Jurassic World
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Evans, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins,
Over two decades have passed since the cataclysmic events which transpired in the original Jurassic Park. John Hammond’s dream of bringing dinosaurs to life has finally been transformed into a fully realized theme park, but after a decade of marveling at the wonder of dinosaurs, the reverence that people once had for these extraordinary creatures has been extinguished. Desperate to restore the world’s interest in the park, scientists at Jurassic World have created a new dinosaur hybrid. But will their new attraction restore John Hammond’s dream, or will the dinosaur that they created destroy them all?
One of the most powerful yet ironic themes of “Jurassic World” is power and it is conveyed in two very distinct ways. To quote Ian Malcolm from the original “Jurassic Park”, “I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here; it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could…but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should”.
This is precisely exactly what the scientists have done in this movie. Rather than regarding the dinosaurs as sentient beings, they are so preoccupied with their own selfish ambitions, that to them, dinosaurs have become nothing more than an asset; a lifeless entity that they can control. When the audience first meets Claire, her feelings (or lack of feelings) regarding the dinosaurs is illustrated by her refusal to even acknowledge them as living beings. There is a very distinct change in Claire’s attitude towards the dinosaurs that is illustrated when Claire and Owen discover a dinosaur that has fallen prey to the Indominus Rex. Rather than regarding the creature with cold indifference, Claire is forced to acknowledge the horrifying reality that has resulted in their insatiable quest for power. As she witnesses the dinosaur’s suffering, Claire and Owen remains by her side comforting her and reassuring her that even though she is suffering, she is not alone.
The irony of this film is that while some individuals fail to have respect for the power wielded by the hybrid dinosaur that they have so blindly created, other individuals, like Owen and eventually Claire as well, are able to recognize dinosaurs for what they truly are: living, breathing entities that are far more powerful than they are. The bond that Owen shares with the Raptors is so strong because instead of trying to dominate them, he has created a relationship with the Raptors that is based on mutual respect. The connection between Owen and the Raptors remains intact even after his position as Alpha is compromised because they recognize that he is one of them.
“Jurassic World” is the only sequel in the “Jurassic Park” franchise that truly feels like a worthy successor to the original film. This film is what “The Lost World” should have been: an intelligent, action-packed epic about dinosaurs. The casting is excellent, particularly for Chris Evans and Bryce Dallace Howard. The CGI animation of the dinosaurs, while clumsy in some respects, is breathtaking. Unlike the other sequels, when I saw the dinosaurs in this film, I believed that they were real, and much like the T-Rex in the original film, they commanded my respect. If you are a fan of the “Jurassic Park” franchise, then this film is definitely worthy of your time.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Evans, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins,
Over two decades have passed since the cataclysmic events which transpired in the original Jurassic Park. John Hammond’s dream of bringing dinosaurs to life has finally been transformed into a fully realized theme park, but after a decade of marveling at the wonder of dinosaurs, the reverence that people once had for these extraordinary creatures has been extinguished. Desperate to restore the world’s interest in the park, scientists at Jurassic World have created a new dinosaur hybrid. But will their new attraction restore John Hammond’s dream, or will the dinosaur that they created destroy them all?
One of the most powerful yet ironic themes of “Jurassic World” is power and it is conveyed in two very distinct ways. To quote Ian Malcolm from the original “Jurassic Park”, “I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here; it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could…but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should”.
This is precisely exactly what the scientists have done in this movie. Rather than regarding the dinosaurs as sentient beings, they are so preoccupied with their own selfish ambitions, that to them, dinosaurs have become nothing more than an asset; a lifeless entity that they can control. When the audience first meets Claire, her feelings (or lack of feelings) regarding the dinosaurs is illustrated by her refusal to even acknowledge them as living beings. There is a very distinct change in Claire’s attitude towards the dinosaurs that is illustrated when Claire and Owen discover a dinosaur that has fallen prey to the Indominus Rex. Rather than regarding the creature with cold indifference, Claire is forced to acknowledge the horrifying reality that has resulted in their insatiable quest for power. As she witnesses the dinosaur’s suffering, Claire and Owen remains by her side comforting her and reassuring her that even though she is suffering, she is not alone.
The irony of this film is that while some individuals fail to have respect for the power wielded by the hybrid dinosaur that they have so blindly created, other individuals, like Owen and eventually Claire as well, are able to recognize dinosaurs for what they truly are: living, breathing entities that are far more powerful than they are. The bond that Owen shares with the Raptors is so strong because instead of trying to dominate them, he has created a relationship with the Raptors that is based on mutual respect. The connection between Owen and the Raptors remains intact even after his position as Alpha is compromised because they recognize that he is one of them.
“Jurassic World” is the only sequel in the “Jurassic Park” franchise that truly feels like a worthy successor to the original film. This film is what “The Lost World” should have been: an intelligent, action-packed epic about dinosaurs. The casting is excellent, particularly for Chris Evans and Bryce Dallace Howard. The CGI animation of the dinosaurs, while clumsy in some respects, is breathtaking. Unlike the other sequels, when I saw the dinosaurs in this film, I believed that they were real, and much like the T-Rex in the original film, they commanded my respect. If you are a fan of the “Jurassic Park” franchise, then this film is definitely worthy of your time.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.