An Improvement Over Part Three

Rating: 6/10 (19 July 2015)

A new theme park is built on the original site of Jurassic Park. Everything is going well until the park's newest attraction -- a genetically modified giant stealth killing machine -- escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.
This film was going through various stages of development since at least 2003, and who knows how many changes were made in the process. Keira Knightley dropped out, Chris Pratt became the lead actor (something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago) and a virtual unknown was given the director's chair.
Typically, by the fourth film in a franchise, the budget is smaller and the film ends up going straight to video. Instead, someone decided to make this the big comeback, and it pays off. Maybe not as good as the original, and arguably a notch below part two, this film easily outdoes part three and made a ton of money in the process.
Credit should be given for not doing a "reboot" or "remake". Although it still confounds me that anyone would try (and succeed) in building a theme park, it works in the storyline. And even though they did not have Malcolm, Grant or pretty much any other main character return, they brought back Dr. Wu (this time a bit more sinister). That was a great choice, and keeps the franchise strong. How a part five is possible, who knows, but it seems bound to happen now.