Hopefully a sequel will complete the half-baked elements of a greater narrative

Rating: 6/10 (10 August 2015)

Admittedly a fanatic of the original JP story created by Michael Crichton and the first feature film, I held a lot of pent-up nostalgia before seeing this film and my first viewing was mostly a "sit-back-and- take-it-all-in" kind of experience. After digesting the story and events, and viewing the film a few more times, I think I'm getting closer to understanding why Jurassic World did enough to please the palette of JP fans who anxiously awaited the next installment of this epic franchise, but not enough to capitalize on a very promising opportunity.
Several scenes in this film are executed very well and create real moments of suspense like you would hope for in the scientific survival- horror genre. Michael Giacchino's inventive score plays a big part in this, paying just enough homage to keep within the original universe while accomplishing a modern tone to create a stark and somber atmosphere as well as the more joyful and playful moments that are common with Spielberg matinée-action films. I highly recommend, if nothing else, to give a listen to the soundtrack and immerse yourself in the wonder, adventure, and genuine thrills that exist on a island where humans rank a few spots down the food chain if not secured by their propensity to control nature and the environment (as Ian Malcolm eloquently monologues)
But back to the original point, many scenes are filmed and directed very well on their own, primarily the dino-scenes, but the dinos should only be a subsidiary of a greater human narrative, as was on display in Crichton's original novel and the 1993 film.
The story arc seems to be on a train track that's continually shifting the rails. As a "passenger," you know the destination and have a sense of what's to unfold - and in many ways the characters and events are too predictable - but upon arrival you'll be left thinking, "that was an unusual route to get to where we wanted to go." I sit back and think about the characters of this film and just envision so many different interactions that could've taken place in order to help the viewer absorb the universe and feel the gravity of everything at-stake rather than being relegated to a mere observer of chaos and destruction.
The film had charismatic elements, for sure: - Chris Pratt delivers his character very well, even with an at-times limited and underwhelming dialogue. - Irfan Khan is a natural as the eccentric president and owner of the park (his accent can be thick, but I appreciated the sincere disposition he carried as a caring owner and leader) - The intelligence and impressive capabilities of the I-Rex and Henry Wu's engineering are fun thoughts to toss around in theory, but don't necessarily play out to their full potential on-screen - The immense level of detail put into the park is truly astounding upon close inspection - And once again, Michael Giacchino
However, many elements will leave many underwhelmed: - Bryce Dallas Howard, though her acting is fine - even great at times, her character just didn't command enough charisma or engaging traits to be the film's leading presence. Perhaps it's because she switches too much between a dictating administrator, panicked/less thoughtful reactor to chaotic events, and simultaneously dismissive yet empathetic family member and lover. Her character arc, while identifiable, is like the overall story and prone to confusing turns - Hoskins, the InGen leader, has valid reasoning for his motives (even if far-fetched, DNA modification through gene-splicing as a mode of creating bio-weapons deserves to play out on film, and what's more fun than using extinct animals as the base genome) but the character is treated too often as a wily cartoon-villain too busy twiddling his mustache to present a convincing case for his ideas. - The forced love component between the two leads, and "forced" really is the best word because, while everything seems to be positioned for a survival situation to bring two people closer together, the audience doesn't really get the opportunity to 'feel' the bond being created. We're given a backstory and both Pratt and Howard possess charm, but the on-screen relationship that unfolds feels too much like a product of movie-making and doesn't possess enough humanity. At one point, Howard's character even goes so far to dismisses her borderline negligence on a "technical malfunction" that nearly resulted in Pratt's death - so where exactly is the caring and affection, I ask?
On the whole, I still enjoy watching this film for the cinematography and direction during action sequences, but I wish the script and story- board would have been tweaked some more. It feels like some early ideas were stubbornly implanted into a film that tried to break free and become something transcendent but ultimately settled into something more comfortable.