By Nick Michael & Sandra Moore
Tiger Staff
3.5/5 stars
The Jurassic Park films have had their successes and failures. The original, released in 1993, is considered by many to be a classic, but its two sequels were mediocre at best. The mixed expectations approaching Jurassic World were met by a film that surpassed the two sequels, but fell short of the original.
Twenty-two years after the disaster in Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar is now home to Jurassic World, a new theme park that strives to keep the public entertained. Dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus are now commonplace and to rekindle customer satisfaction, scientists have started engineering their own dinosaurs, starting with the Indominus Rex. However, to the surprise of no one, their plan goes horribly wrong and the dinosaur escapes. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a velociraptor trainer, and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the parks operation manager, are looped into a desperate mission to save the 22,000 people currently on the island.
Chris Pratt, who rose to fame in Parks and Recreation and Guardians of the Galaxy, utilizes his talent and humor to make Owen Grady a sympathetic and likeable main character. While charming, he never veers into a stereotypical womanizing main character and shows great empathy and respect for the dinosaurs. His bond with the velociraptors becomes one of the main focuses of the movie, as it showcases a partnership between human and dinosaur never before seen in the franchise.
Another highlight is the film’s sublime CGI. The interactions between human and dinosaur are seamless, with none of the rigidity of dinosaur suits with humans stuffed inside. Everything is exquisitely detailed, all the way down to the Indominus Rex’s double eyelid.
However, Jurassic World is not lacking flaws. The film suffers from multiple scenes that don’t contribute towards the plot, simply wasting time. Additionally, there is a scene in which a woman is eaten by the Indominus, and despite being a minor character, her death is dragged out. Not to mention that the T-Rex, despite being the face of the Jurassic Park franchise, had very limited screen time throughout the film. Jurassic World is also host to a cast of characters who, except for Grady, make terrible decisions, making it frustrating to watch.
Despite these faults, the movie does well for new and old fans alike. There are homages to the first movie that leave older fans nostalgic, but for newer fans, the non-stop action and suspenseful scenes make it a great stand-alone movie. Though Jurassic World’s plot is incomparable to the ingenuity of Jurassic Park, its dazzling CGI and solid performance from main lead Chris Pratt made it the best sequel in the franchise so far.
