JURASSIC WORLD - FILM REVIEW

amusings
Jun 10, 2015
7 min read

J U R A S S I C W O R L D

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dir: Colin Trevorrow

★★★

TREVORROW'S SEQUEL DELIVERS ON THRILLS BUT TAKES A DINO-SIZED BITE OUT OF BELIEVABILITY...

Jurassic World is a movie which wants to have it’s own monster-sized cake and duly eat it. Early on in the film, and at a refreshingly regular pace following, Treverrow’s Dino sequel sees fit to poke fun at itself and draw plenty of attention to its own excesses - Jake Johnson’s control centre geek Lowery snidely commenting early on that the original Jurassic Park (within the film universe) didn’t need to rely on gimmicks such as hybrid dinos and other such high-concept McGuffin-baiting. It is also knowingly meta, with BD Wong’s returning Henry Wu getting a killer line that will silence any of the ‘Why No Feathers’ dino-nut naysayers. And yet, as regularly as Jurassic World gives the audience a friendly ‘Do you see what we did there’ nudge in the ribs, more often than not it follows this up with a slap round the face as subtlety is flung out the window, no doubt followed by a flock of Pteranodons, and the franchise takes its inevitable yet lamentable steps into 21st Century CG overload.

It seems predictable, and to some no doubt a touch hipster, to evoke a typical CGI-versus-practical effects furore here, yet coming away from Jurassic World it is almost impossible to not yearn for this tale to have been told with the same respect and calibre of visual effects work which still makes the original an impressive treat over two decades on. For Jurassic World is a genuinely thrilling, entertaining spectacle, and Trevorrow brings some great ideas and set pieces to the table, it’s just unfortunate that Industrial Light and Magic seem to have lost some of the latter on this instance; surprising, given the original Jurassic Park’s pivotal, transformative role in the company’s history.

"It's unfortunate that Industrial Light and Magic seemed

to have lost some of the latter on this instance;

surprising, given the original Jurassic Park's pivotal,

transformative role in the company's history."

Set in real-time following on from the events of the previous films (though only the first instalment is directly referenced), the titular theme park is a successful re-imagining of John Hammond’s former dream, and it is here that Treverrow and team succeed brilliantly - some of the films most immersive moments come from simply experiencing the wonderment and joy of the park mostly through the eyes of young visitors Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) before it all goes belly up. From a bewildered young Brachiosaur being bear hugged by children in a hilariously charming petting zoo, through to the much-publicised Mosasaur lagoon where visitors (and viewers) get the Sea World experience writ large (advocates of Blackfish would love this place!), the park is utterly convincing and terrifically realised on screen, even if its being centred around a single hub location makes it feel perhaps a trifle smaller than it was envisaged back in the ’93 original.

However, tranquility and calm does not a Jurassic movie make, and Trevorrow and his co-writers see fit to throw Michael Crichton and the original movie’s messages of playing god and tampering with science into the primordial melting pot to hatch themselves an Indominus Rex; a bigger, badder (note: not better) version of the beloved T-Rex with a few unexpected surprises of it’s own. As the malevolent, intelligent beast inevitably breaks free, and all manner of toothed, clawed and winged hell descends upon staff and visitors, it’s up to the park’s stiff, by-the-book operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and ex-Navy-cum-Raptor-trainer Owen (Chris Pratt) to go all Sam Neill and Laura Dern in the hopes of setting things right.

Once it shifts into gear, Jurassic World rarely lets up, and, as mentioned, moves at a genuinely exciting and engaging pace. No set piece or sequence outstays its welcome, and there’s a real sense of momentum propelled by the impending threat of the Indominus reaching the stranded visitors. Along the way, there are detours and deviations that fans of the franchise will adore, and a protracted attack on tourists from a flock of Pterosaurs and Dimorphodon’s (I was one of those Dinosaur kids) is a real assault on the adrenal glands, including a terrifyingly brutal use of the Mosasaur. But it all inexorably leaps and bounds to a final reel which, whilst high on incident, suitably thrilling and positively bursting with fan-pleasing moments and cameos, is where the excess and visual effect shortcomings are at their most glaring. Whilst not wanting to avoid spoilers, the final showdown, for instance, whilst plenty satisfying, is just ripe for parody, ends up becoming more than a little silly, and lacks any of the focused tension and ultimate majesty of Spielberg’s Visitor Centre showdown from the first film.

