Life finds a way. Such powerful words from a powerful film. Unfortunately, this is not a powerful film with no lines of dialogue quite as powerful as that. This is a poorly written, ill-conceived film that is incredibly entertaining. Now do not get me wrong, the film is not very good (it is okay) but it has glimpses of greatness along with some really fun moments.
The Park Is Open
The big take away from this film is that it is a good time at the movies. Sure it has many problems (more on that later) but there is a lot of fun to be had here. First of all, I love how the park is open and ready for business. The whole beginning of the film really drew me in until it finally unveiled the park. That is where the film held my attention. I love the rides that they designed, even though I have problems with some of them. The big take away is that the park is fully functional, and the film does a phenomenal job to make it seem like a real park. Another major plus to the film is Chris Pratt. He is the standout and delivers a pretty good performance. I did not think he was all that great in last years Guardians of the Galaxy, but here he shows just how well he can act. The rest of the acting is fine, but no one stood out like he did. This is not the actors fault, but mainly the writers (again, more on this later). The film certainly has many action set pieces, but it also had some great quieter moments. They are few and far between, but when the film decided to focus on smaller aspects of the film, it really succeeded. Along with the quieter moments, the film handled the action very well. Particularly the finale battle. It was just so much fun to see all that carnage, and not only that but it had some emotional ramifications as well. The last positives of the film are the cinematography and score. This is a gorgeously shot film, with a really great soundtrack. However, while it may look great on the surface, there are many problems within.
They’re Dinosaurs, Wow Enough
The biggest problem with this film is the writing. The characters are all one dimensional, the plot is a mess, and there is not a lot of chemistry between the actors. I do not blame the acting because it is obvious they were not given much to work with. Occasionally there is a good line here or there, but more often than not there is a very clichéd line. The plot did not have to be great, but it had to be better than what it was. Some aspects of the plot did work, but one of the main subplots was completely idiotic. I kept shaking my head at how stupid it was, and it did not really amount to much by the end of the film. I mentioned that the chemistry between actors is lacking, and by that I am referring to a specific arc in the film. Two characters supposedly form a relationship throughout the course of the film, but the problem is that the film does not do a good job establishing this relationship. In fact, the most believable relationship in the film is between Chris Pratt and his raptors, which is really saying something. The film also has some unbelievable scenes in the park. This is not a spoiler, but apparently people can control some of the attractions in the park. Why was this seen as a good idea? I know this is a film, but that really made no sense to me at all. Also the CGI in the film was mostly great, but occasionally bad. Sometimes I would look at a dinosaur and think that the original film did a better job of animating it. Why is this? Well, it is because the film relies too much on CGI. The original only used it when it had to, but this one wants to show off how advanced technology has gotten.
Closing Remarks
With all it’s faults, I still had a good time watching Jurassic World. I did not want to bring up the first film during my review, but I will bring it up now. This film does not even come close to the first. While it may be better than the third, and slightly better than the second, it is still not a great film. The first film had interesting characters, an engaging plot, and breathtaking special effects. That it’s legacy. This film will only be remembered for it’s entertainment. Not it’s plot, characters, or special effects. I know a sequel is coming, but I think that this franchise needs to be extinct. (It’s a dino pun).