Jurassic World - Discussion and Grading

[fireproof78]

I agree. Arrogance comes across too much for me from most of the characters, and the pretentiousness of much of the main characters made them hard to sympathize with. No argument there.

The arrogance was intended.

The Park was up and running, something Hammond never managed, until the events of Jurassic World, there had been no incidents since it opened and after the disaster in Jurassic Park, they (In Gen) went to Nubla and actually built the park while the island was populated with Dinosaurs (remember it's the original T-Rex) they were making a shit tonne of money and Wu and his gang of mad scientists had perfected making these extinct animals from 65 million years ago. Finally, the powers that be at Jurassic World thought they could play god and just like in the first roll of the dice, it was just a matter of time till things went spectacularly tits up.

All of which would make sense if we were just talking about the level of arrogance of believing that creating dinosaurs won't lead to trouble or even the level of arrogance of thinking they could just throw together a completely new dinosaur without carefully planning what it would be. The arrogance in this movie, though, is a whole other level beyond that. They deliberately created a Raptor/T-rex hybrid which was 50 feet long, strong enough to smash through all their defenses, smart enough to outwit humans AND capable of rendering itself perfectly invisible in the visual AND infrared spectrums. That's not even arrogance anymore, it's outright insanity.

Anyway, even in so far as the arrogance of those characters who didn't take part in this insanity is a deliberate part of the film's message, it's still far too heavy-handed and really drags the movie down.

I agree. The arrogance was too over the top for me to find any sympathy when things went wrong. It was like they were asking things to go wrong.

That annoys me because Masarani, in particular, has such a fascinating extension of Hammond's point of view, except he is more out of touch from the danger. There's the arrogance, but there isn't even a moment of hubris that causes his death. He just ends up dying for stupid, insane, reasons.

Frustrating.

These questionable actions and the duplicity of InGen are the perfect setup (they positively telegraphed that in the film) for the next film.

I'm not quite sure now, but InGen wasn't all peaches and cream in the original book, was it?

Of course it wasn't. But there's a difference between unethical and insane. No military would actually want an I. Rex, except perhaps for terrorist groups. If you buy a weapon bigger than a tank and invisible, you want to be able to control it, not just hopefully point it in the right direction.

And I'm sorry, but if the best idea they can think of for the next movie is Raptor Commandos in the Middle East, then they're better off just not making one.

You are over-thinking this, I'm afraid.

Jurassic World is a very good film and captures the tone of the original book far better than the other movies.
It's not on Gone with the Wind or Towering Inferno levels of good, but it delivers what it promises: Mindless, escapist fun.

It's a fine fun film, but if you think I'm overthinking it, then this is just the tip of the iceberg, for me. Also, over thinking, on a Star Trek forum?

I agree that it captures the tone of the first film in a wonderful way, but it had the opportunity to explore some different avenues and points of view regarding dinosuars and their interactions with humanity. Wu's point of view fascinates me (as I pointed out before) as is Owen's but they are never really explored to their full possible consequences.

It may be "escapist fun" but that doesn't mean there is not a message being conveyed in it.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, I didn't quite get the point in Masarani's death. It's not like Hammond in the original book where he's less of the whimsical Walt Disney-like idealist wanting to entertain people, Hammond in the book is a bit more capitalist and "earns" his death by the Compys in it.

Masarani seemed like a good guy who was continuing the park in Hammond's vision, he was more concerned about the park entertaining people than he was the revenue figures Claire was spouting off. Sure, he realized the need for "bigger, badder" in order to bring in more visitors and keep interest a live but he even took some shock over what the I-Rex was made of so it's not like he WANTED a cloaking, thermal-hiding dinosaur (it just happened to be that's how it came out.)

So his death sort of seem mean-spirited and unwarranted. The only thing that I guess you could say made him "earn" his death was thinking he could fly the helicopter "into combat" when he hadn't even officially finished his lessons yet. He was still doing supervised practical lessons. Which, it's still stupid apparently there was only other capable helicopter pilot on the island for such a scenario.

 

[Mr Light]

Maybe his death was just a tragedy Did Claire's British assistant "earn" her horrific terrifying death?

