Back in 1993, Steven Spielberg helmed and released the original "Jurassic Park," an incredible movie that boasted ground breaking special effects, a creative plot and great performances from Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and the late Sir Richard Attenborough. It's a movie that still holds up today. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. 4 years later came sequel "The Lost World" which fell short of the original's brilliance and then another 4 years later in 2001 came the terrible threequel. The plots got dumber, the effects considerably worse (somehow) and so the studios began to invest less and less money in the franchise as time went on. It seemed that the series would be unable to recover and return to form. Apparently, Universal maintained faith and, 14 years later, we have what is undoubtedly the best sequel to the classic original.
While the two Jurassic sequels opted to take the action to another island, "World" returns to Isle Nublar, the setting of the series' first instalment. In the movie, John Hammond's vision of a fully populated theme park has been fulfilled and has been renamed "Jurassic World" (how this was allowed to happen is only one of the questions you will be asking after viewing this movie). And, yes, there is a hilarious amount of product placement. However, visitor numbers are falling so the company decide to introduce a new, hybrid dino to attract more customer but things soon go horribly wrong. Unfortunately, every plot twist intended to be shocking is oddly predictable, removing much of the intended tension of what is going to happen next. One big plot point in particular was completely spoiled given that it had been released online a week or two before release. Some of the best parts of the film reference the events of the previous films. While I won't spoil them here, I can say that they play a crucial part in the plot and are impossible to miss.
The cast of the film is mixed to say the least, although that may be partly down to how some characters are written. The clear stars of the film are Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Chris Pratt has been in the public eye in particular since his starring roles last year in both "The Lego Movie" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" due to his humour and acting ability to rival Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. His comedy background continues to shine through in this film but also his future as an action star. He is the highlight of the cast. Bryce Dallas Howard also gives a great performance, even though her character goes through the clichéd change from uptight to more relaxed. For the rest of the characters though, it's bad news. They all have little to no personality and are very basic characters: the rich and charismatic billionaire, the military representative who wants to use dinosaurs as weapons, the dull scientist, and the two siblings, one smart and one into technology (you know, like the original).
However, there is one particular aspect of the movie that the filmmakers absolutely had to get perfect: the visual effects. Despite relying much more heavily on CGI rather than animatronics like the first instalment, it pleases me to say that the studio has done a fantastic job of bringing violent carnivores and gentle giants alike back to life once again. That's not to say that practical effects are completely omitted, as the effects crew have achieved the perfect balance of the two. Sets and locations are incredibly detailed, something essential to creating an immersive cinematic experience.
Action sequences take up a large portion of Jurassic World's run time. It just makes me even more relieved that the effects team did a good job. While you are not fearful for the characters lives, these scenes are still full of excellent stunts and great action, meaning that they are fun to watch nonetheless.
The movie still suffers from some flaws, however. One of the main ones is that the tone is all over the place. The movie begins with the two kids arriving at Jurassic World, with the John Williams masterpiece booming as they see the attractions. You really feel the wonder as you are introduced to the park at the same time as these characters. Then the tone shifts entirely to a much darker and sinister atmosphere when we are introduced to the hybrid dinosaur. However, the tone soon begins to move back and forth throughout the movie. It almost seems like the writers did not know whether or not to lean more towards action or comedy.
While Jurassic World is not a perfect movie, due to the inconsistent tone and lack of character development, it is the most worthy sequel to the Spielberg classic. Utilising modern technology to create a true visual spectacle and with a great supporting duo, Jurassic World is well worth a watch. Assuming, of course, that you're able to suspend all disbelief for 2 hours.
Pros
- Impressive special effects
- Lead performances from Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard
- Connections to the first film
- Fun action sequences
Cons
- Tonally confused
- Generic supporting cast
- Predictable plot points
Rating: 7/10
Original Release Date: May 29th, 2015
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, B. D. Wong, Judy Greer
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