Putting the Park Back in Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park made us believe dinosaurs could walk the Earth among modern humanity and civilization. It achieved true moviemaking magic in 1993, and upon repeat viewings it holds up just as well. In the 22 years since, there have been two sequels—Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997 and Joe Johnston's Jurassic Park III in 2001—that offer their own moments of thrills and special effects wizardry, but none of the enchantment that makes the original film more than just an action adventure thrill ride. The newest entry in the franchise, director Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World, similarly never recreates the spark of Spielberg's first Jurassic adventure, but it sometimes comes close, and it carves out a place for itself as the best of the sequels.
The Lost World and Jurassic Park III both saw their characters venture to Isla Sorna, a second island where Jurassic Park's dinosaurs were bred, resulting in plenty of dino mayhem without the interesting angle of a supposed theme park filled with these creatures. Much of the thematic heft of Jurassic Park—should man play God?—was left behind for pure action, but Jurassic World finally gives us another film with more to offer than just the dinosaurs. Trevorrow returns the story to Isla Nublar, the island where John Hammond's dream turned into a nightmare, and gives the audience a working theme park called Jurassic World that has been open and serving thousands of guests daily for a decade. Facing a drop in attendance, park owner Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) has commissioned a newer, scarier attraction, resulting in the genetically modified Indominus Rex. It's a meta-commentary on the franchise itself, as regular dinosaurs just won't suffice after three films. Highly intelligent and ferocious, the new dinosaur soon escapes its paddock, and whole island is put on high-alert.
Caught in the midst of all this are park operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), her visiting nephews Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins), and Velociraptor trainer Owen (Chris Pratt). Also present are head of security Hoskins (Vincent D'Onofiro)—who wants to weaponize the raptors—control room operators Lowery (Jake Johnson) and Vivian (Lauren Lapkus), and raptor handler Barry (Omar Sy). Unfortunately, the script never makes any of these characters particularly unique, but each of their respective performers make them engaging enough to follow on the adventure. Howard and Pratt have solid chemistry, as do Robinson and Simpkins as brothers, but the real attraction to Jurassic World is of course the spectacle.
The dinosaurs are all top-notch, both as CGI creations and as animatronic figures, although I wish more of the latter had been used, as in the 1993 film. Similarly, Michael Giacchino's score does a fine job of evoking the feel of John Williams' original score, though the iconic theme from Jurassic Park is underused. Giacchino's an excellent composer (he's done tremendous work for Pixar and J.J. Abrams), but his themes don't quite match Williams' here, and using the latter's work a bit more would go a long way toward evoking some of that original magic. Trevorrow, making only his sophomore film as director with Jurassic World, handles the action quite nicely. No sequence cements itself as a new classic—like the initial Tyrannosaurus Rex attack in the original—but this film does offer sights unseen in the other three. An attack by the flying Pteranodons and Dimorphodons on the crowded hub of the park stands out by taking the threat out of the paddocks and jungle and dropping it among the tourists.
Those Jurassic World visitors are a part of the film's draw. The sight of a fully operational and populated park, more than the dinosaurs, makes Jurassic World a film worth seeing for any fan of the series (or at least of the original). We get to see a gate just like the old one. And a visitors center modeled after the first. John Hammond's dream is realized with an appreciation for what came before. Plus, the new park has monorails, safaris, and a stadium water show featuring the humongous Mosasaurus , a creature that literally eats great white sharks for breakfast.
It's all a feast for the Jurassic fan's eyes, and when paired with some of John Williams' old themes, it musters a good deal of nostalgia. However, stirring sentimental feelings isn't the same as enchanting the audience as Spielberg did. It's like visiting Disneyland Park for the first time and then going to the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. The latter is bigger and more refined in its design, but being similar can't make lightning strike twice.*
Experiencing a fully functioning park is something new for the Jurassic franchise, and it's what makes Jurassic World intriguing to watch. The film recalls the magic of the original but never creates its own. Using that nostalgia does a lot for the film, and from there Trevorrow and his talented cast keep the audience entertained if not totally enthralled. Jurassic World is a fun yet partly forgettable affair. If it's greatest success is inspiring viewers to revisit or discover Jurassic Park, then there are far worse fates for a film.
*For the record, I love both Disneyland and Disney World, and the resorts each have their own magical qualities and attractions. However, Disneyland is what I experienced first, and the charm of seeing the park's history and Walt Disney's finger prints on it is somewhat different than visiting its upgraded copy in Florida.