The more I reflect on Jurassic World, the more I realize how much I enjoyed it and how brilliant it really is. This review isn't about nitpicking the movie; it has it's fair share of flaws as well as details that I really liked. I also don't want to summarize the film, and I'll try to do this without spoilers.
First off, I was never bored. The action begins early, is really fun, is well shot, and, through very good editing, pacing, and cinematography, the filmmakers effectively created a world of suspense where the dinosaur could be lurking just off-scene at any time. While the plot points were predictable (set up, payoff) like in any Jurassic Park film, the action was not; this suspense kept me guessing and kept me metaphorically on the edge of my seat.
Jurassic Park has always maintained a good track record of making dinosaurs into scary villains that will eat you (Raptors in the kitchen. Need I say more?), but JW is the first entry that has made me actively root against a dinosaur. The movie's hybrid creation Indominus Rex is effectively presented as a homicidal, sociopathic, character, achieving a level of pure hatred among the audience so strong that, when Indominus finally met her demise, a Sunday morning crowd actually cheered. If that's not great character development, I don't know what is.
Also on the well-developed dino list are the raptors. Thanks to Chris Pratt's relationship with them, the raptors are, for the first time in the franchise, truly presented as animals, as opposed to movie monsters. They were scary in the way a trained wolf or tiger is scary; seemingly tamed, but their wild side could come out at any moment. This was something new and refreshing for the JP franchise. While I could offer endless complaints regarding JW's CGI, which doesn't hold a candle to the animatronics of the 1993 original, I will say the raptors looked damn cool when they got to run out in the jungle. Their movement and behavior as they leap over dead trees and scurry along the jungle floor was captured perfectly, adding to the sense that they are animals.
What really made me appreciate Jurassic World was when I realized the movie was an allegory for itself. In the world of the movie, executives order the creation of Indominus Rex to "up the wild factor" and attract an audience who's bored with regular dinosaurs. That's exactly what the movie did! The writers concocted Indominus to attract movie-goers who could be bored with the previous JP films. And all the while, Chris Pratt's voice-of-reason character keeps reminding us, "They're dinosaurs. Wild enough." It's like the whole movie is a big f#@k you to some Universal exec! The film is full of tongue-in-cheek nods to the other films as if to say, "We know we're a cash-in, so we're just going to have fun being a cash-in." The action is fun and ridiculous, while the humor and nostalgia are well-played and self-aware.
Jurassic World's greatest selling point could possibly be the way it treats its audience. Like this summer's most amazing blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road (seriously, go see it), Jurassic World doesn't treat us all like idiots. JW trusts that we've all seen its predecessors and that we don't need a refresher course. Well all know who John Hammond and InGen are, and the movie knows that. Little details like that make Jurassic World and Mad Max refreshing exceptions in our current, unbearably oversimplified blockbuster climate.
Is Jurassic World a good movie? No, not at all. Is it as good as the original? No, it might not even be as good as The Lost World (but I like Lost World). Is it a fun, awesome thrill ride that can kick the pants off a Marvel or Transformers film? Absolutely. By far the best dinosaur movie you'll see this year.
My one line review: "Jurassic World is the dinosaur movie I've always wanted and never should've existed."
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