Run time: 124 mins       Certificate: 12
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins.
Release Date: June 12, 2015.

How to train your dinosaur

There’s no doubt that there was a great deal of pressure on Colin Trevorrow to deliver given that the previous outing for Jurassic Park without Spielberg at the helm was far from stellar, and indeed saw the franchise struggle to make it back to the big screen for 14 years until now. Its a great relief then that Jurassic World is a good film, great even. Its a familiar set up to the first, having the (this time fully operational) park go into disarray allowing the dinosaurs to wreak all kinds of havoc. Much like the new hybrid dinosaur on the block however, World may be the familiar T. Rex or Jurassic Park at first glance, but with each new scene comes an unexpected twist on the old formula. Throwing new spins on the well worn scenario inevitably leads to some elements going awry, but for the most part these flourishes hit their mark.

The plot takes its time to reach its stride but once the Indominus is loose Jurassic World never lets up. The final act here is exceptional as Trevorrow bombards the viewer with top notch action and surprises aplenty (the trailers give little away thankfully), ending it all with a finale that’s bound to have fans of the original applauding. The humans in danger this time round develop as the action ramps up, with the initially stiff Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) improving particularly well amidst the chaos. It helps that she has Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady to play off of, with the underlying theme of corporate interest versus ethics playing out in their discussions. Unfortunately however this is about the only theme Jurassic World boasts, and without the intellectual debates of original present to lend a sense of intrigue to ongoings the human drama is often left feeling light on substance.

Its never all that much of an issue though as Claire and Owen’s struggle darts from one great scenario to the next, but the pace does fall victim to the plodding Ingen sub plot at points. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Ingen bully butts in on numerous occasions to foreshadow what will surely be a plot thread that runs through the sequel, but he’s forced to sell such absurd motives that its a wonder he wasn’t aided by CGI himself. Its not a badly acted role per se, but its one that often sticks out as an obvious plot device for driving events forward and that threatens to take away the films otherwise admirable self contained approach. There is a lot to like about some of these overarching plots however, as well the numerous call backs that come with them. A debate between the returning Dr. Wu and the parks new funder that echoes a scene from the book which never made it into the original film is a particular highlight, and if anything seems even more aptly placed in this new story.

On the other hand the dinosaurs are handled more consistently, more characters themselves this time round than ever before. The Indominus Rex is a fantastic big bad, its vicious streak and genetic trickery making for some exhilarating sequences as it dispatches dinosaurs and humans alike. And for those afraid that the raptors have lost their teeth? Don’t be. Scenes that in the trailers appear to be jumping the shark, such as Pratt’s Velociraptor gang, are well and truly earned by the time they occur in the film. Across the board the attractions are given more of the spotlight than ever, and the attention to their characterisation as animals rather than mindless threats often elevates their human co-stars. For instance one scene that has Owen comforting a wounded Diplodocus strikes an emotional cord you frankly won’t be expecting amongst all the mayhem. As expected there is an over reliance on CGI to achieve this, with the staple animatronics only making one appearance of note. It can mute the tension in what could have been terrific scenes as the dinos are never actually there as animatronics would have been, even in close ups.

John Schwartzman’s cinematography captures the effects shots well, knowing when to close in on the panic and draw out for the grander scale; though certain human focused scenes such as those in the control room lack the same flair. Like Trevorrow, Giacchino’s soundtrack faces the same challenge of following John Williams’ iconic score, and while it shies away from delivering a new theme he does mix existing themes with some of his own dramatic tracks to create some truly rousing accompaniments to the action. It’s Colin Trevorrow and his love of Jurassic Park that brings it all together though, an impressive feat considering this is only his second feature film, and indeed he succeeds in crafting a Jurassic Park film fit for today’s newcomers and long time fans alike.

Chris Pratt once again heads up an impressive cast as the reliable man’s man who’s genuinely invested in the livelihood of the dinosaurs, selling some great emotional connection to his computer generated protégé’s. Its Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire who’s the real driving force of the film though, with Howard portraying her character arch authentically considering it develops within a dinosaur infested park. Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson give the adolescent duo some genuine heart, just as well considering they spend much of the film with only each other as company. The rest of the cast may be broadly painted but are well portrayed nonetheless. Irrfan Khan is the most likeable thing on screen as the billionaire successor to Hammond, his larger than life Mesrani beaming with child like wonder despite some of his awkwardly written comedy. The originals blundering Nedry may be a master spy in comparison to Hoskins when it comes to subtlety but D’Onofrio embraces the role nonetheless and helps sell what could have been a far worse off plot thread. Lastly the return of BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu does add a great sense of continuity to the franchise and he clearly has a ball reprising his character who’s now free of Hammond’s close eye.

Verdict

Like its villainous Indominus Rex, Jurassic World leans on the familiar only to surprise us with twist after twist on the old formula that worked so well 22 years ago. Granted a few of the choice plot threads hold the film back when its trying to drive forwards, but once the actions in full swing little can get in the way of its momentum. Sparing no expense on the computer effects does harm the tension at points but at the same time it lends more character to the dinosaurs than ever before, making it arguably the best trip back to the land of dinosaurs the franchise has afforded us since the original.

Hits

+Great new twists on the old scenario
+Howard and Pratt head up a great cast
+Final act truly delivers
+The Indomnius Rex makes for a great big bad
+Dinosaurs are better than ever…

Misses

–…despite an over reliance on CGI
–A few choice sub plots bog down the pace

Overall Rating