More Teeth: A Jurassic World Review

Dinosaurs may have died out 65 million years ago but the Jurassic Park franchise is still alive, well and rampaging through box-offices everywhere. This past weekend’s Jurassic World delivers a thrilling and wondrous return to Isla Nublar, home of more than a few genetically modified prehistoric critters. The film is a fresh yet nostalgic addition to this year's batch of summer movies. It is a thoroughly entertaining and action packed movie that triumphantly declares: the more teeth, the better!

Personally, being a major Jurassic fanboy and childhood dino enthusiast, I have been anxiously awaiting this film's release since it was announced. It has been over two decades since the original was released and 14 years since a new movie was in theaters, a wait seemingly as long as the Cretaceous Period. Growing up with Jurassic Park, I feel a very strong connection and loyalty to the series. Not every movie may have been received well critically or by average moviegoers, however, they each hold a deep significance for me. 

This newest installment picks up 22 years after the events of the first film on the same island that brought dinosaurs back to life, now a fully realized, functional theme park. Isla Nublar has become a premier destination spot, fulfilling John Hammond’s original vision for the ill-fated Jurassic Park. This new park is immediately reminiscent of Walt Disney World monorails and all, now aptly named Jurassic World. The movie brilliantly brings this place alive in all it’s kitsch, touristy glory, complete with it’s very own Starbucks and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. 

In the movie’s universe though, dinosaurs have become a rather common occurrence, as one of the characters puts it, "Kids today look at a triceratops like an elephant at a zoo.” In order to appease the insatiable hunger of the restless public and corporate interest, Jurassic World’s geneticists brashly decide to splice together a new hybrid dino more vicious than consumerism itself. Hoping to “Up the ‘Wow’ factor.” Dr. Wu (BD Wong), the only recurring actor from Jurassic Park, and fellow scientists create the Indominus rex. Scientists manipulating genes to make a new creature that’s name literally translates to untamable king in latin, things are clearly going to go spectacularly wrong. The Indominus proves particularly formidable due to it’s mixed bag of DNA, a lethal combination of predatory dinosaurs and modern-day species.

When this homicidal and intelligent super-dinosaur obviously escapes, it is left to Owen Grady played by the always entertaining Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy)  and Claire Dearing played by Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help) to save the day. Owen is a former member of Navy turned Velociraptor trainer and Claire is the park’s operations manager. Also caught up in the ensuing mayhem are Claire’s nephews Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson). The film’s cast is nicely rounded out Irrfan Khan’s Hammond-esque role of Mr. Masrani, New Girl’s Jake Johnson as Lowery the control room technician and Vincent D’Onofrio as InGen's militaristic head of security, Hoskins.

Jurassic World is an exciting adventure with plenty of surprises and throwbacks to the original, including an appearance by a certain toothy, rather large non-human character. From the swelling legendary theme music to the instantly recognizable sound of raptor calls, Jurassic World feels at home in the series and in the collective consciousness of all those who grew watching these one-of-a-kind movies. I definitely suggest seeing this movie if you are a fan of the dino-filled franchise or just a summertime moviegoer, it’s well worth it.