'Jurassic World' review by Jake Boyle
Okay, so, full disclosure. I've never seen any of the Jurassic Park movies. My interest in this film is based solely on seeing Chris Pratt ride a motorbike whilst leading a pack of velociraptors, because that is the single greatest idea any filmmaker has ever had. The thing I found most enjoyable about Jurassic World was just the execution of its concept, so it's worth bearing in mind that the thing that most impressed me about this film is something the rest of the world got acquainted with in 1993, and you should deflate any enthusiasm accordingly for adjustment.
Old Uncle Steven might only be on executive producing duties, but there's an undeniably Spielbergian quality to this film - precocious children and healthy sprinklings of suspense abound. Newcomer to Hollywood Colin Trevorrow understands that spectacle quickly becomes meaningless unless you have to wait for it, so no dinosaurs are properly seen until the 20th minute or so, and no real action with them for about twice as long. The time building up to that, while not exhilarating, passes along well enough - the characters are one-dimensional but there's enough of them that they never become weary, and the beautiful locales and sets provide plenty of visual stimulation by themselves. Jurassic World is a good-looking film in all aspects, with the CGI dinos being the obvious star feature. The fancy new dinosaur isn't any more impressive or scary in appearance than a common or garden T-Rex, but the slow reveal of its destructive abilities and behaviours make it suitably intriguing and a very believable threat. There are moments when proceedings do feel a little too stretched or ridiculous (which is saying something given that the central plot is about a dinosaur theme park), such as two young boys outrunning a genetically enhanced killing machine, or the cunning plan of Vincent D'Onofrio (on decent form as a snarling, smarmy security officer) to use raptors for military purposes. The dialogue on the reoccurring theme of family and togetherness is initially a little nauseating, but it grows on you as the film goes on.
The action is passable but nothing special, although the best was definitely saved until last with a Royal Rumble of prehistoric animals, while the humans gratifyingly don't get involved much. It's the human element that lets the film down a little - the film is packed with talented performers like Pratt, Lauren Lapkus and Omar Sy, but the characters are of fleeting interest at most, only held up by the coolness of what they do rather than the value of who they are. Jake Johnson does manage to rustle up a few laughs, but the sarcastic tech guy is a time-honoured role and it's been done far better before. They're never so dull as to inhibit an otherwise enjoyable moment (well, not frequently) but a little more personality and charm in the writing (or maybe an interesting alternative route with real pathos and emotion) could have made for a film that was both funnier and more engrossing. The film doesn't really excel at much, but neither are there any major weaknesses, and that's the beauty of having Chris Pratt hang out with dinosaurs - it's awesome no matter what you frame it with.
Jurassic World is of no higher quality than the average blockbuster, but it's distinct enough that it still feels exciting. For fans of the original, this might be a little disheartening, but for newcomers and the apathetic, it's a perfectly enjoyable, well-made movie that has a strong suit in minor suspense and incredible visuals. It's wonderful to see Pratt firmly cemented as a mainstream leading man and Treverrow makes a confident entrance into big-budget fare - but ultimately, despite being thoroughly fun and satisfying. that's probably the only lasting cultural impact this film will have, something that I am sure will keep the studio execs up at night, crying on their beds of money.
Old Uncle Steven might only be on executive producing duties, but there's an undeniably Spielbergian quality to this film - precocious children and healthy sprinklings of suspense abound. Newcomer to Hollywood Colin Trevorrow understands that spectacle quickly becomes meaningless unless you have to wait for it, so no dinosaurs are properly seen until the 20th minute or so, and no real action with them for about twice as long. The time building up to that, while not exhilarating, passes along well enough - the characters are one-dimensional but there's enough of them that they never become weary, and the beautiful locales and sets provide plenty of visual stimulation by themselves. Jurassic World is a good-looking film in all aspects, with the CGI dinos being the obvious star feature. The fancy new dinosaur isn't any more impressive or scary in appearance than a common or garden T-Rex, but the slow reveal of its destructive abilities and behaviours make it suitably intriguing and a very believable threat. There are moments when proceedings do feel a little too stretched or ridiculous (which is saying something given that the central plot is about a dinosaur theme park), such as two young boys outrunning a genetically enhanced killing machine, or the cunning plan of Vincent D'Onofrio (on decent form as a snarling, smarmy security officer) to use raptors for military purposes. The dialogue on the reoccurring theme of family and togetherness is initially a little nauseating, but it grows on you as the film goes on.
The action is passable but nothing special, although the best was definitely saved until last with a Royal Rumble of prehistoric animals, while the humans gratifyingly don't get involved much. It's the human element that lets the film down a little - the film is packed with talented performers like Pratt, Lauren Lapkus and Omar Sy, but the characters are of fleeting interest at most, only held up by the coolness of what they do rather than the value of who they are. Jake Johnson does manage to rustle up a few laughs, but the sarcastic tech guy is a time-honoured role and it's been done far better before. They're never so dull as to inhibit an otherwise enjoyable moment (well, not frequently) but a little more personality and charm in the writing (or maybe an interesting alternative route with real pathos and emotion) could have made for a film that was both funnier and more engrossing. The film doesn't really excel at much, but neither are there any major weaknesses, and that's the beauty of having Chris Pratt hang out with dinosaurs - it's awesome no matter what you frame it with.
Jurassic World is of no higher quality than the average blockbuster, but it's distinct enough that it still feels exciting. For fans of the original, this might be a little disheartening, but for newcomers and the apathetic, it's a perfectly enjoyable, well-made movie that has a strong suit in minor suspense and incredible visuals. It's wonderful to see Pratt firmly cemented as a mainstream leading man and Treverrow makes a confident entrance into big-budget fare - but ultimately, despite being thoroughly fun and satisfying. that's probably the only lasting cultural impact this film will have, something that I am sure will keep the studio execs up at night, crying on their beds of money.
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