Jurassic World (Review) - Almost Awesome

I desperately want to like Jurassic World. Chris Pratt is great, dinosaurs are cool, and the Jurassic series is beloved by many - the original being the best, naturally. And at times, I really did enjoy this fourth instalment. However, for every moment of Jurassic World that entertained, there was a handful of inane, eye-rolling scenes that dragged the film down as a whole. 

Set twenty-two years after the events of the original Jurassic Park, the film shows how John Hammond's vision from that movie has finally been realised. Ignoring the deaths caused by the dinosaurs a few decades prior, a grand theme park has now been opened on Isla Nublar, along with all the grandeur that that brings. Triceratops petting-zoos and Sea World-esque exhibits draw in guests, but there's always something bigger and better being worked on in order to drum up hype for the park. This comes in the form of a new dinosaur that is created from the DNA of other animals, and is more deadly than anything seen before. As expected, one thing leads to another, and soon the new beast is roaming the park, hunting anything in its path. 

Sounds cool, right? I thought that too. Couple this with the aforementioned presence of Chris Pratt as a Dino-whisperer, and some truly spectacular dinosaurs envisioned on-screen, and you'd think that you have yourself a brilliant return to form for the Jurassic series. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The movie tries to spin this spectacular world of beasts around the developing relationship of two brothers, and in doing so, becomes predictable and clichéd. A perfect example of this is an early juxtaposition which transitions from cool dinosaurs to a conversation between the brothers about whether their parents will get divorced. It's ham-fisted, and genuinely funny in how awkward it makes the film feel. 

Then, eventually, you get back to the engaging, exciting moments which you'd hoped for. Chris Pratt bonding with Velociraptors, only for his relationship with them to be truly tested when an assistant falls into the exhibit is exciting and tense, and exactly the kind of thing I'd wanted to see. Cut back to the eldest of the two brothers being apathetic and downright nasty to his younger sibling, and that excitement is immediately destroyed. In trying to create relatable moments that keep the story grounded, Jurassic World succeeds in nothing but a lessening of the experience. 

And to be perfectly honest, if Chris Pratt wasn't in the movie, then there'd be little to rave about. Cementing his presence as a genuinely likeable guy with Guardians of the Galaxy, he manages to make the film at least a little enjoyable. Though the relationship between Pratt's character Owen and the stereotypical businesswoman Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) is forced - like most in the film - it's far from the worst aspect of the movie. This isn't a particularly positive point in the film's favour, though: Jurassic World shouldn't need Pratt in order to make it bearable. 

Owen (Chris Pratt)

As a little side note, it's also disappointing how much CGI the film relied upon, considering how much the original asserted the use of practical effects to remain relevant even today. It's not uncommon for modern blockbusters to be CGI-heavy, and I don't consider this an automatic negative for a movie. With Jurassic World however, it just seems such a waste, because the 1993 original showed how animatronics and practical effects can easily rival dinosaurs generated by a computer.  That's not to say that practical dinosaurs and effects aren't found in the movie, it's just that they're heavily outweighed by their computer generated counterparts. 

Verdict
Jurassic World was so close to being really great. If the film literally cut half of the scenes that pitifully tried to push family relationships, then it would be a far better, albeit very short movie. There's elements of it such as the dinosaurs and action scenes that show what could have been, which is why the aforementioned 'character development' moments feel so stilted and unnecessary. Having the two brothers hate eachother, only to rekindle their relationship isn't interesting or fresh; it's boring. If you planned on seeing this film already or if you're a huge fan of the series, then it's probably worth checking out. Otherwise, you're better off waiting for the DVD, or seeing if it ends up on Netflix in a year. 

"You just went and made a new dinosaur? 

Probably not a good idea."