After being disappointed with the Jurassic Park sequels, I wasn’t sure what to expect with Jurassic World when it was first announced. Would it be more of the same, and not very well done? When Chris Pratt was announced, my fears eased a little bit, but even good actors can be in bad films.

Not having learned the lessons from Jurassic Park, the mad scientists are back, and this time they are playing with genes even more than in the past. An entire theme park has been built on the island, and hundreds of dinosaurs have been created to entertain the visitors. People are having great fun all over Jurassic World.

The park director is hosting her two nephews, though not really paying much attention to them since she is so busy with running the park. The nephews quickly ditch their minder and head off on their own, planning to put their VIP passes to good use. Of course, this is the time when everything starts to go horribly wrong in the park, again.

If you are looking for plot surprises and interesting twists, Jurassic World is the wrong movie to see. While not exactly the same as the original Jurassic Park film, the plots are eerily similar. They don’t even true to disguise it, so I think they were aiming for playing off that similarity.

Chris Pratt, as Owen the dinosaur trainer, does a great job, and is quite believable in his role. He isn’t quite as snarky as in Guardians of the Galaxy, but he still has the humor and “everyman” appeal which endears his character to the audience. It is interesting to see how well his character works with the raptors and how well he understands their motivations.

The music by Michael Giacchino makes good use of the familiar themes from the original film, while also bringing new music to Jurassic World. The music really worked well and didn’t intrude on the film at all, which is just how I like it. It is there, setting the mood and emphasizing as needed, but doesn’t make you notice it.

Despite the rehashed plot, Jurassic World was a very solid film. I actually liked it better than the original film (sorry, Jeff Goldblum). It deserves the praise it has received, and I have high hopes for the sequel (yes, there will be a sequel, given how much it made and the very obvious hinting at a sequel within the film). This is definitely worth seeing and adding to your collection.

Release Date: June 12, 2015 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Language: English

MySF Rating: Four point zero stars
Family Friendliness: 85%

Content:

Alcohol/Drugs: 0
Language: 2 (frequent mild and deity, some stronger language)
Nudity: 0
Sexuality: 0 (other than eye flirting)
Violence: 4 (brutal dinosaur attacks, multiple deaths onscreen)