FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015 • 9C
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‘Jurassic World’ film fans
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE
PASS/FAIL
EDITOR’S NOTE: Film Fans features local residents reviewing the movie of the week: “Jurassic World.” To be a film fan, email features@gwinnettdailypost.com.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS...
SEE IT NOW OR WAIT
OVERALL IMPRESSION
Pass: The film has a well-rounded cast with great performances from all. The special effects/visuals are topnotch and the dinosaurs look great. Fail: I wish they had used more animatronics like they did in the previous films and polished up the dialogue a bit more.
There really wasn’t a weak link in the entire cast. Chris Pratt’s performance was excellent, and a good amount of interesting characters should keep you engaged.
Fans of action/ adventure films should enjoy this film. If you enjoyed any of the the previous “Jurassic Park” films, I’m assuming you would enjoy this one, too. Also, connoisseurs of dinosaurs such as the Pteranodon, Dimorphodon, Mosasaurus, Gustavomorphodon and Orneliosaurus should enjoy the film.
The visuals and nature of this film (pun intended) make a trip to the theaters worth it, especially for fans of the previous films.
The acting was great across the board, and the film kept me engaged and entertained all the way through. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously and the pace is spot on. It’s a fun blockbuster film (thankfully not the type you have to rewind) with an engaging story. “Jurassic World” was a dino-mite film and the best “Jurassic Park” sequel in my opinion.
Pass: This movie is the quintessential summer blockbuster movie. I splurged and saw it in IMAX 3-D and was blown away. The premise of a full-blown park with avant garde rides, such as the spherical gyro encapsulated space capsule to take you where you want, is just a preview of what’s around the corner in the amusement park industry. The scene with the pterodactyls is reminiscent of Hitchcock “Birds,” and the movie pays homage to the original “Jurassic Park.” Fail: A couple of scenes had the dreaded 3-D ghosting for some characters, which throws your brain off. Most people complain about the shallowness of all the characters in the movie, but come on, it is a summer movie — I didn’t expect Shakespeare and neither should you. Just relax and enjoy being amazed.
Chris Pratt (playing Owen Grady), the velociraptor whisperer, together with Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the park’s operations manager, were the main characters. One delivered a good performance based on the cards that were given to him, and the other was the face of corporate greed who turns into a heroine at the end. The kids, Zach & Gray Mitchell, were Claire’s nephews (played by Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins, which reminded me of the Goonies) and did a good job as supporting actors. The most amazing dinosaur was the mosasaur in the lagoon — that monster was awesome and simultaneously scared and won the hearts of all moviegoers.
Any Steven Spielberg fans will love this movie, as long as not too much thought is given to the nondinosaur characters. All lovers of dinosaurs and CGI fans will definitely enjoy this movie. If you commonly complain about how shallow the characters in a movie are, stay home and wait for the DVD.
Go BIG and see it in IMAX 3-D if you can. Will buy the Bluray too!
This movie was on par with the original “Jurassic Park” in terms of amazement and way beyond in quality of CGI. I only consider “Avatar” above what was done with this movie’s amazing computer graphics. I can’t wait for next year’s release of an Oculus Rift Virtual Reality viewer to go visit “Jurassic World.” And they already have about 10 minutes worth of it so you can pet the dinosaurs. Three out of four members of my family agree it was a fantastic summer movie, but keep young adults and children away from this movie since it is somewhat bloody and scary (a tad more than the original). This is one of a few movies in my lifetime that I wouldn’t mind seeing it again.
Pass: “Jurassic World” was a fun, exciting thrill ride that mostly lived up to the hype. I loved the dinosaurs! The usual suspects were there (T-Rex and the raptors) along with some new “friends.” The pace of the film was excellent, and I left the theater with my heart racing! Fail: The only complaint I had was the story was very similar to the first “Jurassic Park.” Don’t get me wrong, I loved that film, but I was hoping for some originality in this reboot.
Chris Pratt did a great job in his role as Owen. I am a huge fan of his already and he did not disappoint. His character was a smart aleck but loveable at the same time. Watching him “train” the raptors was amazing! One of the other characters referred to him as a bad*** and that was the perfect description! I look forward to seeing him in a sequel.
If you liked the other “Jurassic Park” films, then you will enjoy this one: it definitely fits right in. It’s quite intense and the dinosaurs are very realistic, so I would recommend it for teens and up. There is also a lot of blood and gore.
To get the full effect, I would see this one in theaters. There is nothing like feeling the whole theater shake as the T-Rex walks by — these dinos deserve to be seen on the big screen!
Overall, this was good movie. Though not very original, it still kept you at the edge of your seat. I loved getting to see park actually operating, and it was fun to see the different attractions up and running. I also like the message about corporate greed and pushing the envelope just to make an extra buck. I look forward to a sequel to see if the characters learned something from what happened, but if it’s anything like the previous films, I doubt it!
