Jurassic World

Jurassic World Review: Instead of going through the synopsis of this film I just rather offer some commentary based on my viewing experience. Only 2 movie franchises have blown my mind that have combined never-before-seen special effects and a story that hits the heart. Those 2 franchises are Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Movie buffs (especially those from age 40-55) know that George Lucas changed the movie business forever with Star Wars in 1977. His team did it once again in 1993 with Jurassic Park when a photorealistic computer generated dinosaur lumbered across the screen. Fast forward to 1999 when after 16 years audiences would once again visit that galaxy far, far away in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. We pretty much all know how that turned out. An out of touch director more worried about the wizardry of CGI short changed what made his movies great to begin with - great characters and quotable dialogue. The second issue was that the wizardry was already spent on Spielberg's Jurassic Park instead of the franchise that defined special effects and what we now know as "the summer blockbuster". Now in 2015 we have Jurassic World, a film like Star Wars trying to capitalize on the nostalgia of a 20 year old franchise. I can't say I had the exact reactions watching this film as I did watching The Phantom Menace - that movie killed my ability to buy into hype - but I felt that same hollow feeling of "been there and done that". Jurassic World isn't a terrible movie because it's constructed well and has likeable actors, it just lacks the magic and well developed characters of its predecessor. The film's message also is bigger is better because we've become blase' toward what's older and dated. I think the issue is technology (CGI in particular) has hit the glass ceiling and until we hit the next plateau of cinematic technology, the magic will stay static in the eyes of the viewer. Final Rating: 2 out of 4 Stars