3.5/5 Jurassic World Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World, the first time Hollywood has visited the dino park in fourteen years, somehow manages to be both monstrously entertaining and narratively meek. Aside from one late-in-the-game twist, the film sticks to a strict set of character, technical, and storytelling formulas. And yet, the movie delivers on almost every promise it makes. It’s loud, it’s mean, and there are a ton of angry, hungry dinosaurs running alongside Chris Pratt on a motorcycle. I accredit this to the fact that the studio’s waited so long to bring the franchise back to life. Instead of pulling a Spiderman and recasting/rebooting the series in a matter of months, we as an audience were given ample time to grow fond of the first three films. Even The Lost World, which was not greeted so warmly when it was first released, is even starting to grow on me. I guess distance does, in fact, make the heart grow fonder. Let's give the new team some credit, though. Trevorrow makes the treacherous transition from indie fare to blockbuster that usually leaves so many directors flat on their asses. Trevorrow’s last film was the equally entertaining indie Safety Not Guaranteed. Going from a movie that grossed a total of $4 million to a movie with the third largest opening weekend of all time is something that should not be taken lightly. It definitely has me wondering what he will do next…hopefully not a Marvel movie. | Director: Colin Trevorrow Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Johnson Writers: Colin Trevorrow, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Derek Connolly |
Trevorrow may be on the rise, but there is one dino guy already on top of the movie star mountain and his name is Chris Pratt. Having gone from the lovingly fluffy Andy of Parks & Rec to the rock-hard bod of Starlord, Pratt is on the biggest career roller coaster since Harrison Ford became Han Solo and Indiana Jones in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Ford and Pratt have been compared a lot. I believe the Indiana Pratt rumors are still burning - I would much rather see him take over than Shia La-what’s-his-face. Whether it be Pratt’s every-man charm, his recent wave of success, or the anticipation surrounding a new Jurassic Park movie, it’s not hard to see why this film is blowing up.
Even if this is obviously advertised and produced as Pratt’s show, nothing stops Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire from saving the day with heels on. She’s killing it. The character fireworks end there. Vincent D’Onofrio may be stellar as Kingpin on Netflix’s Daredevil, but his Hoskins, a military contractor wanting to weaponize the raptors, is as cartoony as a villain can be. On a smaller note, New Girl’s Jake Johnson is nowhere near as cool as Sam L. Jackson’s character from the original - no matter how much they try and make us believe.
There is so little to believe these days in blockbuster land. I would have never guessed that another Jurassic Park sequel would have been this good, but it’s nice to know that tinseltown can still surprise us. Continue hiring independent directors. Keep up the good work. In the end, everything goes according to plan, but this is $7 you will not miss.
Even if this is obviously advertised and produced as Pratt’s show, nothing stops Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire from saving the day with heels on. She’s killing it. The character fireworks end there. Vincent D’Onofrio may be stellar as Kingpin on Netflix’s Daredevil, but his Hoskins, a military contractor wanting to weaponize the raptors, is as cartoony as a villain can be. On a smaller note, New Girl’s Jake Johnson is nowhere near as cool as Sam L. Jackson’s character from the original - no matter how much they try and make us believe.
There is so little to believe these days in blockbuster land. I would have never guessed that another Jurassic Park sequel would have been this good, but it’s nice to know that tinseltown can still surprise us. Continue hiring independent directors. Keep up the good work. In the end, everything goes according to plan, but this is $7 you will not miss.