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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

Jurassic World
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Jake Johnson
Synopsis: In June 1993, Steven Spielberg delivered an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s “Jurassic Park.” It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. At 12 years old, this was one of the first movies I remember seeing in the theater and going wow. Spielberg imbued the story with a child-like wonder that was a hallmark of many of his early films. When the dinosaurs first appeared on the screen, Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler weren’t the only ones who had their breath taken away. “Jurassic Park” will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. When watching “Jurassic World” — the fourth entry in the interconnected film franchise — I couldn’t help but think I’m not alone in my reverence for the original. “Jurassic World” simultaneously introduces a new world, new characters and paves the way for a new franchise, while paying homage to the film that started it all. It’s there in the character cameos — Dr. Wu (B.D. Wong) returns from the original — to the references to John Hammond, the original park and some of the core concepts of the original film. All of it fuses together to create one of the most entertaining films of summer. Director Colin Trevorrow was a teenager when “Jurassic Park” was released. But you get the feeling that film might have meant a lot to him when you watch “Jurassic World.” He has a perfect feel for the story, the tone and the other beats that pay tribute to the original. It’s a film that perfectly captures what it promises in the trailer and delivers. The film is also blessed with a strong cast. Jake Johnson provides plenty of comic relief as one of the technical guys helping run the park. Khan is great as the idealistic Masrani and D’Onofrio and Wong do well as the sort of villains in the film. Howard does a nice job in her part, and Nick Robinson and Ty Simkins do well as Claire’s nephews who get caught in the mayhem at the park. “Jurassic World” is also blessed with the perfect leading man in Pratt. He has a breezy confidence that works in some of the smaller beats as well as the action sequences. He doesn’t have as much fun with this part as he did in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but you can easily see Pratt headlining a new “Jurassic World” franchise. Of course, the real stars are the dinosaurs. There is a certain expectation for this type of film, and “Jurassic World” delivers. At times it feels like Godzilla in Disneyland, but that’s the point of the story. The effects are large and lavish, but the film also leaves room for the dinosaurs — particularly the raptors — to have some personality and dimension. Personally I quibble a bit with the ideology of the film, which feels like it differs from Crichton’s original story. This is also a film that seems to be making a commentary on the whims of the public. But this still delivers everything you’d expect and hope for from this type of summer blockbuster.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, June 19 — "Dope," "Inside Out"

Friday, June 26 — "Ted 2," "Batkid Begins," "Max"