My 2015 Movies: Jurassic World (#7)

Jurassic Park 4 was a concept old as dirt in Hollywood, but was never acted upon for understandable reasons. Several rewrites, a total casting change and around 11 years later, we finally had our movie: Jurassic World. Oh, how we all worried about the film’s quality from the first second we heard the idea. Then the trailers started to hit. We were still worried, but at least we were also a bit excited. And it’s hard to say if Jurassic World’s unexpectedly huge success was the product of hype or from word of mouth. Whatever the case, everybody saw it and was simultaneously relieved by how great it ended up being.

After 22 years, John Hammond’s idea for a dinosaur theme park was finally realized. Jurassic World has been a successful resort for quite some time, and InGen continues to genetically clone dinosaurs for the park. In an attempt to further boost profits, the park’s management decide to create the first genetically engineered hybrid dinosaur: Indominus Rex. The Indominus is a highly intelligent beast with abilities they don’t even know about. Eventually, the Indominus escapes, threatening not only the millions of guests but the other dinosaurs as well. It’s up to Owen Grady, a velociraptor specialist, to help recapture the beast.

This is definitely the best Jurassic Park movie since the original… I assume. I’ve actually never seen the second or third films, so I can’t really speak for them. I guess I also can’t claim that this is any better or worse than Jurassic Park because both movies are good for somewhat different reasons. What I can say is that this truly is an awesome movie.

I love this concept and the story behind it. It’s not the deepest of stories out there, but a fairly educated one compared to other summer blockbusters. Sure Jurassic Park is smarter than World, but it still knows what it’s talking about and does creative things with their knowledge of dinosaurs. It toys with a couple scenarios and questions that would come up if we ever reincarnated dinosaurs in this way. Can we train dinosaurs? Would they be applicable for military use? Are these methods of cloning and creating hybrid monsters ethical? All very interesting dilemmas that make this movie so compelling and memorable.

There is one small flaw. This movie can be a bit corny in some of its dialogue sequences at times, and you’ll know what I mean. It only happens once or twice, though, and is far from movie breaking.

Like the first film, Jurassic World utilizes both animatronics and CGI for their dinosaur effects. Their process and use of CG is ideally balanced and looks incredibly realistic even when seen next to the humans. It’s actually kinda difficult to tell which ones are CG and which aren’t, and it makes for a visually stunning production. As for the human action sequences, explosions, and everything else, those are all practical and well-implemented. And between the effects and the screenplay, you know you’re in for a treat during the action scenes. Chris Pratt on a motorcycle with an army of raptors is probably the most epic thing you’ll ever see.

Speaking of which, the acting was great here. Chris Pratt has proven with this and Guardians of the Galaxy that he is the modern action star. He has charm, wit, nobility and general badassery. Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing was also an awesome lead. She’s a flawed and interesting lead who has great chemistry with Pratt. Not only does she get her funny moments alongside Pratt, but she also steps up for the action just as easily. I should also mention the film’s two brothers who play big parts in the movies; they also did great jobs.

Jurassic World was insane amounts of fun. Whether you’re looking for lighthearted action, paleolithic intrigue, or perhaps just nostalgia for a beloved series, this movie delivers on all fronts. I know you’ve probably seen it already, so go ahead and watch it again.

I’m SBox180. Thanks for reading!

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For all entries in the 2015 Movie Countdown, click here!