Jurassic World

~ philthebearblog

Jurassic World is now a successful theme park located on the original Isla Nublar site that John Hammond used twenty-two years ago. Whilst successful the theme park finds its customers are fickle and every few years they need to come up with a new exciting attraction. This year it will be a hybrid dinosaur that has been created by merging multiple dinosaur species to create the Indominus Rex. But with thousands of people now frequenting the park every day is a new killing machine a good idea? 

Operations Manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) is supposed to be looking after her two nephews Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) as they get a VIP tour, but instead chooses to focus on work and let her assistant Zara (Katie McGrath) look after the boys. Of course they promptly slip her eye and go off road for a better view of the dinosaurs. 

Navy veteran Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) meanwhile is nursing his wounds from Claire not asking him on a second date whilst trying to prove you can train velociraptors. Something that InGen employee Vic Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio) is very keen on for less than altruistic purposes. 

The result of course is mayhem with the theme park attractions eating some of the guests whilst our heroes Claire and Owen try to save the day. 

What I love the most about Jurassic World is that it’s a direct sequel to the Jurassic Park trilogy. This is not a reboot or reimagining and it does not retcon the plot lines of the previous films to make its story. This means it can directly reference the originals and pay homage to what went before, but most importantly build on the scale of those films and deliver a family action blockbuster without jumping through any convoluted storyline hoops. 

The plot in fact is pretty similar to the original movie. Humans are trying to dominate and manipulate nature to their will with foolhardy results. Throw in some children in danger with a carer who is not particularly maternal (Bryce Dallas Howard taking on the Sam Neill role) and an expert in their field warning those around him of the perils of playing with nature. 

Then, by virtue of the park being open already the film can go bigger and better with its effects and set pieces. Scenes with Pteranodons (flying dinosaurs) and the Mosasaurus (swimming dinosaur) are spectacular. As is any scene featuring the Indominus. 

The nods to the original include making a new dinosaur the star (each film has focused on one villainous species of dinosaur to this point), the return of Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), Mr. DNA and the boys finding the original building of Jurassic Park on their exploits. 

Jurassic World is a brilliant family blockbuster that inspired a lot of promise for a new trilogy. 

If you want to read more of my opinions on Jurassic Park/World check these out: