‘World’ of roar-craft
Steven Spielberg had the advantage of dazzling new computer technology to make his 1993 release, “Jurassic Park,” a cinematic joyride. The creation of the dinosaurs onscreen was almost as amazing as the technology suggested in the movie to bring back the giant beasts through found DNA.
Since then, audiences have been fed a steady diet of computer-generated creatures and characters to the point that they have become somewhat passe. That didn’t bode well for “Jurassic World,” the fourth film in the series based on the Michael Crichton books.
“Jurassic World” serves as a reminder that it wasn’t just the dazzling CGI work in “Jurassic Park” that made it such a masterpiece. It was also the combination of that imagery with a solid story, interesting characters and a pacing that bounces between terror and humor with ease.
All of those elements come together again to make “Jurassic World” such pure entertainment fun it will easily be one of the biggest movies at the box office this summer.
The film starts on shaky ground. Putting patrons of a dinosaur theme park in peril is a direct lift from the original film. It’s given a shinier look because this time, the park is open, and 20,000 guests get to see the dinosaur wonders on a daily basis.
Even a theme park full of dinosaurs has to keep evolving or guests will get bored. Jurassic World has bred a new hybrid dinosaur as its next great attraction.
This is where corporate greed and military involvement turn the theme park into a killing zone. The new dinosaur – one that’s smarter and has some killer extra traits – escapes. It becomes a mad dash to stop the creature before Jurassic World becomes a Jurassic buffet.
Much of the film’s plot has been cloned from the original. Chris Pratt – the Harrison Ford of the 21st century – plays the local dinosaur wrangler who sees the creatures not as park exhibits but as living beings to be respected.
Bryce Dallas Howard plays the expert who understands her job but has trouble dealing with people, similar to the character played by Sam Neill in the first movie. Howard’s character runs the park, and she’s more concerned with attendance numbers than personal connections, especially with her two visiting nephews (Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson).
Where “Jurassic World” takes a giant step forward is in the increase in the number of dinosaurs; the jungles and skies are filled with creatures great and small. The new hybrid dinosaur is terrifying. She not only has the brute force of a Tyrannosaurus rex, but the special skills bred into her make her a formidable foe.
Director Colin Trevorrow shows a steady hand at building tension and then releasing it with great force. The action was more suspenseful in “Jurassic Park.” But once Trevorrow commits to the fast tempo of man vs. beast, he never pulls back.
Pratt again shows he’s got the kind of natural charm that can allow him to go from action hero to comic relief without hurting either one. Howard’s performance is a little too comical at times, but overall she makes a solid central focus for the story.
Although the plot is familiar and some characters two-dimensional, “Jurassic World” delivers on a promise made by the staff of the new theme park. They know an audience doesn’t want the same old thing. “Jurassic World” provides something with more bite – and does it in a thunderous way.