I think the best idea for a sequel is the ending of Lost World writ large; dinosaurs amok in an American city. Maybe they're training some military dinos out West and they escape and run into Salt Lake City or something. Or, like in Lost World, they're opening a USA park so people don't have to fly to Costa Rica.

 

[beamMe]

It may be "escapist fun" but that doesn't mean there is not a message being conveyed in it.

Mhmm... the message they did try to convey (FAMILY OVER ALL) was almost unbearably cloying.
The scene with the mother crying on the phone was just so... wrong, on so many levels.

The angle of ethical behaviour in science and business, especially when it directly affects people, is a much more interesting one, and allows for fun and exiting ways to show more monsters on the rampage trying to eat more cardboard-cutout characters.

 

[feek61]

Maybe his death was just a tragedy Did Claire's British assistant "earn" her horrific terrifying death?

I think the best idea for a sequel is the ending of Lost World writ large; dinosaurs amok in an American city. Maybe they're training some military dinos out West and they escape and run into Salt Lake City or something. Or, like in Lost World, they're opening a USA park so people don't have to fly to Costa Rica.

Oh, and the dinos escape and cause havoc in the general public, and there is an obnoxious kid or two, buildings that the dinos can easily get into to (all buildings) and a stereotypical military guy who you just know at the beginning is going to get eaten!!

Naww, that will never happen!

 

[fireproof78]

It may be "escapist fun" but that doesn't mean there is not a message being conveyed in it.

Mhmm... the message they did try to convey (FAMILY OVER ALL) was almost unbearably cloying.
The scene with the mother crying on the phone was just so... wrong, on so many levels.

The angle of ethical behaviour in science and business, especially when it directly affects people, is a much more interesting one, and allows for fun and exiting ways to show more monsters on the rampage trying to eat more cardboard-cutout characters.

Yeah, the heavy handedness was a bit annoying.

The ethical discussion is far more interesting, I agree. That's why I like Owen so much. He has a very respectful view of the dinos as animals, and wants them treated with a measure of respect, versus almost everyone else who treats them as assets, or something to be used.

 

[Trekker4747]

Maybe his death was just a tragedy Did Claire's British assistant "earn" her horrific terrifying death?

Maybe to "a" degree, considering her failure to do her job (to watch the two brothers) put them in jeopardy. But she was pretty much a non-entity in the movie so she's pretty much like everyone else in the park, cannon fodder.

Masarani was a bit more of a character and his death felt more like it was supposed to be a kind of hubris, which really wasn't earned considering we didn't see him behaving in any way to warrant such a come-about in his death.

 

[Beagleman]

Masrani's death felt both like a waste of an interesting character and simultaneously like, yeah bad shit happens to people with their heart in the right place, especially if they become overconfident. I'm really torn about his death.

 

[Trekker4747]

Masrani's death felt both like a waste of an interesting character and simultaneously like, yeah bad shit happens to people with their heart in the right place, especially if they become overconfident. I'm really torn about his death.

Yeah, there just wasn't any need for his death because he really seemed to have his mind and concerns in the right place. He wanted people to enjoy the park and didn't seem too concerned about how well revenue was doing. The most you can blame him for is maybe not being more aggressive about capturing the I-Rex once it was discovered to be loose and had removed its implant.

 

[DWF]

Masrani's death felt both like a waste of an interesting character and simultaneously like, yeah bad shit happens to people with their heart in the right place, especially if they become overconfident. I'm really torn about his death.

Yeah, there just wasn't any need for his death because he really seemed to have his mind and concerns in the right place. He wanted people to enjoy the park and didn't seem too concerned about how well revenue was doing. The most you can blame him for is maybe not being more aggressive about capturing the I-Rex once it was discovered to be loose and had removed its implant.

Masrani was the one who knew about the experimentation going on in the lab and was going to shut them down. Without him InGen and BD Wong's character is free to continue whatever they had started. I get teh idea that they're going to get away from the usual stories about the islands.

 

[fireproof78]

Masrani's death felt both like a waste of an interesting character and simultaneously like, yeah bad shit happens to people with their heart in the right place, especially if they become overconfident. I'm really torn about his death.

