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In 1993, Steven Spielberg released his jaw-dropping, eye-popping dinosaur thriller, Jurassic Park—a movie that captivated audiences and terrified children. Now, after a couple of less-than-stellar sequels, Jurassic World breathes new life into the franchise by placing new characters and new creatures into a familiar story.
Jurassic World returns to the infamous island of Isla Nublar 22 years after disaster struck the original Jurassic Park. Though it’s been a bustling theme park for a decade, Jurassic World is constantly striving to remain new and exciting by adding bigger, more terrifying attractions. But just as the park is preparing to unveil its newest creation, the Indominus Rex, the genetically altered beast proves itself to be a lot smarter—and deadlier—than anyone realized. And when it manages to escape, it puts the park—and its 20,000 guests—in danger.
When the original Jurassic Park hit theaters, it was like nothing audiences had seen before. It was big, it was thrilling, and it featured dinosaurs that looked shockingly realistic. More than two decades later, it’s impossible to recreate the novelty of the original film. But the franchise seems to have the same goal as the park itself: to renew audiences’ interest in something that they’ve seen so many times that it’s become almost commonplace. And, in its quest to achieve that goal, Jurassic World holds nothing back. The creatures are enormous and lifelike, and the effects are absolutely spectacular. The action, too, is nearly non-stop as another band of beasts wreaks havoc on the park and its staff, biting off arms and legs and heads in the process.
Perhaps even more mesmerizing than the action, though, is the park itself. Before the real action builds, the young characters get to tour the park and explore all of the most popular attractions. It’s a pretty fascinating experience, too—and if you didn’t know better, you might be just a little bit jealous of their ability to watch massive sea creatures devour sharks whole or drive a giant hamster ball through a field full of dinosaurs.
Of course, the film’s foundation is nothing new. The characters are basically variations on the original characters—with a cast that’s likable, if not entirely memorable. Chris Pratt fits right in as the laid-back, sarcastic contractor who races in to save the day, though he struggles to play a serious tough guy. And let’s face it: no one can quite fill the void left by Jeff Goldblum.
The story, meanwhile, is basically a rehashing of the original—though setting it in a fully-operational park filled with tens of thousands of visitors adds an extra level of urgency to the adventure. Still, you’ll know where it’s headed—and you’ll know what’s coming when the greedy military contractor decides to release the raptors—but you won’t really care. Because, in this eye-popping action sequel, it’s not the story or the characters that matter—it’s the massive prehistoric monsters. And the monsters are remarkable (though, admittedly, the Indominus Rex isn’t nearly as massive as you might expect).
While it doesn’t necessarily add anything new or surprising to the franchise, Jurassic World is a wildly entertaining installment—a fun-filled, larger-than-life adventure. No matter how many times you’ve seen the original, this new take on a beloved classic is sure to take your breath away and make you feel like a kid again.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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