Jurassic World
Year: 2015
Rating: PG-13
Length: 124 minutes / 2.07 hours
What happens when you genetically splice together a reboot and a sequel? This film. It’s interesting to find a franchise that’s willing to recognize the past material and build upon it, while also adding slightly new elements to it. The idea of training dinosaurs just like pets was undoubtedly the strongest element of this movie, even if the result was the same as it’s ever been. Part of the problem with this reboot, however, is that the characters don’t seem to click, even to the point of the relationships feeling forced.
While there were plentiful nods to the first film that started off the franchise, the plot seemed almost identical to the 1993 classic, but with plenty of cliches and hokey lines to go around. I think sequels like this recognize the elements that made the original great, but almost spend too much time overanalyzing to try and recreate the magic. These films ultimately fall short, mostly due to the synergy and sheer luck that made all the elements of the first movie work in the first place.
All that being said, it was an exciting thrill ride with a bunch of ridiculous dinosaur battles: essentially what you paid for anyway. I mean, the first film in this franchise worked because of the terror that goes with being trapped on an island full of dangerous dinosaurs. This film dispenses these scary moments, but in a way that just seems like a Hollywood action blockbuster (which if we’re honest, it is). It was nice to see the franchise try to return to its roots, but I also think we should have let this franchise go extinct with only the original as its hallmark achievement.
A reboot sequel that is nothing if entertaining, I give Jurassic World 3.5 stars out of 5.
