Jurassic World

RATING: A-

You would think that after twenty years and three movies, them darned corporations and bureaucrats would have learned to stop messing around with dinosaurs. It hasn't worked for them before, and yet here we are with a fourth film and they're still trying to exercise control over them. Perhaps they should've heeded Jeff Goldblum's warning from the first movie: "Nature finds a way." 

In a movie that ignores the existence of the two Jurassic Park sequels and returns to Isla Nublar, John Hammond's dream of a dinosaur park from the first movie has come true--due in part to increased technological advantages and increased measures that make the park somewhat safer... but still dangerous. And yet, it's been thriving for a while now, with a few accidents here and there but so far nothing compared to the disaster in the first film. 

So, they have dinosaurs on exhibit. However, the money they're currently getting isn't enough for them. "Every time we unveil a new exhibit, attendance spikes," they claim. So what's their newest move? Create a hybrid dinosaur. Not bred... *created* in a lab. The "Indominus Rex," they call it--built partially from the DNA of the T-Rex and built to be even bigger than the T-Rex. And perhaps even more dangerous. And way smarter. 

Needless to say, the hybrid gets loose and the park officials/our main characters have to clean up the mess with about 20,000 people hanging around in the resort. We've got Claire, a control-freak more concerned with the park than with her nephews--Zach and Gary (both of whom I and the movie could've admittedly done without--couldn't even remember their darn names half the time). We've got Owen (Chris Pratt), the park's local raptor trainer. Yes, you read right: raptor trainer. And then we've got a few expendables and a bunch of crazy army guys who want dinosaurs--namely the raptors--for weapons. 

The movie admittedly gets off to a pretty slow start--we're slapped early on with the boring kids and their visit to the park--and I believe it takes about 20 to 30 minutes before we actually see a dinosaur onscreen. Much like in the recent Godzilla, the characters are pretty thin/boring--the exception being Owen, who basically just walks around, trains raptors and is a boss for the whole movie. 

But that's not why we went to see the movie, right? We went to see it for the dinosaurs. And they are still very exciting to watch. This film gets a lot of what Jurassic Park III got wrong right--whether it's bringing back the suspenseful scenes, or actually pulling out some truly thrilling moments. (JP III did have a couple of them, but nothing compared to the first or second.) What this film does a particularly fantastic job of is building up the action sequences and tension over time--getting the least exciting ones out of the way first (as far as that goes), and saving the best for last in a breathtaking finish. 

Jurassic World admittedly is not perfect, and there are a few oddities/things left hanging. But it succeeds at what it sets out to be: a thrilling dinosaur flick in a new decade that is reverent enough to its predecessors while still being its own movie. It's hard to not be excited as the film continues to build up. It's well worth seeing in the theaters--especially for a little extra suspense (hint: surround sound is utilized very well here). That is, if you didn't see it already, considering how much money it's already made. Whatever the case, go and see it if you're a fan of the franchise/genre.