Probably one of my more anticipated films of 2015, Jurassic World (2015, dir. Colin Trevorrow) is the fourth in a series of dinosaur adventures that began with Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg back in 1993. The plot is as follows:
22 years after the original Jurassic Park failed, the new park (also known as Jurassic World) is open for business. After years of studying genetics the scientists on the park genetically engineer a new breed of dinosaur. When everything goes horribly wrong, will our heroes make it off the island? (source)
I originally intended to write an “Is it worth paying for a ticket?” review on Jurassic World, but for a million reasons I kept getting distracted and writing about other things. Now I’m not even sure if it’s still in cinemas. Hence, here is a selection of thoughts that I had during my viewing of the film.
- I think the very first thing anyone needs to know about Jurassic World is that it’s incredibly self-aware. The film is constantly referring to the original Jurassic Park, which does kind of make sense since it’s all located in the same cinematic world and on the site of the original park.
- I got a bit sick of the winks and nods for the people who saw the original film when it was first released, and I was one of those people/kids back in 1993.
- Plus I became really annoyed when the two young boys who were set loose in the park were more interested in the original Jurassic Park merchandise from 1993 than they were in the concept of actual, real dinosaurs wandering around. Or the teenage boy who was more interested in girls than dinosaurs. What a loser!
- The constant product placement fit in nicely with the theme of monetising the park and making as much money as they can out of the dinos. This also was kind of tiring over time.
- I think my favourite product placement was where one of the boys who wander around the park like idiots says something to the effect of, “Do you want to see something else that’s cool?”, and then it cuts to the image of a beautiful and shiny Mercedes Benz four wheel drive in the middle of a field.
- In terms of performances, I liked Chris Pratt the best, as Bryce Dallas Howard had the tendency to be a bit campy.
- But my absolute favourites were the two control room operators (Lauren Lapkus and Jake Johnson) who provided some excellent comic relief.
- I also love BD Wong in literally everything so it was great to see him here.
- My ultimate favourite part of Jurassic World was during the big pterodactyl attack – you briefly see one man pick up two margarita drinks from a bar and run away with one in each hand. This was the BEST. It may be my new ‘double-taking pigeon‘ moment.
- Oh, and the extended torture sequence of the British nanny character was totally unnecessary.
- Overall, Jurassic World was enjoyable but it felt quite plotholey and deus ex machina-y, with a lot of exposition that weighed down the pacing and tension when things start to get interesting.
- From the beginning you can tell that things aren’t going to go well, but that it will all work out in the end because the film will make billions of dollars and thus a new series of Jurassic Whatever films will be made.
- I kind of wanted the dinosaurs to just eat everyone.
3/5
Watch the trailer here.
FILM GRIMOIRE 
I’m still not sold on this thing but I’ll probably still watch it on VOD when it comes out…..
#vodsies
#benzies
Yeah, I think my conclusion if I did to a “Is it worth paying for a ticket?” review would be that it wasn’t really worth going to the cinemas for. Nothing lost on watching it on the TV!
#homesies
#prepareyourpopcorninadvancies
Jake Johnson and Lauren Lapkus had better chemistry then Starlord and Gwen Stacy. If you liked Lapkus in this and Orange is The New Black. Check her out in the indie feature Bread and Butter
I’ll have to check out Bread and Butter, I really like her! That bit towards the end where she rejects Jake Johnson’s romantic advances was a classic.
I thought they overused the music cue.
I would tend to agree with that! Even though it’s a great cue.
It is, yeah, but they used it like five times in various forms, and it’s like, seriously? You couldn’t write a couple new tunes for your massively high-budget chart-topper?
I liked the unexpected torture sequence of the nanny because it was totally unexpected and it’s a sort of mean spirited-ness I would not have expected from a PG-13 movie
You’re right, it was so mean-spirited! I would have expected that kind of treatment for a villain, but not for someone who was only really mildly annoying.
“Oh, and the extended torture sequence of the British nanny character was totally unnecessary.”
But the biggest laugh of the movie!
I think the biggest laugh for me was the time when Bryce Dallas Howard’s character was able to run around a jungle in high heeled shoes for the whole movie. Absolutely ridiculous!
I also just wanted the dinosaurs to eat everyone!
Especially those teenage boys who didn’t care about the dinosaurs because that would have been the ultimate irony!
You’re the first person to mention the English nanny. I wouldn’t call it unnecessary but it did seem out of tone with the film. That older kid was such a pain. I didn’t notice the double magarita thing. I should have watched closer haha.
I actually think the double margarita moment was my favourite thing of all! I’m hoping someone puts it on Youtube eventually so I can show everyone!
I loved the man running away with the margaritas. He obviously has his priorities straight!
Absolutely! You’d really need something to drink in a situation like that, I think.
Interesting thoughts yo, that guy going back to get his drinks, wow, I’ve seen the film twice and both times I was shocked by that guy’s priorities haha. I see that there was no mention on the raptors or the kaju-like dino vs dino fight at the end of the film. I’m curious to know what you thought of those.
I actually can’t believe I forgot to write about the actual dinosaurs. I thought the dinosaur stuff was fun, particularly the raptor moments, but there was no sense of wonder like in the original film(s). And there was a lot of plotholey detail on the Indominus Rex dino. But the graphics were great!
I loved the control room operators too. Overall, a fun movie but you’re right, pretty plot holey
I think the control room operators (and the margarita guy) were my highlights of the whole film!
Good review! I liked the two control room operators too, especially Jake Johnson was very funny. I noticed the guy with his two margarita drinks too, I was like WTF! And I couldn’t believe the teenager seemed bored by the dinosaurs!
Thanks Lauren! I’ll never not be annoyed by the teenager who was too cool for the dinosaurs!
I still don’t understand how the park owners believed how audiences would be bored by dinoseaurs after ten years. I would never be bored!
I had to view this film for what it is. A big budget money raking exercise that is meant to please children over the summer holidays
Kids may love it, but I sat through it begrudgingly and didn’t really enjoy a second of it.
The film reeked of what it was, an unimaginative money spinner. I still prefer to watch Eldorado or fantasia.
I will always love and adore Fantasia, such a classic. This really was an unimaginative money spinner, probably the most accurate description!
The dinosaurs totally should have eaten more people!
If this film fails at anything, it’s the relative lack of dinosaurs eating people.
This was fun, but oh so stupid. Just about everything you’ve written is pretty much on target. Great work.
[…] Unfortunately I couldn’t find a video of this beauty, but this may have been my highlight of Jurassic World. I must have watched the movie in a sort of brainfog because this is the best thing I can remember […]