the park's open again

The moment Chris Pratt first entered a scene in Colin Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World,” I couldn’t let go of the idea that he was acting as Andy Dwyer—his character in the exceptional comedy show “Parks and Recreation”—while taking on his alter ego Burt Maklin (although in a more mature way with less pounds of fat). That doesn’t mean it is awful. In fact, Pratt’s character Owen the Raptor Trainer brought a refreshing charisma to the 20-year old franchise. Heck, he made me love those velociraptors and thought of them as adorable prancing little kittens. It was a whole lot of fun. What drags this movie though from propelling to a great man-versus-nature extravaganza is its endless vomit of CGI. It seems like almost everything is computer-generated you can easily point out which is fake or not. Gone is the subtlety of realism, the art of tease, the slow burn big reveal. In short, the things that would elicit awe and make you itch for more, like what Steven Spielberg did for the first “Jurassic Park” movie in 1993. This fourth installment’s monster, the genetically modified Indominous Rex, could’ve been more terrifying and engaging with those notes in mind. Sadly, there were times as if Michael Bay took over the reins and made another “Transformers” film—except with dinosaurs. Instead of a good story, we are served with good digital wizardry. Also, am I the only one who noticed that the non-Americans were the first casualties in the film? Hmmm. Despite these observations, its message shines through all that mess: That everyone needs a “relationship based on respect,” whether one is dealing with a family member, a lover, or even an extinct creature. It is a poignant theme for a typical blockbuster movie. Because at the end of the day, when all hell breaks loose, you have nothing to hold on to but communication and respect to anyone (or anything) that could save your life. Knowing that human beings tend to play God in whatever scenario they are put into, respect is the instrument that balances all. And one more thing: Don’t watch it in 3D.

[ photo borrowed from this site ]