Jurassic World proves franchises never die. Like dinosaurs, they lie dormant until being re-discovered by new generations.
The fourth in the lucrative series, it successfully harks back to the original’s sense of wonder. Discarding the sequel’s darkness, Jurassic World is a fun and sometimes scary return of beasts that time forgot. Money has been well spent with the CGI monoliths ready to chew their prey and rake in more box office dollars.
Isla Nublar is an island which has witnessed a hive of mayhem. Twenty-two years after a group of people were terrorised by dinosaurs, it now hosts a fully functional theme park. Using the pre-historic creatures as figures of familial fun, the park’s staff are kept busy. One of them is Owen (Chris Platt) who warns the operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) of impending danger. Becoming true, the beasts slowly rebel against their captivity with hell on earth unleashed in unanticipated fury.
Graced with a predictable plot and average acting, Jurassic World may not have much going for it. Those well versed in Jurassic Park lore will know exactly what to expect, but it’s this expectation which makes Jurassic World almost comforting viewing. The miracle isn’t in seeing the impressive looking dinosaurs. It’s in seeing how the writers come up with something new. They do, for the most part, by providing an entertaining return to a franchise which went off the rails via previous instalments.
Jurassic World doesn’t have the same impact of the first film which would have been impossible to top. It does have better characters and an interesting array of creatures lovingly rendered by CGI boffins. The action sequences are excitingly staged with Platt and Howard conveying genuine chemistry. Their skills lead the narrative through some slow patches with Colin Trevorrow’s direction occasionally leaden paced. The huge finale is suitably spectacular however leaving one to ponder if the age of movie dinosaurs has returned.
Jurassic World doesn’t offer earth-shattering viewing although as a slice of entertainment for general audiences it works. Nothing more could have been demanded from a franchise’s fourth entry with this offering sure to take a huge bite out of the box office.
Reviewed by Patrick Moore
Twitter: @PatrickMoore14
Rating out of 10: 7
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