Jurassic World: a very good movie if you know what to expect

On Isla Nublar, Jurassic World has been open for years—a highly successful dinosaur park this time around—and it's about to unveil a new attraction to the public: a creature whose more of a hybrid than usual. By this, I mean that there were never "pure" dinosaurs because, over time, gaps appeared in the DNA of dinosaur fossils. As explained in the first movie, Jurassic Park, these gaps were filled with DNA from present-day animals (frogs, in that case). But this new dinosaur isn’t just a reconstructed version using bits of other animals—it was entirely designed. There was never a dinosaur like this in the past, even though it’s primarily based on the Tyrannosaurus Rex. It has been named, somewhat ironically, Indominus Rex—ironic because this "indomitable king" was supposed to be fully controlled by humans. However, the irony backfires on its creators when it turns out to be truly uncontrollable, using abilities inherited from its Frankenstein-like DNA to escape and spread terror among humans and dinosaurs alike, killing everything in its path, often without even bothering to eat its victims.

The movie does an excellent job with everything related to the dinosaurs, from special effects to the plot surrounding them, as well as the final dino showdown. The Indominus Rex makes for a great antagonist, both in appearance and its role as an intelligent killing machine. The semi-tamed velociraptors led by Owen add an extra layer of interest, being on the protagonists' side but still carrying the constant threat that they could turn on them at any moment—even on Owen himself. The twist where the raptors briefly ally with the Indominus because it "speaks raptor" is also a clever touch.

It was also a smart move to bring back Dr. Henry Wu, the same geneticist from Jurassic Park who spoke with Grant and the others, creating a live character link between the two trilogies.

However, the film often stumbles when it tries to be funny or sentimental—especially with Claire, the park’s operations manager. She works well as a serious character but loses credibility when doing silly things like rolling up her sleeves and tying her jacket around her waist to “get ready” for the field.

Owen is a solid character too—sort of the all-rounder, but still grounded. He’s not unrealistically skilled or emotionally unshakable; he keeps calm, but you can tell it’s through self-control, not because he’s cold. His "silly" moment, equivalent to Claire’s, is kissing her while deadly flying dinosaurs (pterosaurs) are attacking people nearby—a dumb Hollywood trope of throwing in a kiss during life-threatening situations. That scene would’ve worked better at the end replacing the attempt to sound cool by Owen with his line about sticking together for survival.

Masrani, the John Hammond of this movie, so to speak, got more screen time than his actual influence on the story warranted, especially considering his relatively early exit. Something similar happens with the cartoonish Hoskins, though he lasts longer. Hoskins plays the greedy capitalist villain, while Masrani is more like Hammond from the first film—well-meaning but underestimates the situation until it spirals out of control.

The mother of Claire's nephews is annoying but thankfully has little screen time.

Zach, the elder nephew, is the worst actor of the bunch, though he isn’t bad in every scene. The kids add some levity (or lightweight stakes) to the film, plus they amplify the sense of danger and provide a reason for Claire to seek Owen’s help again after having sent him away—she needs him to find the kids after they wander into the Indominus' territory.

In conclusion, this is a very good movie if you go in with the right expectations: a dinosaur-filled adventure where a genetically designed apex predator escapes and wreaks havoc on an island.

Translated from Spanish with ChatGPT