Yeah, there just wasn't any need for his death because he really seemed to have his mind and concerns in the right place. He wanted people to enjoy the park and didn't seem too concerned about how well revenue was doing. The most you can blame him for is maybe not being more aggressive about capturing the I-Rex once it was discovered to be loose and had removed its implant.

Masrani was the one who knew about the experimentation going on in the lab and was going to shut them down. Without him InGen and BD Wong's character is free to continue whatever they had started. I get teh idea that they're going to get away from the usual stories about the islands.

Which would have been nice had they pursued that point of view longer, and had Masarani be in conflict with them. We see a small conflict with Wu, but it is not enough to warrant his death, or indicate the InGen would be better off without Masarani in the way, since he oked one experiment, and InGen seemed to be continuing regardless, including moving Wu off site.

Masarani's death is tragic but gets little coda beyond Oh well. It really could have been more than that. And that is my biggest frustration with this film. The idea that it is "escapist fun" is too simplistic when you have the opportunity to have competing ideas regarding dinosaurs and have that come to a head, and the arrogance leading to problems. Instead, we have insane and stupid decision making process and people died. Nothing new...

 

[DWF]

Yeah, there just wasn't any need for his death because he really seemed to have his mind and concerns in the right place. He wanted people to enjoy the park and didn't seem too concerned about how well revenue was doing. The most you can blame him for is maybe not being more aggressive about capturing the I-Rex once it was discovered to be loose and had removed its implant.

Masrani was the one who knew about the experimentation going on in the lab and was going to shut them down. Without him InGen and BD Wong's character is free to continue whatever they had started. I get teh idea that they're going to get away from the usual stories about the islands.

Which would have been nice had they pursued that point of view longer, and had Masarani be in conflict with them. We see a small conflict with Wu, but it is not enough to warrant his death, or indicate the InGen would be better off without Masarani in the way, since he oked one experiment, and InGen seemed to be continuing regardless, including moving Wu off site.

Masarani's death is tragic but gets little coda beyond Oh well. It really could have been more than that. And that is my biggest frustration with this film. The idea that it is "escapist fun" is too simplistic when you have the opportunity to have competing ideas regarding dinosaurs and have that come to a head, and the arrogance leading to problems. Instead, we have insane and stupid decision making process and people died. Nothing new...

I thought it was pretty obvious there was more going on than it appeared and really seeing how bad of a pilot Masarani was his death was telegraphed when we first meet him.

 

[martok2112]

Saw the movie. Loved it. Nothing to overthink. Just sit back, munch on some popcorn, and enjoy the ride.

 

[HIjol]

That was you? Man, you were really diggin' that popcorn! I was two rows back with the Goobers and Junior Mints!

Saw it and enjoyed it for exactly what it was.

Can't wait for the "Jurrasic Park Nublar 12-disc Extended Hammond Edition, with Genuine Dino DNA and Pewter Reproduction Bust of Dr. Grant"

 

[nx1701g]

Masrani was the one who knew about the experimentation going on in the lab and was going to shut them down. Without him InGen and BD Wong's character is free to continue whatever they had started. I get teh idea that they're going to get away from the usual stories about the islands.

I want to say that I read somewhere recently (can't remember where) that the next storyline wasn't going to be about the islands. Can't remember where I read it though. I want to say on Yahoo not long after JW came out.

 

[fireproof78]

Masrani was the one who knew about the experimentation going on in the lab and was going to shut them down. Without him InGen and BD Wong's character is free to continue whatever they had started. I get teh idea that they're going to get away from the usual stories about the islands.

Which would have been nice had they pursued that point of view longer, and had Masarani be in conflict with them. We see a small conflict with Wu, but it is not enough to warrant his death, or indicate the InGen would be better off without Masarani in the way, since he oked one experiment, and InGen seemed to be continuing regardless, including moving Wu off site.

Masarani's death is tragic but gets little coda beyond Oh well. It really could have been more than that. And that is my biggest frustration with this film. The idea that it is "escapist fun" is too simplistic when you have the opportunity to have competing ideas regarding dinosaurs and have that come to a head, and the arrogance leading to problems. Instead, we have insane and stupid decision making process and people died. Nothing new...

