Jurassic World: A somewhat disappointing, but overall entertaining fan service.

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2015)

Consensus: While not able to match the original's smart script, intricate design, and general impact, Jurassic World is still a very entertaining summer blockbuster bound to satisfy the die-hard fans of the franchise.
To say I'm disappointed wouldn't be false. There were several instances where I was thinking man, this could be a lot better. However, to say that the movie didn't kick me in the ass with nostalgia and stellar action sequences wouldn't be false either. Jurassic World plays out exactly as one would expect partly because it's set up is nearly identical to the first. Besides plot similarities, Jurassic World is, essentially, a fan service. Giving us dinosaur lovers everything we missed about the series. In that regard, the film is aces. There's so much action unfolding across the screen that breath breaks come at the cost of missing a raptor jump into a moving car to hack at it's driver. (Real Scene BTW). The movie also pays good homage to it's predecessor: showing us old venues, naming the control center after it's original creator John Hammond, and having composer Michael Giacchino reuse John William's iconic theme during the film. So, in regard to giving the fans what we want, the movie is golden. However, one must also address the problems in the script. Firstly, the character development is borderline atrocious. The characters are barely two-dimensional. Secondly, the dialogue is nowhere near as fast, witty, and memorable as Park's. And, lastly, the film is at times silly. Other than the script, the film fails at feeling "Spielbergian". While I'm one for directors implanting their mark on their films, in the realm of a franchise, it's good to reproduce similar tones of the originals. This was also a big problem in Jurassic Park III. There are also problems in the films general pace. The action starts far too early. The beauty of the original was that the first half of the film utilized simple awe to build the wonder of the park. In this film, at only 20 minutes in, the Rex is already loose and wreaking havoc. With these and a few more flaws, Jurassic World does fail at being smart. But, despite it's problems I can't find it in me to hate this movie. Why? Because it's Jurassic Park. Being one of the most instrumental movies of my childhood, my first reaction to the movie was to turn off my brain and just let the dinos run across my field of vision. However, when it came time to writing this review, the brain had to come back on. Jurassic World might not be as smart as I might've hoped, but that doesn't mean it's not miles ahead of the third one and possibly ahead of the second in recreating the feel of the original. With another blockbuster performance from Chris Pratt and a surprisingly effective Bryce Dallas Howard, Jurassic World manages to embrace it's silliness, make fun of it, and still provide a very intense and satisfying payoff. And before I end this review, I think it's important to address one thing: THIS ONE DIDN'T KILL OFF THE EFFING T-REX that alone makes it far more superior to the audacious third film. Overall, I'd have to say if you're looking for the same smarts of the first, you better let your guard down but if you want a good popcorn summer blockbuster that reminds you how awesome dinosaurs are by all means, see this movie.