Movie Review : Jurassic World

As you might have known, I was very excited for this film. I mean, I had even reviewed the trailer when it came out; that would've clearly indicated the fact that I am a huge fan of The Jurassic Park movies (yes, even 3 and the Telltale videogame). This movie had been in the works for more than a decade now and fans have been clamoring for another movie in the series. Finally, it has seen the light of day and as I have seen it, here are my thoughts about this movie.

For those of you who are very eager to hear my thoughts and want a quick review (LOL, as if!), I'll say the movie is fortunately or unfortunately, good and just that. Nothing more, nothing less. As much as I don't want to say this, the film was definitely not worth the hype and just an average entry in the series. For me, this movie just felt like an appetizer and not the main course. It pains me to say this but it was rather a minor let-down. However, it is definitely better than the second installment which can be considered a saving grace. A one-time watch, preferably not in 3D. There you go. 

To know why, read further. 

The movie began quite similar to the first movie which, I must confess, was a moment of nostalgic overload. In one very important scene, the famous John Williams' score was playing in the BG and I had goosebumps throughout. It was a very promising start. The movie went on a bit and then, I noticed that it was quite similar to the first one. Maybe a nod to the original series... So, I wait patiently until the end and you know what? The movie is EXACTLY the same as the first one. *Minor Spoilers* Even the climax was similar to that of the first movie! Like, WTF!?

Basically, if you have seen the first movie, you have pretty much seen this movie. Weren't we promised a sequel rather than a reboot?  The only differences between the original and this movie can be summed up like so - improved visual effects, less interesting characters (Chris Pratt was lifeless and Bryce Howard was over-the-top), Velociraptors on a leash, and an addition of a couple of new Dinos. That's about it. This movie could have been a thousand times better with new and innovative ideas and concepts. I mean, this is a fictional setting; the possibilities are endless! But no, they just copy-paste the original, wrap it up in a new wrapper and sell it to us - the fans. Why did you have to stick to the original formula, Mr.Trevorrow? That raptors-on-a-leash idea was a very neat concept and it was executed fairly well. Why can't we have more of ideas like that?

If you have been watching any reviews about this movie online, you might have heard many of the critics say this movie was decent at best. My favorite critics - Doug Walker (AKA The Nostalgia Critic) and Jeremy Jahns, both said that the movie was not that good. I thought it can't be that bad, and therefore gave it a shot. I strongly wanted to disagree with them and flip them off but ironically, I am beginning to agree with them. At this point, I only want to beg Universal studios not to produce sequels for the sake of producing sequels a la Resident Evil/Transformers series and make this beloved franchise an ATM machine. 

Score - 7/10

P. S. I wanted to give this flick a 9.5/10 (which is the highest rating any deserving movie will get from me) but a 7 is the best I can do. Would I consider this a true sequel to the series? Yes, a good sequel BUT not a great one that we all waited for. That being said, it should come as no surprise that my favorite is still the first Jurassic Park.