As Disappointing As Indominus Rex!

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2015)

Stuck in development hell for over a decade & eventually brought to life in an effort to pay homage to the 1993 classic instead of rehashing the same formula of the inferior sequels, I have to say that I'm highly surprised by the way Jurassic World has ripped apart the global box-office records & is still continuing its strong run without any signs of slowing down.
Its nod to Jurassic Park is commendable, its action-filled premise will keep the mainstream viewers entertained & its critical take on the corporate mentality is a welcome element but these are possibly the only positives in a film filled with a highly predictable storyline, clichÃ©-ridden dialogues, annoying characters, poorly designed dinosaurs, terrible acting & no sense of wonder or amazement.
Set 22 years after the events of the first film, the story of Jurassic World takes place on the same island where now a fully functional dinosaur theme park has been in operation for 10 years. But due to a steady decline in attendance over the years, the team decides to unveil its latest attraction; a genetically modified hybrid. However, things soon spiral out of control when this new monster escapes from its enclosure.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World is only his sophomore feature film & it's a huge responsibility, both in scope & expectations, for the movie is envisioned as a sequel as well as a possible resurrection of the dusted franchise. The new director does bring an interesting viewpoint that aims to revitalise the series without competing with the legacy of the original but he also fails in implementing that idea on the film canvas in a satisfying manner.
The screenplay is another culprit for neither the plot nor the characters carry any depth, the dialogues are eye-rollingly cheesy, plus the story lacks any element of surprise & is way too predictable for it to be any fun. The technical aspects don't have anything new to offer here other than providing a slightly improved visual encapsulation. Isla Nublar is brought to life in splendid detail yet it seems to have more resemblance with a petting zoo than a dinosaur theme park.
Cinematography impresses as well as disappoints at various moments for there are plenty of scenes that could've benefited from a different viewing angle and thanks to its continuously shifting focus, even its action sequences fail to make the desired impact. There's no proper set-up to any major sequences, the suspenseful mood is pretty much non-existent, and the extent to which product placement is infused into the whole narrative is maddening.
Michael Giacchino's score also fails to provide an immersive experience and it is only when John Williams' iconic theme hits the screen that a deep sense of warmth & intense feelings of nostalgia are evoked. It's just amazing how inferior the visuals effects are in Jurassic World when compared to Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park or The Lost World. Even Jurassic Park III had more realistic-looking dinosaurs than this latest entry plus the CGI rendering isn't up to the mark either.
Coming to the performances, the ensemble comprises of Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Irrfan Khan & B.D. Wong, and each of them either underacts or overacts. Pratt dons his Indiana Jones suit to play the Velociraptor expert & trainer, Dallas Howard is busy hamming all the time, D'Onofrio's work is all over the place, Omar Sy exists for no reason, Khan's input is as viable as his works in other Hollywood flicks and the two child actors are as stupid as kids usually are.
On an overall scale, Jurassic World is as disappointing a feature as I expected it to be after checking out its trailers and is no different from the usual mindless big-budget blockbusters that plague the silver screen at this time of the year. An absolutely flat cinematic experience that features lifeless characters, hollow dinosaur-action, no suspense, zero soul & while it isn't entirely a disaster, Jurassic World never for once comes close to capturing the unparalleled magic of Spielberg's timeless masterpiece.