It’s been 22 years since a group of plucky individuals were test subjects for a new amusement park containing the world’s first genetically engineered Dinosaurs. Things didn’t quite go to plan and the park never opened. Cut to the present and Jurassic World, the 4th film in the Jurassic Park franchise brings everything up to date. Jurassic World is the rebranded park that has now been open to the public for several years. In a bid to woo a fast-bored public, the genetic engineers are creating hybrid creatures that are bigger, stronger, faster etc… What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything for park controller Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) she’s a frosty uptight career woman with a head for heights and a bod for demanding genetically modified dinosaurs that will escape, chase her and tear her blouse. If only there were a man around to save her from a fate worse than barren-singledom. Enter Owen (Chris Pratt) a gorgeous park ranger, so gorgeous in fact he can train Raptors, Raptors! The fearsome creatures that would disembowel you with a swift flick of the wrist are now trained puppies and they have names, presenting Flopsy Mopsy, Cotton Tail and Blue.
To top things off Claire’s rebellious nephews Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) have been shipped to the park by their mother for some quality time with their distant Aunt and free VIP passes. But Aunty Claire’s far too busy doing important corporate business stuff to give a stuff so palms the kiddies off on her haughty British PA Zara (Merlin’s Katie McGrath) to see the attractions.
It’s not long till the Dinosaur crap hits the fan and a new park creation is on the rampage and eyeing up the guests as dinner. With Zach and Gray giving Zara the slip and getting themselves lost in a far corner of the park, Owen and Claire must attempt a rescue and put a stop to the carnage.
So is Jurassic World any good? Well its fine, as summer blockbusters go. I’ll be honest I got goose-bumps when John Williams wonderful theme music soared and we entered the park, reminding me of the excitement I felt as a teenager watching the excellent original. The effects are decent, pretty much everything now is CGI with a couple of exceptions and I can’t say it looks much better than the CGI of 1993 or even the two sequels. In the original they did much more mixing of puppetry and CGI and it worked brilliantly because the dinosaurs were actually there and it felt dangerous. Here when Owen is having a Raptor show-down we know he’s really just waving at 3 tennis balls on poles. There’s also a message about the dangers of wanting more and more, consumerism and corporate lies but it’s all pretty fluffy. Now that the park is open there are lots of famously-branded shops making the product placement one of the more obvious efforts since Sex and the City 2 (a real horror film). It’s probably the better of the sequels (I haven’t seen them for a while) with the park finally being open the most logical step for a sequel set 22 years later. In the Jurassic canon it pretty much ignores parts 2 and 3 and has some nice nods to the original whilst also acting as a reboot.
The script and characters are pretty formulaic. Dallas Howard had her work cut out for her in the role of Claire, a regressive message that single career women can’t have it all until they give it all up, get a man and start giving a monkeys about having children. It’s credit to Dallas Howard in being able to pull out a likeable performance from a potentially unlikeable role. Pratt is charismatic as Owen, ruggedly handsome, generally lovely and good in a Dino-crisis.
OVERALL SUMMARY
So in short Jurassic World is a fun, dumb Summer Blockbuster, just don’t expect anything beyond the CGI spectacle, rubbish script, product placement and inevitable sequels.
