I have always loved and will always love dinosaurs. From a young age they ignited my imagination like no other. When I was a kid you could find me playing with toy dinosaurs, reading about them, or drawing pictures of them. And this was before I had even heard of Jurassic Park. When I did hear about this incredible movie about dinosaurs coming out I knew I had to go. Although being younger than the suggested 13 years old, my mom was cool enough to let me see the movie. This was the first PG13 movie I had ever seen and it left a lasting impression. The unforgettable combination of wonder and terror filled my little life and has stayed with me ever since.
Fast forward 22 years. I was thrilled from the moment I found out about a new Jurassic Park movie coming out. I had high expectations going into this movie (10 raptor claws out of 10 to be exact) and I was not disappointed! So naturally I was compelled to write about why Jurassic World was such an amazing movie to me.
First of all, the graphics. Don’t get me wrong, the effects in Jurassic Park were astounding, but technology has come so far in 22 years it made Jurassic World come alive that ways that the previous 3 movies could only dream of. The crystal clear imagery (especially in the 3d imax version I saw) is so realistic you can almost feel the dinosaurs breathe! And things like the holographic displays, the “hamster ball” vehicle and the park itself all made for some awesome eye candy.
Speaking of the park, I thought this movie cleverly and realistically portrayed our modern society. From the Starbucks and Brookstone stores in the park, to the Verizon sponsored dinosaur, this part of the movie rang true. (And I’m sure made for some excellent product placement deals!) It was also very funny to see the tourists deal with problems we know all too well, namely long lines and crowds, as well as some that are not as well-known, such as being chased by pterodactyls!
And then there’s Chris Pratt. He’s the perfect blend of rugged, funny, sexy and sensitive. He knows when to kick butt when needed, but also he recognizes that the dinosaurs are animals with feelings. I loved the Raptor Rangler aspect of this movie. In Jurassic Park the Raptors were immensely terrifying so it was cool to see that they are trainable. I would like to see Owen riding them in the next movie!
I really enjoyed the wide variety of actors in this film. It was especially nice to see BD Wong (of Law & Order SVU fame) reprise his role as a mad scientist. I also liked Vincent D’Onofrio, Jake Johnson, Irrfan Khan and Omar Sy. And the two boys, Ty Symkins and Nick Robinson, were great too. They were convincing as young people but not overly annoying. (But I do have to say Timmy and Lex from the original are hard to beat!) Also, the Jimmy Fallon cameo was hilarious!
Of course I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this movie. The music, the nods to Jurassic Park, the beautiful landscape etc, etc but overall I thought it was a fantastic summer block buster that left me with the same wonder and terror of the original. I give it 9.5 Raptor claws out of 10. I held back giving it a 10 out of respect for the original.
Do I think there’ll be another Jurassic Park movie? I would hope that humanity has learned its lesson by now, but I doubt it. I think dinosaurs are definitely in our future…
kateswhatever 