When we first heard the rumors of Jurassic World, it looked as though another iconic childhood film was about to be “Kingdom Of The Crystal Skulled” – yes that’s a verb now. Sure it felt a little more reassured when Director Colin Trevorrow promised us that this film would draw heavily from the origin and become the true sequel to the 1993 hit, but nothing could be confirmed until we saw it. Even the trailers – which looked pretty awesome – could end up being misleading.

Well now Jurassic World has hit theaters – exactly 22 years after the original Jurassic Park – and I can honestly say, “Bless You Colin Trevorrow!”. Much like the film’s big bad – Indominus Rex – Jurassic World is bigger, louder and scarier. Though despite all these ‘modifications’ the film still fits in beautifully with the themes, character and overall majesty of the original Crichton/Spielberg classic. It might feel a little different at times; but whether you’re a returning fan or a newcomer, there is something for everyone to love and admire about this film.

So sit back and get ready for my SPOILER FREE Review of Jurassic World.

Set Up & Overall Plot Direction:

The film sets up with an almost reverse Home Alone vibe as Judy Greer’s character (Karen) and her husband send their two sons off to Jurassic World. Though unlike the past two Jurassic Park films, this one actually gets the kid component right! It’s these kids, especially the younger brother Gray (played by Ty Simpkins) that embody the audience. In fact, Gray’s excitement over seeing the dinosaurs for the first time immediately captures the heart of any Dino-lover in the audience. Though the film is of course more than just these kids point of view as we come to meet Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt).

There are three main story veins in this film. The children of course represent the first of these, while Claire’s character sets up the technical side of the Park. This entire story initiates us into the inner workings and technical aspects of the park as a ‘commodity’ – which includes the attractions, advertisers, and Indominus Rex itself. The final story component is introduced almost immediately afterwards when we meet Owen and his raptors. Each of these story veins represent a different theme of the film: dinosaurs as wonders, dinosaurs as tools and dinosaurs as animals/ equals. I’ll explore these interworkings more in my ‘Spoiler article’, but as the film progresses you will see these character lines – and their accompanying themes – interweave and crossover brilliantly!

The Cast & Characters:

As I started to express above, the cast and characters for this film was incredibly well done! Ty Simpkins does an excellent job in properly portraying the excitement and wonder of a child without once seeming annoying or as a burden to the film. Bryce Dallas Howard does an excellent job as the uptight and overly organized Claire but also demonstrates a believable range of other emotions. Each character in this film really plays their role – and deeper motivations – well; but the real hero of the film is of course Chris Pratt. Between his sarcastic asides, charming demeanor and overall role as one of the few ‘common sense’ characters of the film, Pratt plays this role to perfection.

Though one thing that this film really did above most others is actually bring out the dinosaurs as full-fledged characters in their own right. These aren’t simple ‘killer dinos on the loose’ but are actually revealed to be so much more. Indominus Rex – bred to be highly intelligent – of course just as big of a character as any of the films actors, but it doesn’t end there. As the film progresses you’ll see that some of the regular dinosaurs have just as much personality as Indominus, especially when it comes to Owen and his pack of Raptors – Blue, Delta, Echo and Charlie.

Simultaneously Nostalgic & Fresh:

As you may or may not know, this film is the SEQUEL to Jurassic Park (1993), which means that The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 didn’t happen. Sure The Lost World was based off the actual Crichton sequel, but not exactly. What Trevorrow does here is simultaneously introduce an entirely new generation to the wonders of Jurassic Park, but also maintains all of the themes of chaos, man’s arrogance and how ‘life finds a way’.

Though this film doesn’t just stop with thematic allusions, but actually references the original Jurassic Park envisioned by John Hammond. Keep your eyes and ears peeled because you will find TONS of references to the original, but I don’t want to spoil anything here so again, I’ll save that for the Spoiler-filled article.

How Realistic Is It?:

When word of this film’s Hybrid Dinosaur first got out, many people were upset that they’d resort to a fake Dino rather than a real one. Even more so, it seemed like a slap in the face that the film would use the 1993 versions of the Dinosaurs when we’ve learned SO much in the past 20 years to change this. Where are the feathers on the raptors? Where’s the more vibrant colors, quills or any of the other things scientists have discovered about Dinosaurs? With Paleontologist Jack Horner once again serving as a consultant for the film, these omissions seemed even more glaring.

Well I can happily report that these discrepancies are actually addressed in the film. Again, I’ll explore this more in my ‘Spoilers article’, but they do take a moment to explain not only this ‘visual problem’ but also various other parts of the film that could be seem as problematic from a scientific standpoint.

In all honesty, this film might just be the most realistic ‘Jurassic’ film to date. As long as you get past the ‘we found Dinosaur DNA over 20 years ago’ part, everything else in this film seems so realistic you’ll wonder how long it’ll be until we have an ACTUAL Dinosaur theme-park – just hopefully with less problems.

Is There A Post Credits?:

In an age of ‘wait till the end of the credits’, it’s reasonable to wonder if there is anything to wait around for with Jurassic World. Well I can honestly tell you that there is no Post-Credits or even Mid-Credits scene for Jurassic World to set up a direct sequel or anything. That being said, there are definite points in the film that are left open for a future installment; but I’ll explore those in my SPOILER filled article.

So seriously, go watch Jurassic World this weekend. Sure Jurassic Park was over 20 years ago so the sense of ‘discovery’ might seem lacking, but what this film gives us is ‘rediscovery’. This film gives us a look at not only what Jurassic Park (the park) could be, but also how Jurassic Park (the film) should be built upon and brought into the new era. Whether you want to see amazing dinosaur action, Star Lord training a bunch of raptors or how a long-awaited sequel SHOULD BE, Jurassic World certainly deserves your attention.

I hope you enjoyed this Spoiler Free Review and stay tuned for my Spoiler-filled article which will look at all the Themes, Plot Complexities, Scientific Explanations and Easter Eggs you might have missed – even some Sequel ideas. So stay tuned here!