The mantle of responsibility falls heavily on Chris Pratt in “Jurassic World,” the latest iteration in the Jurassic Park series. While the original film had two paleontologists and a mathematician warning against unchecked progress, here this woeful duty falls upon a park ranger named ‘Owen.’ I’ve liked Chris Pratt more and more since 2013’s “Her,” and here he slips into the role with ease. However, while filled with action, “Jurassic World” fails to deliver the perfect film many were hoping for. A bevy of clumsy and under-developed character roles and a lack of suspense render an experience that ultimately falls somewhat flat.
Where the film succeeds is certainly in its premise, which takes previous iterations and throws them out the window. Here, the park is open and thriving, and ushers in thousands of people to its island pleasures. Cinematically, the film is marvelous, as we see lush, vibrant trees and jungles, a visitor center to make “Jurassic Park’s” pale in comparison, and an island expanse so large, it’s hard to discern where one side ends and the other begins. There are attractions we’re not used to seeing, such as a giant fish-like Mososaurus eating a Great White shark whole, as well as a pack of Velociraptors seemingly following orders for park ranger Owen.
The characters the film introduces are hit or miss, however. We have a pair of brothers (Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson) on vacation who become intertwined in the park’s clutches when one of its prize dinosaurs escapes, as well as Bryce Dallas Howard (“The Village”), who plays park executive/aunt to the two boys. We also see a man named Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), who is the new park owner, and a nonsensical inclusion of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” alum Vincent D’Onofrio as Hoskins, a man intent on using certain dinosaurs as a replacement for soldiers in the battlefield. This latter point is so distracting, I almost didn’t want to include it; but to be thorough, it does work into the plot even if it takes heavy points away from the film in the process.
The film employs some familiar mechanisms. The estranged aunt who will connect with the boys before the film’s end, feuding brothers who will bond as they fight to survive. But these are not criticisms, and honestly Dallas Howard, Simpkins, and Robinson fill these roles well. And while eccentric, even Khan brings a degree of respectability to the new park owner, even if he lacks Richard Attenborough’s charisma and bravado. Of all the characters, I liked Chris Pratt’s Owen the best. While Pratt has gained quite a bit of fame this year with “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the true testament to his ability is his restraint. In “Jurassic World,” he tones down the machismo, and, watching him, you honestly believe he cares for these animals, and is not a profiteer like other players. Best seen as he teaches the raptors commands from behind a cage, or as he attempts to help wounded dinosaurs during the course of the movie, he is given leaps and bounds more depth than Bob Peck’s Muldoon during the first “Jurassic Park.”
Regrettably, the film begins to break down amidst an ending that slips in and out of believability so often it’s really hard to focus. Okay, so I used the word believability and this is a film about engineering dinosaurs at a theme park. But once you accept the dinosaurs’ existence, there follows an animal fear of them, and sense of suspense of what might happen. But what we have here is equitable to an overly cumbersome superhero movie laden with too many villains and no story, such as in “Spider-Man 3.” No, it’s not enough that a 50-foot carnivorous dinosaur named ‘Indominus Rex” is on the loose in the park; we also have a stubborn profiteer running around the park with commandos on a ‘field test’ to see if raptors can follow orders and the owner of the park flying a helicopter mission against the escaped mayhem. Only one person utters the words ‘evacuate the island’ and is swiftly ignored. Suspension of disbelief can go a long way. But not this far.
Overall, it’s not fair to say “Jurassic World” is a waste of time, or even a bad movie. It’s exciting, flows with relative ease, and has some pleasing homages to the first film that many filmgoers will appreciate. Once again the detail given to the dinosaurs is top notch, and the soundtrack and detail given the park are awe-inspiring. It’s action-filled and will certainly entertain. A more focused, slower-paced story may have landed the film in a better place. But it did have the highest opening weekend on record, so take that as you see fit.
– by Mark Ziobro
