Thursday, June 18, 2015

Movie Review - "Jurassic World"



One of the plot points (insofar as this movie actually has a plot) is that the "Jurassic Park" of twenty-some years ago has become old and tired, and the owners of the Park need to keep coming up with something newer, bigger, scarier.  Something that will increase the WOW Factor of the park so that tourists will keep coming to the place and paying for "eight dollar sodas" (an actual quote from the movie).  One critic I heard on the radio said that in this regard, this movie is a perfect metaphor for Hollywood itself, with its penchant for sequels, remakes, and reboots.  Pretty clever.

You have to look at this movie in context.  Let's face it, "Citizen Kane" it ain't, nor was it intended to be so by the film makers.  It was produced to churn huge ticket sales and make money, and it appears to be doing so.  In reviewing and watching it, keep that in mind.  If it's "cinematic art" that you want, skip this and rent a Fellini movie. 

The characters in this movie are stereotyped beyond belief.

The leading man is Chris Pratt who plays Owen, and ex-Navy guy who has some sort of job at the Park training (if that's the right word for it) some of the prehistoric beasts.  He warns everyone continually that these are "living creatures" and of the dangers of messing with nature and trying to play God.  None of these objections, apparently, stop him from accepting a paycheck form the place.  He also has a history and a head-butting failed romance with.....

Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays Clair, the hard-driven and determined Career Woman who manages (we never know her exact title) the Park with a totally focused view of the "bottom line" and the profit margins.  Her two nephews, whom she claims to adore but whom she hasn't seen in years visit Jurassic World, but Aunt Clair palms them off on some other functionary because she is just too busy.  She also spends much of the movie running through the jungle in a white skirt and jacket and high heels.

She is also, I just learned, the daughter of actor/director Ron Howard, and she is quite lovely.

Yep, this is the white suit she wears throughout the movie!

Also in the cast is Vincent D'Onofrio, who plays Hoskins, some sort of government, para-military contract who is at the park to see if these animals being developed can be used for military purposes.  "Just think if we had these babies at Tora Bora" he says at one point.  His character  screams "Villain" so loudly that it's surprising that the director didn't give him a handlebar mustache that he could twirl.

Within moments of the appearances of these characters you immediately know that  (A) the two nephews are going to get into one major heap of trouble within the walls of the Park, (B) Clair and Owen are going to experience major amounts of tension, but are probably going to end up together, and (C) it is going to end very badly for Hoskins.

So, having said all that, you think I am going to say don't waste your time and money on this one, and to that I say "Hell No!"  This is a summer popcorn movie and in that context, it is great fun.  I haven't even mentioned the dinosaurs yet.  They are fabulous!  The special effects that produced these creatures are amazing, and much better than what was seen in the original Spielberg "Jurassic Park" movie from 1993.  Hollywood continues to up the ante where the Wow Factor is concerned.  And pay the extra bucks to see it in 3-D.  I did, and it was amazing.  I will also tell you that there was one moment in the movie when I literally jumped in my seat.

Hey, it's summertime, and this is the perfect movie for it.  You won't be hearing it's name much on Academy Award night (maybe for some special effects stuff), but that doesn't mean you won't be entertained by it.


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