It’s been 12 years since we last saw the Tyrannosaurus Rex tearing up the supposedly revamped dinosaur park in Jurassic Park III. While much better than the 50% rating it earned on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie signaled the end of the franchise. Gone were Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. There was talk over the last decade to reinvigorate the series, but nothing ever materialized. Then came the decision to call this Jurassic World rather than Jurassic Park IV and add all-new players to the game.

Had this movie been released in 2005 (to continue the pattern of every three years), this movie would have stunk. Even with its 2015 release date, it still could have stunk. But it didn’t stink. It wasn’t the original (93% on Rotten Tomatoes and $350 million domestically + another $50 million on re-release in 2013, not to mention the millions it earned overseas and through rentals). However, it was still very, very good. If this were the first movie with “Jurassic” in the title, it would have earned a higher rating than its respectable 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. With over $200 million drawn on opening weekend, it’s likely to smash any of its predecessors at the box office (by contrast, Jurassic Park earned just $50 million in its first weekend). Regardless, if the movie received a rating of over 65% fresh, it would probably do very well at the ticket office. I didn’t think it would do this well. But it deserves its positive reviews and its revenue. It was a very entertaining movie, and I recommend seeing it on the big screen.

There was a good portion of this movie where I felt like I was watching Godzilla rather than Jurassic World. Remember that Godzilla was, at first, my most anticipated film of 2014 and the one that disappointed me the most. It was dark, long, and tedious. Jurassic World was none of those things. I had no intention of comparing these two movies before seeing this one. Still, the story of Jurassic World focuses on just one dinosaur: a genetically altered hybrid called Indominus Rex. It is cool because this dinosaur seems virtually indestructible (much like Godzilla). When we first encounter this dinosaur, we see that it has severely cracked an unbreakable piece of glass. Likewise, long claw marks go up his concrete walls, and he is nowhere to be found in his massive habitat. We then realize that this newly created dinosaur is as intelligent as it is strong.

The two protagonists are brothers: Gray (a 5th- or 6th-grader, probably) and his older brother, Zach (a rising high school senior). Gray is an enthusiastic dinosaur fan, as is his little, too-cool brother (even if it’s not hip to show it). They get to travel to Jurassic World without their parents. Why? Because their Aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard – The Help, 50/50) is the park’s operations manager. Claire had no skills or experience with children very early on. Her day-to-day duties at the park prohibit her from spending time with the boys, so she has her assistant, Zara, serve as tour guide and escort them around the park. It doesn’t take much time for the brothers to ditch Zara and do what they want, when they want to do it.

Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lego Movie) plays Owen, trainer of the Velociraptors and go-to fixer. We first meet him when he teaches his four Velociraptors like one of us would teach a young dog. He has a relationship with each dinosaur, and it’s a marvel for visitors to see how an unpredictable beast like a dinosaur can attempt to be trained. Vic (Vincent D’Onofrio – Full Metal Jacket, The Judge), head of a company called InGen Security, is very intrigued. He sees training these dinosaurs as a new way to protect our country. He believes the Velociraptors are not seen as an attraction but rather as park property that can one day become military weapons. Simon (Irrfan Khan – The Lunchbox, Life of Pi). In this movie, Vic is a manipulator and the apparent bad guy (outside of Indominus Rex itself).

If you were a fan of the first movie, see Jurassic World on the big screen. I think you’ll enjoy it. The novelty has worn off, but you could do worse at the movies. It doesn’t have the scare factor or novelty, but the story is entertaining because it is the kind of escape you often look for at the movies.

Plot 8/10
Character Development 7/10 (the characters weren’t the strong suit of the movie)
Character Chemistry 8/10 (enough to not get in the way of each other…good combination of characters…was glad the originals were all gone)
Acting 7/10 (eh)
Screenplay 8/10 (I would have liked to have seen more of the dinosaurs, but this screenplay was really what helped make this movie different)
Directing  9/10 (in the wrong hands, this could have been a disaster…fortunately, it was not in the wrong hands)
Cinematography 10/10 (beautiful)
Sound 10/10 (The Jurassic Park score is one of the top scores of all time…and it’s a consistent part of Jurassic World too)
Hook and Reel 10/10 (the two hours flew by)
Universal Relevance 7/10 (7 is a stretch, but this was a great escape…save the regeneration of the dinosaurs, I could see an island like this with animals gone awry, though maybe not to this extent)
84%

B-

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