Solid Fun

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2015)

I didn't go into this movie with high expectations. I've only seen the original, which I thoroughly enjoy, but I had heard that the sequels were terrible. Because of that, I did not expect this one to deliver anything special in terms of plot or character. With a dinosaur movie, there's only so much you can do and, as this was intended to give the franchise new life, it is unsurprising that they would ignore plot and character in favor of really cool dinosaurs. And after seeing the movie, I was totally okay that they did. Yes, we had seen the stock characters before, but they were likable enough and didn't detract from the movie at all. In fact, I really liked Chris Pratt's Owen and his deep care for the animals he worked with and his paternal nature. I also really enjoyed the genetic modification aspect of it because it did ring true to our society where we are so easily bored and demand more without thinking about consequences. Apart from that, I liked the dinosaurs. It was a fun run away from the monster movie that delivered on the action. While there was nowhere near as much suspense as in the first movie, that did not make it unenjoyable. In particular, seeing the film in IMAX, the final showdown did not disappoint. All in all, if you're looking for an unique plot or great character development, this is not the movie to watch. However, it did succeed in being a fun summer blockbuster, which is exactly what it should have been.