Genetically cloned dinosaurs, newly engineered as a source of entertainment, are set on display in the future human theme park called Jurassic World. After a long 14 year wait since the release of Jurassic Park 3 in 2001, the park is finally open and putting audiences all over the country on the edge of their seats as they return to the island and marvel at its previously extinct inhabitants in this summer’s top movie blockbuster Jurassic World.
To fully appreciate Jurassic World, homage needs to be paid to Michael Crichton (10/23/1942-11/4/2008) the mind that created the original Jurassic Park concept. The first book of the series, Jurassic Park, released in 1990, quickly adapted into a film (written by Crichton with the help of David Koepp) three years later under the same name of the book. Crichton’s sequel book, The Lost World, released in 1995 was also adapted into a film in 1997—screenplay solely written by David Koepp. It is easy to see that over the last 20 years, Michael Crichton’s bestseller novel series Jurassic Park also developed into a popular movie franchise (one that has grossed into the billions). For Jurassic fans, “Life found a way,” as of June 12, 2015.
Having been a Jurassic Park fan since early childhood, this secret dinosaur obsession of mine starting with The Land before Time all the way to those CGI Animal Planet documentaries—needless to say, created high expectations for Jurassic World. This is no longer the early 1990’s when animatronics and makeup are the only ways to create such movies. Although those effects spring-boarded the greatest of 21st century special effects, dinosaurs in live action movies can be made to look even more realistic and terrifying, even crossing dimensions into the 3-D world.
Jurassic World’s effects and CGI mixed with the music and suspense make for the perfect action movie. The actual design of the dinosaur is superior to any of its predecessors, and the human characters portrayed have improved from the original characters. While the characters aren’t exactly memorable and their development is still lacking a little, the characters weren’t constantly screaming or irrationally putting themselves in more danger, making the plot more complex than the other films in the series.
However, there has been some criticism regarding the actual plot; some argue that there really isn’t one. But it’s a movie about dinosaurs—giant, dangerous, and hungry predatory reptiles that walked the earth before humans; what more could you want? But if you aren’t satisfied with these elements, the movie also presents some hidden truths. The movie highlights how people need to constantly be entertained and how technology and science must continuously improve to meet this desire. It points out how greedy and selfish society has become by testing the limits of the natural world, mirroring the Frankenstein-esque cautionary message of Crichton’s novels.
Michael Crichton’s book is a one of a kind masterpiece, and its literary impact only strengthened its presence in the film industry. Breaking several box office records and grossing more than The Avengers during the opening weekend, Jurassic World has had an undeniable impact on the film industry. I would say Jurassic World, and even the previous films are a definite must see. Jurassic Park is a cinematic legend, and the fun, modern world inspired fourth installment of the series, Jurassic World, does not disappoint.
