The same Hollywood blockbuster sequel formula plus more sexism

Rating: 5/10 (5 June 2016)

So from the first Jurassic Park movie, we know how dinosaur DNA were extracted and then manipulated by scientists in order to breed them in a theme park. Then we found out that the velociraptors were highly intelligent. Humans became their targets when they broke out of their containment. The raptors had a battle with a T-rex in a pivotal scene.
With these points in mind, Jurassic World will take you back to the same thrills that made the first movie a global sensation. It's the same formula which Hollywood blockbuster sequels rely on. Sequels are purely money making films targeting the next generation. I actually thought Colin Trevorrow intended the irony when Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire explains that Jurassic World spends lots of money to create 'new' dinosaurs every few years to continually draw the crowd in. And people want dinosaurs that are bigger, scarier, louder and that can only be developed with vast amount of money. What is the starting cost these days for blockbusters? $US150m?
Apart from the money motive, Jurassic World does attempt to make the characters believable and relatable. When the central human characters are not running away from dinosaurs, they are dealing with issues such as divorce, brotherly love, humans trying to control nature and good old sexism.
Claire is an organised and powerful CEO running Jurassic World. But she comes across as too uptight and controlling, so in the midst of true survival mode, she shows Chris Pratt's Owen that she is a fighter by undoing her blouse to which he asked, "What does that mean?" She then runs around with her chest heaving in a tank top and throughout, she keeps her stilettos on while wielding guns. And if that doesn't take the credibility away, the ending will because it's a Hollywood cliché.
Claire changes from an awkward estranged aunt to a clucky mother type over her nephews (Ty Simpkins & Nick Robinson). No wonder, as she is also reminded by her sister Karen (Judy Greer) that when she has her own children, she'll see they are worth it. And I might add that she'll never know if she keeps her high flying career - but wait, she messed it up big time with rogue dinosaurs. So here comes the Hollywood ending. Claire gradually becomes fond of Owen because he's the alpha (at least to the raptors he was training) and her nephews adore him for his badass skills and he is very attune to nature. In the final scene as they walk away, he says to her, 'We'd better stick together for survival.' Really? Like procreate or is that hinting at another sequel?
The acting is good, Pratt is likable and Howard can cry at the drop of a hat. There are some good bits in between. One of course is when the original T- rex was brought back to fight the Indominus Rex (with the help of a raptor) which is a subtle reminder of JP as well as all the 'versus' blockbusters out there, 'Alien vs Predator' anyone? Then true to its over the top CGI style that ruined it for me when for no good reason, the mosasaurus leaps out of the tank water and eats Indominus Rex.
The five stars are really for bringing back the great memorable scenes of the first movie. There is nothing new here, just like Indominus Rex - a genetically modified bit of cuttlefish, frog and a whole lot of dinosaur. But not a real one with substance.