Twenty-two years ago, Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg, filled our theaters across the country. There we met the ferocious Tyrannosaur Rex, who was larger than life and always hungry. Two spin-offs: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) (Spielberg) and Jurassic Park III (2001) (Joe Johnston) kept the carnivores and hervores in living color on big screens.
The latest installment in the series, Jurassic World, is for all to see. However, with new director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed, 2012) and a new cast — save for B.D. Wong who also appeared in the original Jurassic Park as Dr. Henry Wu — there is something to be said for the original cast who appeared more up to the tasks than their cornball World counterparts.
The Operations Manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Masrani (Irrfan Khan), owner of the expanded park, are counting on bringing even more tourists back from the largely defunct Jurassic Park. In doing so, they continue to dabble in genetic creation, and in return create Indominus Rex, a monster of a dinosaur who is about as vicious as they come.
Meanwhile, Owen (Chris Platt), an animal behaviorist (he tames lions or tigers), has a fairly steady hand on the “cute” velociraptors a.k.a. “raptors.” But former military operator Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), thinks the raptors can eventually be used to back up troops in combat. Will Hoskins and Owen gamble using the raptors against Indominus Rex, and risk her getting loose and causing all hell to break loose? Of course they do, and the tourists end up with much more than they bargained for.
Just when Rex escapes, flying Pteranodons and Dimorphodons rain down on fleeing tourists. To get a blast from the past, director Trevorrow tips his hat to Jaws (1975) and to a lesser extent, Älfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963).
Jurassic World is not as good as the original, but better than the others that followed (especially Jurassic Park III).The thrills and the horror are there (the dinosaurs tend to eat more people than in the original). It is more than worth your time — especially if you like plenty of teeth.
Cast: Chris Pratt (Owen), Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire),Ty Simpkins (Gray), Nick Robinson (Zach),Vincent D’Onofrio (Hoskins), Irrfan Khan (Masrani).
Running time: 124 minutes
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Executive director: Steven Spielberg
Howard McQuitter welcomes reader responses to howardmcquitter68@gmail.com.
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