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Film Review: Jurassic World
/ June 12, 2015
Rating: M
Release date: June 11th, 2015.
The 90’s kid in me gets excited and scared every time we hear there’s going to be a remake of a movie that defined my childhood and early nightmares.
Set 22 years after the original release, Jurassic World revisits Isla Nublar, inviting us into the theme park John Hammond imagined, showing us how successful it became. The only problem is 10 years into the profitable venture dinosaurs are no longer as captivating as they once were, and simply being a T-Rex is not enough; the team at HQ needs to cook up something new to pull in crowds, and decide to challenge nature law to do so.
Turned up for the entertainment age, Jurassic Park has become more tech-savvy than whimsical (incubated monorails and bulletproof ‘space balls’ take visitor’s from ride to ride), with 3D animation bringing the high-caliber CGI to life. But thankfully it hasn’t lost the heartbeat of the original franchise:
Humans are still in awe of creatures greater than they, holding wonder for the gargantuan prehistoric animals. Our struggle between admiration and control has not diminished, and humanity is again exposed, challenged by our propensity to manipulate what intrigues us (…weaponized ‘raptors anyone?).
Following the brotherhood bonding adventure of two young siblings and the romantic tension of park manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), and ranger Owen (Chris Pratt), we see characters reconciling priorities, considering both their personal and familial affects.
Between scales and giant teeth, Jurassic World asks us to consider the consequence of our quest for ‘more’, and the ramifications of our thirst for progress. The ethical dilemmas of recreating an extinct population are raised, and the value of animal life examined.
Alongside its deep edge though, Jurassic World is still the blockbuster full of dino-foder you’re after. And although most of the fun of the film is predicting who’s going to be eaten next – and how you’d think we’d learned our lesson when it comes to messing with dinosaurs – there’s still enough surprises in to make it worth the watch.
Thanks for not messing up my memories and ruining my childhood Colin Trevorrow, I commend you.
8.5/10
High point: Realizing Chris Pratt would be the best crazy Uncle any kid could dream off.
Low point: Living with a post-film fear of shadows.
Best digested with: Something you won’t mind spilling all over your face when you jump sky high.
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