And I was right.
But, even though I was totally right, it doesn't mean that this film was bad. In fact, it was great. It ended up being like, a movie orgy of "Romancing the Stone" and "Predators" with "Jurassic Park." Well, I guess that sounds more like a threesome than an orgy. Anyway, there are throwbacks and direct mentions and odes to the first film, and that is what definitely elevates the film.
Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt make for solid and interesting leads. There's something pixie-ish and womanly about Bryce, and the camera loves her. The best part is that she can act. Chris is rugged and funny, and I can totally see why he was nominated to be [the next] Indiana Jones. I still no way in hell want there to be a next Indiana [at least not directly--Jr. or a nephew or a neighbor or something, fine], but I can see it. There chemistry wasn't electric--more on the "meh" side of things, but it was enough to kind of/sort of buy it.
And then, there are the dinosaurs. And nature. And there are moments as we the audience view the tours of the park--like kayaking with Brachiosauruses drinking along the riverbanks, or driving as the...other herbivore dinosaurs [whose name escapes me] run along side the vehicle. For a moment, I thought, "I want to go to there. Er, if those were the only animals part of the tour. Cause duh, trapped on an island with a slew of carnivores who are my size or much, much bigger? HELLLLLLLL no..." But yes, it made me briefly lament that Jurassic World (well, parts of it) wasn't real.
And then the musical score--they basically stole the sheets from "Jurassic Park," and played with my nostalgia through my ears. Manipulative, but effective.
The characters who you know will die--well, no spoilers but, how they die is a bit more shocking than anticipated... They really go for the kill in this one.
In short, I would totally recommend seeing "Jurassic World." Three stars and two thumbs up from Fangirl.