"Jurassic World moves at a genuinely exciting and

engaging pace.. No set piece or sequence outstays

its welcome, and there's a real sense of momentum

propelled by the impending threat of the Indominus"

Suspension of disbelief has never been more crucial to the enjoyment of a film in this franchise (yes, even more so than Jurassic Park III) and whilst the much-maligned decision to ‘tame’ the series’ vicious Raptors is a prominent subplot, it’s execution is actually handled very well. It all falls into the themes of control and ownership, even if the film does awkwardly shoehorn in a completely unnecessary commentary on the commercialisation and military opportunities of the creatures. In fact, Vincent D’Onofrio’s ‘villain’ as a whole is something of an irrelevant damp squib, ultimately only serving as a conduit for sending the possibility of a sequel off in a separate chopper marked ‘TBC’. And, as the Raptor story arc unravels, Trevorrow and co. again wheel out some great ideas and encounters, including a high-speed showdown that is straight from the Spielberg school of set piecing, yet more often than not is hard to find them as believable or convincing by dint of wobbly CGI. Even scenes which practically beg for a live puppet, for instance when the Raptor squad are contained in harnesses and being examined at close proximity, are entirely at the mercy of ILM’s uncharacteristic inconsistency.

Pratt and Howard, meanwhile, prove perfectly competent leads, and unexpectedly it is the latter who seems to create the more memorable character - her all-business, no-nonsense Claire going on the more defined arc and mining the most from the comedic beats the script affords. Likewise, Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson are amongst the franchises best young actors and do not devolve to screaming archetype or bland movie-kid-101 (Tim and Lex would be proud), even getting some funny moments of their own. For Jurassic World is certainly happy to not take itself too seriously, even if there is some muddying of the water in this regards, and moments that the film attempts to paint as heroic or uplifting come across as unintentionally funny or downright silly. See, for instance, the In-Gen CEO, a likeable and worthy successor to Richard Attenborough’s John Hammond, going all Schwarzenegger and hopping into a chopper in the hopes of gunning down the Indominus, or even some of Owen’s lofty animal philosophy and cheesy soundbytes that sound as though they could have been taken from the mouth of the other Attenborough brother. Jurassic World should be applauded for keeping things colourful, even if it does seem to use this as an excuse for leaning on cliche and B-movie mentality at times to an extent that even Jurassic Park III managed to sidestep.

"Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson are amongst

the franchises best young actors and do not

devolve to screaming archetype or bland

movie-kid-101... Tim and Lex would be proud."

In all, Jurassic World is a tough one to call. It’s undoubtedly a worthy continuation of the franchise, and a consummately entertaining Blockbuster spectacle, albeit one that seems more in line with contemporary expectations of what exactly that entails. Back in ’93 when Spielberg tore up the rulebook he had created for himself back in the 70’s with Jaws, he set a precedent and revolutionised the way in which special effects could harmonise with thrilling storytelling on film. A mixed bag of sequels and a lengthy hiatus followed, during which horror stories of Dinosaurs with guns and other abominations threatened to imprint on the good name of the franchise. Fortunately, none of these materialised, and instead we do get a film that is mercifully Jurassic Park in tone and execution. However, for all of the genuine excitement and invention, a lamentable amount of the original film’s restraint and focus have been jetisoned in favour of at times an almost Michael Bay approach to contemporary action. With a disappointing standard of CGI peppering the film with moments which pull us out of World in a way the series had previously mostly avoided, it’s hard to not yearn for the days of Stan Winston (one of the film's most affecting sequences involves the lone use of animatronics) and feel a little sad that, even in the hands of the respectful, competent Trevorrow, and under the supervision of maestro Spielberg himself, it seems that golden age of Dinosaur movies where a delicate balancing of practical and visual effects created a seamless thrill ride may too be just as extinct.