to take a big bite out of the box office revenue made this weekend as his new installment, Jurassic World, opens in theaters worldwide.

Starring Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), Jurassic World offers moviegoers a satisfying thrill ride through the now opened Disney-esque dino-themed amusement park. Caution is advised as this new summer blockbuster contains some foul language and scary dinosaur-inflicting violence.

THE MOVIE IN A MINUTE

Twenty-two years after the devastating events of John Hammond's original attempt, his dream of a live dinosaur theme park where tourists and ancient beasts can interact is fully realized. In its tenth year of operation, Jurassic World continues to entertain visitors from all over the world. But, ticket sales are declining. To reinvigorate interest, scientists led by Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) and park operations manager Claire Dearing (Howard) create a hybrid dinosaur as Jurassic World's next big attraction. Bad idea. Dearing reaches out to the park's Raptor trainer Owen Grady (Pratt), in hopes of learning how to better contain the bigger-than-a-T-Rex beast they've dubbed Indominus Rex (which means "untamable king").

THE GOOD AND BAD IN JURASSIC WORLD

Better than the original trilogy's sequels (The Lord World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III), Jurassic World ticks most of the boxes fans have when it comes to these dinosaur action/adventure movies. Coming in at 124 minutes, director Colin Trevorrow's popcorn flick is just long enough. Some critics have pointed to some spots of poor CGI as a weakness in Jurassic World, but it's not distracting. This is a big, loud and visually vivid film. As with any science fiction based films, you can't watch this movie without suspending your disbelief.

The story is well crafted, which almost wasn't so. The script went through multiple rewrites. Thankfully, the filmmakers opted for the best storyline of the rumored alternates, one of which featured human-dinosaur hybrids. Trevorrow pays homage to the original in props, set locations and cinematography. Jurassic World takes us back to Isla Nublar, to a live dinosaur theme park with a sort of Disney/Epcot feel to it with its line-inducing attractions, interactive exhibits and even a personal driving orb you can maneuver through a dinosaur area.

With a false sense of security, especially since wild dinosaurs still roam free north of the theme park in a "restricted" area, parents corral wide-eyed kids and their bored teenagers through the maze of corporate-sponsored amusement. The product placement was intentionally amped up, as the filmmakers wanted to speak to society's insatiable craving to be entertained and corporate and consumer excess. Themes of heroism, sacrifice and protecting those you love also play major roles in Jurassic World. There are no references to the Christian faith, but with the genetic creation of the Indominus Rex we get a glimpse at the dangers that come with humans playing "God". One character seems malicious as he hopes to turn the dinosaurs into soldiers that can be used on battlefields. His misguided idea is revealed to have a partly pure motive of protecting the masses.

Pratt and Howard lead a great cast as Grady and Dearing. He's a rough around the edges, protector type and she's the business before fun kind of woman (She even runs in pumps for half of the movie--a feat for which Howard says she had to train). Ty Simpkins (the cute kid from Iron Man 3) and Nick Robinson (Melissa & Joey) play Dearing's nephews. Vincent D'Onofrio (Netflix's Daredevil) also plays a supporting role as the film's antagonist, with Wong reprising his role from Jurassic Park (the only of the trilogy actors to appear in Jurassic World).

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science fiction violence and peril, Jurassic World is not for kids. Heed the MPAA warning on this one, parents. The foul language and utter mayhem takes it beyond the original three movies. More people on the dinosaur island means more being gobbled up by the rampaging Indominus Rex. This movie is, at times, scary. Jurassic World is definitely bigger, louder and more deadly than its predecessors. Though it doesn't get gory, it does show people being eaten and blood splattering on nearby glass and dripping down rainforest tree leaves. Also, one scene shows Grady (Pratt) making a sexually suggestive gesture.

IN THE END

Jurassic World offers a thrill for fans ready for more Isla Nublar adventure and the majestic and terrifying dinosaurs it contains. Not reaching the greatness of the original, Jurassic World surpasses the sequels. However, caution is advised.