Jurassic World – Movie Review

by Dale · June 11, 2015

Jurassic World – PG-13
Release Date: Fri 12 Jun 2015

Jurassic World picks up as a chronologically accurate sequel to the original Jurassic Park from 1993. Some time in the 22 years since the disaster, investors tried their hand again at creating a resort where guests could interact with genetically modified dinosaur hybrids. Where the original story was told before the park opened to the public, Jurassic World immediately starts us well into the life of the new resort, with tens of thousands of guests. These guests have become so used to the experience and jaded that the park’s lab is working on an all-new dinosaur that is to be larger and scarier than the T-Rex.

There is a lot to love in Jurassic World. The main characters aren’t quite as strong as the original, but Chris Pratt is pure charisma as Owen, the man who has been training raptors. Bryce Dallas Howard is also given a good arc and is not just a female replacement of John Hammond. The supporting cast are fine as well, even though some have subplots that are abruptly abandoned or resolved neatly.

The visual effects are excellent and there are many nods to the original film. Those who go in with nostalgia will not be disappointed as the movie takes every opportunity to wink at you or show you something you recognize from 22 years before. There are more pronounced issues with some of the technology and a lot of conveniences that help our characters or make the action last longer.

While I would recommend this to fans of the original, I will say that Jurassic World is extremely violent for PG-13. While the original had death, the number of people in the park raises the overall body count, and there is more blood than you might expect. One particularly gruesome example (without spoiling the context) is a scene that continues after a human is eaten by a dinosaur. We can see bloody bits inside its mouth. I saw a mother and a boy of about 10 get up and leave during that scene.

All in all, Jurassic World is the best sequel to Jurassic Park by a mile with solid characters and special effects.

Amber, Matthew, Cal, Aaron and I saw it in the theater and had a discussion in the car: