★★★
This is one of the more disappointing films of the summer. Fourteen years after the last installment in the series and 22 since the original, Jurassic Park films have ossified into a formula: one especially significant dinosaur threat; intense, suspenseful action; a bit of wonder at the dinosaurs; overbearing park leadership; threats to kids; and healed family/relationships.
This installment delivers all these in spades. The CGI is compelling -- even if the parade of lunging, growling lizards becomes a little repetitious -- and there’s suspense as the Indominus stalks the boys and Owen, even if the tension has something of a familiar feel since it hews so closely to that in other installments. The scene when the Indominus attacks the boys' gyrosphere certainly echoes the T-rex attack on the landrover in Part 1, and the vibe as Owen hides from the Indominus in the garage feels like that of the children hiding in the lab from the velocirapters of Part 3. Some of the framing and action is even similar. Likewise, the bad guys Jurassic World are arrogant and proud, as Jurassic Park bad guys always are -- Masrani, the owner, is arrogant overconfident; Hoskins, the military guy, sees the weapons potential of the dinosaurs; and Dr. Wu actually returns as the craven researcher from Part 1. Relationships among the principles follows the trajectory of those in other Jurassic Park films, too. We watch the relationship of Gray and Zach build from Zach's indifference to brotherly love to a general healing of all family relationships that culminates in the odd reconciliation of the parents and the restoration of their family. Even Claire grows from indifference to love, mostly because she’s touched by the love around her.
The summer crowd will enjoy this competent film, but for all the sparkle and noise, Colin Trevorrow brings little originality or uniqueness to the Jurassic series with Jurassic World. A sure sign of decline in the franchise, there’s some wit and winking at the conventions here, but Jurassic World feels much more like Moonraker than it does Dr. No.
This is one of the more disappointing films of the summer. Fourteen years after the last installment in the series and 22 since the original, Jurassic Park films have ossified into a formula: one especially significant dinosaur threat; intense, suspenseful action; a bit of wonder at the dinosaurs; overbearing park leadership; threats to kids; and healed family/relationships.
This installment delivers all these in spades. The CGI is compelling -- even if the parade of lunging, growling lizards becomes a little repetitious -- and there’s suspense as the Indominus stalks the boys and Owen, even if the tension has something of a familiar feel since it hews so closely to that in other installments. The scene when the Indominus attacks the boys' gyrosphere certainly echoes the T-rex attack on the landrover in Part 1, and the vibe as Owen hides from the Indominus in the garage feels like that of the children hiding in the lab from the velocirapters of Part 3. Some of the framing and action is even similar. Likewise, the bad guys Jurassic World are arrogant and proud, as Jurassic Park bad guys always are -- Masrani, the owner, is arrogant overconfident; Hoskins, the military guy, sees the weapons potential of the dinosaurs; and Dr. Wu actually returns as the craven researcher from Part 1. Relationships among the principles follows the trajectory of those in other Jurassic Park films, too. We watch the relationship of Gray and Zach build from Zach's indifference to brotherly love to a general healing of all family relationships that culminates in the odd reconciliation of the parents and the restoration of their family. Even Claire grows from indifference to love, mostly because she’s touched by the love around her.
The summer crowd will enjoy this competent film, but for all the sparkle and noise, Colin Trevorrow brings little originality or uniqueness to the Jurassic series with Jurassic World. A sure sign of decline in the franchise, there’s some wit and winking at the conventions here, but Jurassic World feels much more like Moonraker than it does Dr. No.
