2001’s “Jurassic Park III” was a wildly entertaining romp through dinosaur highlights first introduced by director Steven Spielberg in his 1993 classic, the last of the old-world blockbusters, “Jurassic Park.” Back then, it was clear the franchise didn’t have much room to grow, recycling horror beats to give a new group of visitors to the dino realm something to scurry away from, mostly consumed with adding fresh creatures to give the Universal Studios merchandise team something to sell. The series was retired, Spielberg grew up, and if you wanted to catch some dinosaurs on the big screen, you had to make do with inferior features. Resurrecting the brand name for one last thrill ride (or possibly reviving it for a new round of sequels), “Jurassic World” takes a slightly different approach to monster moviemaking. Instead of trying to top the first three efforts, it looks to celebrate the universe Spielberg created with author Michael Crichton. It’s a deafening, menacing, immersive tour of dino hunting/human survival, wearing its fandom like a badge of honor.
In the two decades since the catastrophe at Jurassic Park, billionaire Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) has taken John Hammond’s dinosaur theme park idea and turned it into a reality at Jurassic World. Welcoming guests by the boatload, the getaway has mastered the trials of dinosaur containment, with park operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) keeping tight control over the attractions and exhibits. When her nephews, Gray (Ty Simpkins) and older brother Zach (Nick Robinson), arrive for the week, Claire has little time to share with them, forcing the boys to experience their own adventure around the property. Managing the raptors with an alpha male leadership is Owen (Chris Pratt), an ex-military man dedicated to his dinos. Brought in to consult with the debut of a genetically engineered dino, Indominus Rex, Owen immediately realizes Claire’s in over her head. When the deadly creature escapes from its pen, Simon’s team and a squad of InGen soldiers, led by Vic (Vincent D’Onofrio), attempt to stop the Rex before it reaches the tourists.
In a surprising development, directorial duties for “Jurassic World” were handed to Colin Trevorrow, previously known for his indie effort, “Safety Not Guaranteed.” Tasked with establishing an enormous scale for the picture, Trevorrow arrives with a plan to honor Spielberg’s vision, carefully ignoring the last two sequels, treating the new film like a natural extension of the first. The most bewitching development in “Jurassic World” is the park itself, which has been pulled from disaster, transformed into a dino mecca (composer Michael Giacchino preserves the iconic John Williams theme) that features a monorail system, a sea creature show, a petting zoo, triceratops rides, and themed viewing areas to watch the creatures feed and interact. Disaster eventually strikes, but the moments within Jurassic World are fantastic, with the production mindful of the corporate park mentality (including the need to grow with bigger, more dangerous attractions) while building a fantasyland befitting Hammond’s vision. Sadly, there isn’t much time to enjoy the sights and sounds, as the script is quick to dive into the story, eager to establish conflicts involving multiple characters, some with shady motivations.
There’s a lot going on in “Jurassic World,” which is surprisingly filled with plot. We follow Gray and Zach as they visit the attractions, taking a doomed ride inside a gyrosphere, a hamster ball-like vehicle that rolls around the grounds; there’s time spent with Owen and Claire, a pair of opposites who still can’t get past the failure of their one and only date; Vic is obsessed with the raptors, viewing them as the next generation of drone technology, trying to persuade Owen to go along with nefarious InGen plans; and there’s Dr. Wu (B.D. Wong, reprising his role from the original film), whose work with dino manufacturing has slipped out of control with the Indominus Rex -- a hulking creature born from a mysterious DNA cocktail Claire doesn’t want shared with the public. Trevorrow does a fine job juggling focus, keeping characters involved in the nightmare while still tending to their personal problems. Perhaps a few of these asides are strained (Gray and Zach’s pubescent divide grows tiresome quickly and Vic’s lust for power is repetitive and poorly performed by D’Onofrio), but overall momentum is maintained, giving the disaster a human touch while tending to power plays and dino disruptions.
The true stars of “Jurassic World” are the dinosaurs. While Pratt pulls off tight-jawed hero mode and Howard stays sharp as Claire, the big draw here are the raptors and the Indominus Rex, with exceptional CGI bringing the beasts to the screen with generous fluidity and shocking speed, refreshing the potential for fright as all hell breaks loose. The picture is violent (parents, heed the PG-13 rating) and invested in giving fans what they want from a “Jurassic Park” chapter, with a whole range of dinos to study, including a few old foes as the production pays tribute to the original feature. “Jurassic World” is a destructive movie, tearing up the park as the Rex marches toward a buffet of guests, armed with enough DNA tricks to give the endeavor a sci-fi spin, leaving paleontology to the first three installments. Trevorrow is more concerned with revitalizing the park’s threat, forgoing awe to keep the effort stuffed with unexpected dino action, goosed by Owen’s fatherly relationship with his four raptor sons.
“Jurassic World” stumbles a bit when trying to secure its Big Idea on abuses of power, and it’s difficult to ignore the faint taste of rehash once the park goes bananas. There are only so many directions to take with a “Jurassic Park” sequel, but Trevarrow has the right idea here, focusing on a greatest hits package of dino might, restoring pure cinematic adventure while establishing a starting point for new dramatic possibilities if audiences decide to visit “Jurassic World” in blockbuster numbers.