Dino might!

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2017)

It's been quite some time since the initial disaster on Isla Nublar, and the late John Hammonds' dream of a fully functioning dinosaur theme park has finally come to fruition. Thousands flock to an island paradise where they see the mighty lizards put on display. Naturally, since this is meant to be a thrill ride, colossal human error will dictate that our ferocious antagonists get loose and wreak havoc on park visitors and personnel. Chief among them is a genetic freak called an "Indominus Rex", created because at this point people supposedly consider ordinary dinosaurs passe.
One has to put up with some ridiculous, insipid characters and lame dialogue in this, the most recent entry in this ongoing franchise, but if all you want is to see big lizards run about and attack and eat people, you'll get it. Director Colin Trevorrow, with the assistance of such talents as production designer Ed Verreaux, cinematographer John Schwartzman, and editor Kevin Stitt, is able to create lots of brainless thrills. And make no mistake, it is pretty brainless. There are the standard absurdities to tolerate on the way to enjoying "Jurassic World". The main ones would be these human characters. This viewer certainly wouldn't have minded seeing most of them, if not all of them, become dinosaur chow. Surviving with his dignity intact is studly Chris Pratt, as a guy who's actually succeeded in training raptors. Forced to play a real archetype is Vincent D'Onofrio as a schemer who believes the "Indominus Rex" and the raptors would make excellent military weapons.
The dinos, of course, are the *real* stars of this show. The visual effects are generally pretty good, and we see menaces that also include an enormous swimming mosasaur and numerous pterodactyls. Things get a little too precious, however, when we consider the bond that Pratt has developed with his raptor friends.
The finale pulls out all the stops for any lover of dinosaur cinema, so things do end on a reasonably high note.
Seven out of 10.