Jurassic World is one of those movie sequel throwbacks that channels ’90s nostalgia and theme park curiosity into a weird tribute to dinosaurs. We’re living in an age where films like Sharknado have an audience, which helps explain the theme park roller-coaster ride meets Jurassic Park tribute tone of Jurassic World.

Colin Trevorrow’s been charged with creating something new, based on something old and he’s done that with a cheeky tone and casting Chris Pratt as our resident Steve Irwin meets Indiana Jones, explains the film’s intentions. Pratt stars opposite wannabe perfectionist, Bryce Dallas Howard, whose slowly unraveling control freak character generates plenty of laughs along the way with her high heels intact.

It’s not a complete comedy or as big a send-up as Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, but feels like it was based on a theme park ride rather than a novel by Michael Crichton. The film entrenches us in the resort style theme park of commercial enterprise, which has reached saturation to the point that new genetics are introduced to create new attractions.

As you’d expect, as with all Jurassic Park movies, something inevitably goes wrong and havoc breaks loose. It’s been 22 years since the events of Jurassic Park, which have been buried to the point of any reference to the tragic events, even memorabilia, being in bad taste.

“…I’m calling it in, I think we’ve got proof of a possible Dino-Riders movie.”

Jurassic World’s CGI is impressive to the point of becoming ordinary, but also highlights just how fantastic Jurassic Park was for its time. The sound is also fantastic, borrowing quite liberally from the original John Williams score to recapture that spirit of exploration and adventure. Sadly, this also makes you long for the original’s novelty with the recurring theme.

The biggest difference is that Jurassic World feels like a roller-coaster… you’re always aware of your seat belt and know its just entertainment. The classic water ripple scene is reinvented in a few scenes and they explore the technology behind a futuristic theme park. This helps refresh the series along with new characters, even though you’re not as invested in them.

The references to the original are a clever tie-in to distract you from the thought that Jurassic World is really just a double bubble-wrapped Jurassic Park. We’ve got a similar narrative structure, familiar characters and it only feels like its bulging at the seams because they’ve tried to swallow the T-Rex.

While it starts with an earnest and epic Spielberg tone, it eventually caves into itself as one ridiculous escape is supplanted by another or shown up by the reality of a real man vs. dinosaur scenario. That’s not to say there isn’t any dino gore, or even touching moments, but the film’s permanently stuck in a weird limbo between fitting tribute and wink-wink Romancing the Stonecomedy adventure.

Some decisions seem completely over-the-top and it does have a comic book cheesiness to it, but it remains an entertaining spectacle and a fun, thrilling ride with first-rate effects. As a sequel, it never aimed to reach the same heights as the original, but has fun poking fun at itself without breaking the fourth wall in the process.

The bottom line: Thrilling

Release date: 12 June, 2015
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