I thought it was pretty obvious there was more going on than it appeared and really seeing how bad of a pilot Masarani was his death was telegraphed when we first meet him.

Oh it was telegraphed perfectly well.

It was also stupid and did not serve the plot in any way. Masrani's character was interesting and could have been more.

It's a fun film, yes. But there are so many undercurrents of potential that I saw that could be further developed.

 

[Mage]

Finally got to see this last night!!

Man, that was one awesome ride!! For those who remember the original novel, the concept of altering dinosaurs to be more like what costumers expect, is straight from the pages. The only thing different is that Wu was talking about dumbing the animals down, making them slow, simple beast, like people know from old those old dino-movies. And I could actually see that happen. People will get bored with a standard triceratops or stegosaurus. Things like raptors and rexes will be cool, since they can be violent, which will grab people's attention.

Besides that, the movie was just an awesome, fun thrillride. The last 20 minutes were just a geek's dream come true really.

The only thing I had expected more of, was quirky quips by Chris Pratt, but his character was far less the comedian like Peter Quill, the only other big exposure I've had to Pratt, and I had expected something similar. That it wasn't, and that his humor was a bit more 'normal', was actually quite nice, otherwise it would have made him more like a one trick pony. I should really watch some more movies with this man.

The rest of the acting was just I had expected, nothing amazing, but also nothing horrible. And a movie like this isn't about great acting, really. Maybe that sounds harsh, but it's true. As long as not performances are so horrible that they distract, it's fine be me, for a summer blockbuster.

If there was a downside, it was the score. Although far from bad, Michael Giacchino's work in Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness were far more imposing and 'there'. Same goes for things like Lost, Super 8, Ratatouille. All had themes that really sucked me into the movie or show.

Jurassic World really made me geek out, and feel like a small kid. Again, the last 20 minutes were just me geeking about completely.

 

[DWF]

Which would have been nice had they pursued that point of view longer, and had Masarani be in conflict with them. We see a small conflict with Wu, but it is not enough to warrant his death, or indicate the InGen would be better off without Masarani in the way, since he oked one experiment, and InGen seemed to be continuing regardless, including moving Wu off site.

Masarani's death is tragic but gets little coda beyond Oh well. It really could have been more than that. And that is my biggest frustration with this film. The idea that it is "escapist fun" is too simplistic when you have the opportunity to have competing ideas regarding dinosaurs and have that come to a head, and the arrogance leading to problems. Instead, we have insane and stupid decision making process and people died. Nothing new...

I thought it was pretty obvious there was more going on than it appeared and really seeing how bad of a pilot Masarani was his death was telegraphed when we first meet him.

Oh it was telegraphed perfectly well.

It was also stupid and did not serve the plot in any way. Masrani's character was interesting and could have been more.

It's a fun film, yes. But there are so many undercurrents of potential that I saw that could be further developed.

I didn't think he was all that interesting, he was an over confident idiot in a way Hammond wasn't. He put more people in danger due to his inaction and later death. And really he OKed the experimentation that led to the I-Rex only because of the operating costs to keep th park going.

 

[beamMe]

If there was a downside, it was the score. Although far from bad, Michael Giacchino's work in Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness were far more imposing and 'there'. Same goes for things like Lost, Super 8, Ratatouille. All had themes that really sucked me into the movie or show.

I kinda agree. The music works in the film to enhance all that is already there, or to convey the emotions we are supposed to feel - it does that job well.
But it's also boring and very generic when listened to on it's own.
It's Giacchino meets Jurassic Park-era Williams; it could have been glorious, but it's just bland.

 

[Mage]

If there was a downside, it was the score. Although far from bad, Michael Giacchino's work in Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness were far more imposing and 'there'. Same goes for things like Lost, Super 8, Ratatouille. All had themes that really sucked me into the movie or show.

I kinda agree. The music works in the film to enhance all that is already there, or to convey the emotions we are supposed to feel - it does that job well.
But it's also boring and very generic when listened to on it's own.
It's Giacchino meets Jurassic Park-era Williams; it could have been glorious, but it's just bland.

Exactly! Your last line makes complete sense. Giacchino did so many great scores, so why this one as so run of the mill, I don't know.