The Best Sequel Since The First Movie, But Boy Does It Punish You The More You Think About It.

Rating: 6/10 (25 June 2015)

What is there to say about "Jurassic World"? Did we really need it? And will it stand out from any of the other noticeable summer blockbusters of 2015? Well I'll get this out in the open first and foremost, I didn't really plan on seeing it. Let's just say "The Lost World" (1997) and "Jurassic Park 3" (2001), didn't really leave the franchise on a high note 14 years ago. I could only hope that this one would prove to be popular enough to make its obvious large amounts of money, and somewhat shake up the narrative of "Dinosaurs escaping captivity".
Though the dates are never referenced throughout the movie, there is a line that really bugged me when the park's operations manager says something to the effect of "People have lost interest in Dinosaurs", to which I could only react with a highly raised eyebrow and a chuckle. My thoughts after leaving the theatre that night, was that the original "Jurassic Park" (1993) continues to hold up extremely well (Even in the effects department thanks to Stan Winston), and I was surprised at how much I did enjoy "World" even with its many, many flaws (The movie just had the highest grossing opening weekend of all time with over half a billion dollars, Bravo!).
So in what is possibly one of the worst cut and paste scripts ever made, two brothers are sent to the fictional Isla Nublar to enjoy "Jurassic World", a Dinosaur theme park built upon the disastrous grounds of the first movie (A rather clever reference is made). They are there to visit their aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), the park's operations manager who is obviously far too busy to see them and must prioritise on the large, new and exciting "Frankensaurus" they have created as (Here we go again) "People have lost interest in Dinosaurs". The inevitable happens, the electric stays on unlike the original movie and somehow the situation is made worse when there really should be some failsafe protocol given the tech this movie has. Aid is needed by the likes of Owen (Chris Pratt), who has somehow managed to command some form of alpha-male bond with the Dino's. Throw in a ruthless, corrupt head of security (Vincent D'Onofrio), too many clichés that throw back to the first movie (Which was sad when I thought the movie was actually doing well as its own thing), and some of the most blatant brand advertising I've ever seen. Ladies and Gentleman, welcome back to the park where brand loyalty IS priority.
I don't really think there is anything here that will allow this movie to age as gracefully as its origins, and not one character is well developed enough to the point where their performance stood out. There were moments where so many subplots were left unanswered, and the dialogue wasn't particularly rich with sentences that gave a deeper thought of "Man playing with nature" (Though let's be honest, none of the movies really have). A hilarious moment I had to myself was when comments are made about using Raptors in War (An image of one came up suited and booted for combat on screen), to which I thought of the "Helicopter scene" from "Apocalypse now (1979). Instead of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries", send a bunch of Dino's into Warzones with John Williams's "Jurassic Park" score ("Jurassic War", that'll be the day).
But in all honesty, there were some moments that did win me over. I like that most of the casting decisions were spot on, and though I was expecting some terrible CGI we actually got some really good moments and set pieces that helped made me appreciate the efforts the filmmakers went to. The film wastes no time getting into the heart of what made the series so appealing to begin with, and I also thought a certain aquatic dinosaur should've really been the "big top" of the show. When all is said and done, I came out of it satisfied when I was almost certain I was going to downright hate it.
Final Verdict: Dumb fun. I've given my two cents, and I hope you enjoyed them. The movies a huge financial success, and there was plenty enough that would make me look forward to a next instalment as much as consistently dread it. Obviously I feel I have referenced the previous movies far too much, and for that I apologise. But in the end, Dinosaurs are popular again. Touché movie, touché. 6/10.