Twenty-two years ago, Steven Spielberg pandered to our fascination with dinosaurs, turning Michael Crichton’s bestseller, Jurassic Park, into an international cinematic blockbuster. Jurassic Park was set on the fictional Isla Nublar. There, a billionaire philanthropist had a vision of a wildlife park full of cloned dinosaurs. What could possibly go wrong with that innocuous little idea?
After a pair of critically panned, albeit financially successful, sequels, we return to Isla Nublar. Now, a sprawling dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, exists near the site where Jurassic Park once stood. Each day, the venue attracts tourists from around the world. However, as the film opens, the park’s operations manager, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), bemoans how fickle the public is. Focus groups have reflected the sentiment that dinosaurs are old hat. The public wants bigger, louder and more teeth.
To satisfy the appetite for novelty, the park’s owner, Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), authorizes geneticist Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) to create hybrids. The result is Indominus rex, a 50-foot predator with a carefully guarded genetic pedigree.
Seeing how a lion tamer can control a cage full of beasts pales in comparison to the sight of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), who has trained a quartet of Velociraptors to follow his commands. Owen is approached by Vic Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), the head of InGen Security. Hoskins envisions Velociraptors as a logical alternative to high-tech robots in military applications. Can Hoskins convince Owen to join forces with him?
Meanwhile, Masrani dispatches Claire to bring Owen to inspect the paddock of the Indominus rex. Will it safely enclose the ferocious reptile? I don’t suppose that there is any chance that this genetically engineered dinosaur will be able to escape and wreak havoc. You may still think of Pratt as the schlubby goofball from “Parks and Recreation.” However, here he proves that his breakthrough performance in Guardians of the Galaxy was no fluke. With his now chiseled physique and steely gaze, he has become a bona fide action-adventure star.
Steven Spielberg is no longer at the helm, but remains as executive producer. Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote the screenplay, fills the void as director. His slim screen résumé consists of the little-seen art house film Safety Not Guaranteed. He makes the jump to a big-budget film with surprising ease.
Jurassic World employs Legacy Effects (previously trading as Stan Winston Studios) to provide the animatronic dinosaurs. Visual effects guru Phil Tippet and Industrial Light and Magic contribute the CGI dinosaurs, using human actors and performance-capture technology.
The film’s action scenes are riveting. The script takes some subtle jabs at corporate sponsorship and consumer excess. Intermittently, Jurassic World provides a few laugh-out-loud moments. Comedic actor Jake Johnson plays Lowery Cruthers, a tech-savvy computer geek. He does a particularly funny sendup of a certain hackneyed film trope.
Jurassic World is vastly better than the franchise’s previous lackluster sequels, adroitly placing an updated spin on the original template. Jurassic World makes for a long-awaited return to form and another thrill-packed ride.
Jurassic World
***1/2
Bryce Dallas Howard
Chris Pratt
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Rated PG-13
