PARK ASSISTANTS. From left, Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire and Chris Pratt as Owen. Pictures: UIP.
Critics knew it was either going to be exquisite, or entirely preposterous. With new 3D technologies and the return of Steven Spielberg as executive producer, the chances of the former were highly likely. I am happy to report this is in fact the case. The film is a must-see for the whole family and introduces a highly plausible new angle of genetic engineering.
The film follows on 22-years from the last. It trails the lives of Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) Mitchell, who are off to visit their aunt Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Jurassic World operations manager.
Jurassic World is a fully functional dinosaur theme park off the coast of Costa Rica, made-up of genetically modified dinosaurs. In an attempt to engineer something bigger, better and scarier, chief geneticist Dr Henry Wu (BD Wong) – the only character from any of the previous films – creates a genetic hybrid, an overstated reptile called Indominus Rex that displays extreme predator traits.
Of course when the boys arrive, Claire is too busy to meet them and leaves them in the care of her assistant, Zara (Katie McGrath). Before she can even bat an eyelid, the boys have escaped her grasp and are off on their own, seeking adventure – and adventure is what they get.
Claire takes Owen (Chris Pratt), a velociraptor expert, to the Indominus Rex enclosure to ensure security, whereby the creature cleverly escapes and sets the scene for dinosaur disaster.
Not only must Claire protect the thousands of people in the theme park – without fuelling chaos – but she must protect her nephews. In most part, it’s highly predictable, but it’s everything you want from a film about dinosaurs, filled with a rampage of these larger-than-life creatures.
It also teaches about the possibility of being able to relate with such creatures through Owen, a type of dinosaur whisperer, who over time has formed a relationship with some of the most stealthy and deadly of them all – the velociraptor.
The graphics are top-notch and the film is action-packed. For someone who’s not necessarily a fan of sci-fi films, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone wanting to take their mind off life’s daily troubles.
It reminds us of how very little we are in this evidently unpredictable and magical world we live in. And the film hints towards the dangers of humans’ scientific experiments with things they do not fully understand.
