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There is a perverse comfort in spending time viewing a film whose setting is well-known, where the good guys and the bad guys are easy to identify, and where you somehow know after a wee bit of time how all might go in the end.
Jurassic World, director Colin Trevorrow’s attempt at Jurassic Park resurrection, is just such a film.
The theme of Michael Chrichton’s novel, which was adapted into Steven Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park, is unassailably classic. Man messes with nature, nature fights back, man learns that he shouldn’t mess with nature, is traceable in some degree to Genesis.
In this incarnation of the ersatz franchise Jurassic Park, a prehistoric Disneyland on steroids, is resurrected (bad idea) after tragedy that the viewer is likely familiar with.
The new park, Jurassic World – and therefore the movie that tells its tale – not only repeats the premise that brought the original bad idea into the world, but compounds the sin with a specific and risky genetic engineering feat.
The genetically engineered killing machine that is the computer-generated star of the show is far more scary than a mere velociraptor or a brace of them, a point that becomes well-proven.
The film opens with introduction to Zach and Gray Mitchell, who are off to the island for a special vacation and time with their aunt, who is its marketing chief. The boys, played by Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins, respectively, are somewhat two-dimensional, but in a movie like this not much more can or should be expected. The teens give believable (within the
context) portrayals, and so do precisely what might be expected.
Bryce Dallas Howard plays the aunt, Claire, who figures prominently in events to come and is a perfect foil to male lead Chris Pratt, the hero, Owen Grady. You’ll remember him particularly from Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as other Hollywood appearances. He is just charismatic enough to make us want to see him succeed, not only for his benefit but because we care about the other human characters.
Vincent D’Onofrio successfully sheds his Law & Order persona as Vic Hoskins, the head of security for the park, and turns in a performance that does not distract from the story nor detract from it overall.
Indominus is the name of the runaway reptile who wreaks havoc, with little Godzilla or Mothra-like camp. This dinosaur is all business.
The special effects are not lost in translation from big to small screen.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World is a resurrection of classic Jurassic Park. The film is entertaining, according to Staff Writer John DeSantis, who said he enjoys seeing the engineered dinosaurs come to life.
