It’s been 15 years since we last saw the dinosaurs, and with good reason. The sequels to the original Jurassic Park did nothing but copy and paste the originals. Will the direct sequel to the original prove any different?

Jurassic World takes place 22 years after the events of the original. Even though the disasters of the past parks were widely known, the thrill of seeing a dinosaur still brings thousands to the Costa Rican isle of Isla Nublar. Along with the tourists, brands of all types affiliate themselves with the park and are unfazed with the past disasters.

And, while business is booming at Jurassic World, the threat of becoming stale is a constant fear among executives and the brands alike. This means the park must do anything possible to make bigger and better dinosaurs, even if that means creating them. Under the direction of ex-Hammond geneticist Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), the Indominus Rex is created (made from T-Rex and who knows what else).

Accompanying them is Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), who oversees the park for Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), the billionaire who inherited the park from the late John Hammond. Gray and Zach (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) are sent to the park to visit their aunt amidst their parents’ marriage troubles. Rounding out the cast is ex-Marine Owen (Chris Pratt), who is the alpha of a raptor foursome.

Like most of the Jurassic Park movies, disaster strikes when the creature they created escapes containment and causes disaster in the park. As it is an uncontrollable monster, the Indominus Rex wrecks havoc on the island after its escape, which leads to panic and rampant deaths. Will the group find a way to stop the science experiment and escape the island? Or are they doomed?

Jurassic World is not a complex movie by any means, but for a movie made strictly for entertainment value it does its job. The CGI of the dinosaurs are done well and don’t distract. The plot is simple and predictable, but – when you’re talking about a movie about dinosaurs – it really doesn’t need much to be effective. The cast, beside from Chris Pratt, is forgettable and, once the action starts, they are thrown to the side.

There are a lot of problems with Jurassic World, but despite these problems it’s still an entertaining movie. Walking out of the theater I was in awe as the action delivers and leaves you wanting for more. While it’s not at the level of the original Jurassic Park, it’s definitely one I recommend to anyone looking to be entertained, which should be just about anyone these days.

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What did you think of Jurassic World?  How does it stack up against the original Jurassic Park?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes