My Movie Review on Jurassic World (Plus, a Bonus) · 4:21pm Sep 30th, 2022
Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for my 275th film analysis, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Jurassic World".
Here's the rundown of it:
Several years after the incident at Jurassic Park and the Isla Sorna events, the island of Isla Nublar is now home to a new dinosaur theme park called Jurassic World, which is owned by business tycoon Simon Masrani. Among its employees are Navy veteran and ethologist Own Grady, who works as the park's velociraptor handler, and Claire Dearing, who is Jurassic World's operations manager.
However, when Jurassic World's newest exhibit escapes from its enclosure, the parks spirals into a state of chaos! The exhibit in question is a genetically-modified hybrid called the Indominus Rex, and she's dangerous enough to threaten the lives of both human and dinosaur alike.
Will Claire and Owen somehow capture the Indominus and put it down for good? Or is Isla Nublar doomed to be its newest hunting ground forever?
I'm gonna come clean with you guys about this:
After I reviewed the "Jurassic Park" movies, I absolutely wanted to make my own reviews of the "Jurassic World" trilogy. With the third film having been released this year, doing so became all-the-more enticing.
Prior to watching "Jurassic World" years before, I remember frequently checking in for updates on the long-planned fourth installment of the Jurassic series. My fanaticism for the franchise made me eager with anticipation, and I was interested in seeing what the movie would provide regardless of the script changes and the decade-long wait. Eventually, I went to see the film while it was in theaters on a birthday outing with one of my cousins, and I was absolutely 'wowed' by everything it offered.
Even today, from a retrospective standpoint, I still consider "Jurassic World" to be one of the franchise's best movies.
For instance, the direction by Colin Trevorrow, the story by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, and the screenplay by Trevorrow, Jaffa, Silver, and Derek Connolly, were top-notch.
Throughout the movie, I noted that there were many winks to the first Jurassic film and the events surrounding it. I loved how they were incorporated, because it showed the filmmakers were wanting to honor the franchise and make sure they wouldn't forget what world the film takes place in. At the same time, they were able to capture the series's tone and themes, helping the movie feel all-the-more like a Jurassic movie while still providing something unique and fresh.
On top of this, the story was well-worked beyond compare. There were tons of thrills, surprises, and suspenseful moments that put me on the edge of my seat; witty and humorous portions that were genuinely amusing; and scenes that were heartfelt, emotional, and dramatic in the best way. It had marvelous morals and themes about greed and ambition too. I mean, I know they were previously used in both the first and second "Jurassic Park" movies, but the way they were played out in this movie truly felt like an accurate representation of executive and corporate greed.
The action sequences were also perhaps the very best I saw in the entire series. They constantly kept me on my toes, and they didn't play out in a way that'd be considered predictable or underwhelming. In my opinion, the very best of the action scenes was the climactic showdown between the Indominus, the velociraptors, and the T-Rex.
The special effects were spectacular, if I may add.
When it came to being faithful towards the visual styles of the "Jurassic Park" films while going bigger with advanced technology, Industrial Light & Magic didn't mess around! All of the dinosaurs looked incredibly realistic, of course. But, the effects team was also able to incorporate expressions into their facial features, which instantly translated them as creatures with feelings and personalities. The best part was that they managed to do so without compromising the dinosaurs' reptilian appearances.
The fact that the effects team didn't limit themselves to just regular dinosaurs was also nice to see. The Mosasaurus was truly one of their greatest accomplishments, and the scenes featuring it underwater or jumping out through the surface were mind-blowing. In addition, their work in creating the Indominus Rex was genuinely smashing, particularly because of her overall design and how they translated her unstable and monstrous nature.
To boot, the music by Michael Giacchino was magnificent.
As I heard every melody the film provided, I noted that Giacchino captured the spirit and style of John Williams's work in the two "Jurassic Park" movies directed by Steven Spielberg while making everything his own. His music sounded as gigantic and three-dimensional as the film itself, and the crescendo he incorporated made his score instantly bone-chilling and heart-stopping.
Finally, the acting, casting, characters, and character development were fantastic.
Even now, I thought that every cast member featured fit their parts like a glove. They portrayed their characters with as much personality and depth as possible, made any piece of dialogue they were given into a memorable quote, and they all looked like they were having loads of fun being a part of this project. The characters themselves had phenomenal growth throughout this movie, and they all proved themselves to be distinct and engaging in their own way.
If I had to choose what performers I believed to be the instant showstoppers in this movie, it'd be Chris Pratt as Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing, Ty Simpkins as Gray Mitchell, and Nick Robinson as Zach Mitchell. Along with having wonderful personalities and quirks, Owen and Claire shared an unexpectedly fun chemistry every step of the way, and their developments were among the strongest I ever saw. Nick and Gray were enjoyable as well. Their inclusions didn't feel like they were there for the sake of a movie needing kids, they had great personality, and their chemistry and developments as brothers were outstanding.
Something that I'd also like to take note of is the return of Dr. Henry Wu and the reprisal by BD Wong. Wu never really stood out to me as a character in the first "Jurassic Park" movie, but I loved that he had a larger role in "Jurassic World". Not only did his return solidify the film as a continuation, but Trevorrow and the writers took the time to give him more personality and depth, to which Wong did a brilliant job aiding them in with his acting abilities.
In conclusion, "Jurassic World" is a movie that's truly worth the price of admission. The direction and story were awesome, the acting and characters were fantastic, everything!
So, I rate "Jurassic World" a solid five out of five stars.
As a special bonus for you guys, I'd like to share with you a paint-by-number that I worked on from April 29, 2022 to June 18, 2022:
So, what do you guys think? Of this review? And the painting?
I'm actually a fan of Jurassic World as well. I think they did a good job of bringing back the feel of the original movie but with their own take on things.
Great review. I definitely agree this movie was awesome although it had some flaws, in my opinion.
Nice painting too!
Great review. While I understand many people enjoyed the first movie, Jurassic World became my favorite movie since Dominion.
the greatest of the sequel trilogy.