Jurassic World is the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, but it deviates from the formula used in the previous films by actually having a successful park in operation. That, however, is the only significant way the the plot is different -- there are still dinosaurs that are chasing people (some of who are children) and the theme is "if you use science to mess with mother nature, it will lead to disaster."
The two leads of the film are Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. I think it's funny that Pratt was a goofy, fat guy for most of his acting career, but he got in shape for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy and now he's an action star. Don't get me wrong, he does a fine job; it's just something that no one would have guessed a few years ago. Howard does a fine job, as usual; though I did find it completely unbelievable that her character was supposed to be trudging through the jungle in high heels, but that's not her fault.
Remember how I wrote earlier that sometimes product placement can make a movie feel more realistic? Jurassic World is a perfect example of that. Every attraction is sponsored by some company or another, just like real theme parks. Nearly every ride at Disneyland says "Sponsored by [brand]" right under the ride's name. Heck, Sea World is owned by a beer company and you'd better believe that they remind you of that fact at every opportunity. So, Jurassic World follows suit, but it never felt distracting, just that it was helping to build the experience.
The special effects were great, though I would have liked to see some more animatronics. As far as I can tell, only one was used, and it was great. It was very realistic and allowed the actors to actually touch and interact with the dinosaur. There was at least one other time that an actor touched a dinosaur that was clearly CG and it took me out of the scene a little. Probably not a problem for everyone, but I noticed.
I don't want to include any spoilers, so I'll be careful how I write this next part. There was a minor part of the B-plot that was clearly being set-up as a surprise (it's finally revealed about halfway through the movie) and I figured it out in the first scene. I leaned over and whispered to Ian the plot point and he asked how I knew. I didn't want to have a conversation during the movie, even a whispered one, so I just told him that I just saw it coming. Not a big deal, but I thought it was funny that I guessed it so easily.
And now the big question: is it any good? It depends on your expectations. I went in to this movie wanting to see a big, dumb action movie and that's pretty much what I got. There were a few clever parts that I didn't expect, but all of the surprises I saw coming ("You mean the douchey guy is going to double-cross everyone? No way!"). That said, it was fun. Also, it was less gory than the other films in the franchise. The worst that you see in this one is someone getting swallowed whole by one of the dinos, but there was no dismemberment to be seen on screen.
If you're looking for a fun movie with likable characters to watch while you shut your brain off, Jurassic World is a fine choice.
Jurassic World is distributed by Universal Pictures.
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