Review: Jurassic World Is Thoughtless Fun
- Jun 20, 2018
- 2 min read
After the disaster that was Jurassic Park 3, the franchise was silent, for all intents and purposes, for more than a decade, it was dead. Then, in 2015, with a roar that would shake box offices the world over, Jurassic Park returned, but not as triumphantly as some might have hoped.
Jurassic Park, now known as Jurassic World, is open, and has been for years. However, for some reason (bad writing) people are growing bored of seeing the same old dinosaurs so Jurassic World's head of operations, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) commissions the creation of a new dinosaur, a genetically engineered hybrid named the Indominus Rex. But, just before its reveal to the world, the creature escapes, free to rampage across an island now housing thousands of unsuspecting tourists. Enter Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), dinosaur expert and Velociraptor handler. Called in from his work with a select number of raptors, Grady is tasked with tracking and containing Indominus Rex before it causes any trouble. We both know that's not gonna happen.
Jurassic World works on two levels. One, as a successful sequel/reboot of a dead franchise, and two, where the dinosaurs are concerned. To begin with, the new characters, with the exception of Jurassic's obligatory children who are infuriating at best, are decent enough. While neither Owen or Claire have the depth or characterization of Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm or anyone else from the original film, Howard and Pratt carry them along well enough. While they never really accomplish anything of note, they're not exactly unlikable, nor are they boring. Indeed Jurassic World's lead characters sum up the entire film perfectly. Serviceable. They're not bad, they're not good, they just are. There's sufficient construction to establish a franchise upon them, which is exactly what was achieved.
The dinosaurs (surprise surprise) are the real highlight, as they are in every Jurassic film. While the life-size practical effects of the past have been replaced with the entirely digital constructions of modern cinema, there remains nothing quite like watching a big angry lizard munch its way through hapless humans. It's enjoyable on a primal level. Deep down you know it's nothing more than mindless pandering to a willful audience but, in the moment, you cannot care. When the film's final act involves a brawl between the franchise staple Tyrannosaurus Rex and the new kid on the block, anyone who isn't grinning like a madman is either dead inside or comatose.
Ultimately, Jurassic World is a wholly passable film. While it lacks the things that made the original great, it makes up for it in sheer entertainment. While Jurassic Park will likely still be remembered in another decades time, I doubt Jurassic World will be. And that's okay, not everything needs to be memorable to be enjoyed.
Comments