Isaiah Motz, Lawrenceville
HHHH
Alfred Richner, Duluth
HHHH
Laurel Grams, Lawrenceville
HHHH
COMING SOON TO OWN
DISC SPOTLIGHT MICHAEL CLARK
The Onion Field Blu-ray (R) Movie: HHHH Disc: HHHH Based on the nonfictional book by former L.A. detective Joseph Wambaugh, this 1979 procedural thriller is something of a companion piece to “In Cold Blood.” After pulling over two criminals (James Woods and Franklyn Seals) for a traffic violation, two detectives (John Savage and, in his feature debut, Ted Dan-
son) are taken hostage and one of them soon murdered. The fallout includes keen observations on survivor’s guilt, the manipulation of an in-flux California judicial system and the percep-
Arc, Beethoven 2. Name three of the four Lights, US states in which “Field of Dreams” is set. camera, A: Iowa, Massachusettes, Minnesota and New York 3. Name the last perTest your film knowledge with former or director to be nominated for multiple Michael Clark Oscars in the same year. A: Richard Linklater So, you think you’re and Alejandro González good at movie trivia? Every Iñárritu (2015) week, we give readers the 4. The child of what opportunity to flex their famous TV news broadmovie muscles by answercaster has a speaking role ing five trivia questions in “Network”? from our movie critic, A: Walter Cronkite Michael Clark. 5. The title character in Congratulations to last “Forrest Gump” compares week’s winner, Michelle his relationship with Jenny Jameson of Lawrencevto what two vegatables? ille. A: Peas and carrots Here are last week’s Now, for this week’s questions again and the questions: answers: 1. What Bee Gees song 1. Name three nonwas featured in “Despifictional characters the title cable Me?” characters crossed paths 2. Who is the last person with in “Bill & Ted’s Exto win a Tony, an Oscar, a cellent Adventure.” SAG Award and a Golden A: Napoleon, Socrates, Globe for playing the same Abraham Lincoln, Billy character? the Kid, Sigmund Freud, 3. What baseball record Genghis Khan, Joan of does the Crash (Kevin
questions
tion of facts from multiple perspectives. Not enjoyable as much as it is engrossing, it includes what is arguably Woods’ finest performance as a remorseless psychopath with genius intelligence who knows what buttons to push and when. Technical specifications: aspect ratio: Widescreen (1.85:1/1080p), audio: English (DTS-HD MA 2.0), subtitles: none. Special Features: • Documentary • Trailer • Filmmaker commentary • Interview (Kino Lorber, $29.95) Costner) character break in “Bull Durham?” 4. What food does the the title character in “Cool Hand Luke” eat until he passes out? 5. Name two people to act along side of and later to be directed by Ron Howard. The first person (located in the US) to respond with all the correct answers receives a prize package of movie-related goodies, which could include promotional T-shirts, hats, posters, DVDs, video games and more. The winner also gets their name published in the next Weekend section. Please email your answers, along with your name to clarkwriter@mindspring. com. Include “Gwinnett Daily Post Trivia Contest” in the subject line. In the event no one answers all of the questions correctly, the person with the most correct answers submitted by 6 p.m. the Monday after the contest is posted will be the winner. Only one winner per household is eligible each 30-day period.
• “DANNY COLLINS” (June 30): Al Pacino plays a literal rock star who reassesses his life after receiving a special letter. (R)
AND DEATHS OF ROBERT DURST” (July 7) — The recent HBO documentary miniseries that ended quite controversially comes to DVD and Blu-ray. (Not rated)
• “GET HARD” (June 30): Headed for prison, a financial manager (Will Ferrell) seeks advice from a man (Kevin Hart) he presumes is an ex-con. (R)
• “THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL” (July 14) — Richard Gere joins returnees Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy in the seriocomic sequel. (PG)
• “HOUSE OF CARDS: VOLUME THREE” (July 7) — Now the U.S. president, Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) takes his scheming to an entirely different
• “PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2” (July 21) — While attending a convention in Las Vegas, Blart (Kevin James) opposes would-be art thieves. (PG)
level. (Not rated) • “THE JINX: THE LIFE
NOW SHOWING Recently reviewed films by movie critic Michael Clark now playing in metro area theaters: • Jurassic World (PG-13) — 2 ½ stars Surpassing even the most optimistic of predictions, the fourth in the “Jurassic” franchise shattered box office records and gave the throngs of thrill-seekers everything they wanted and less thanks mostly to a weak screenplay and excessive violence. • Live From New York! (R) — 3 ½ stars This all-too-brief documentary on the history of “Saturday Night Live” bravely avoids including the familiar clips and instead goes behinds the scenes with the creative folks and focuses on the show’s formidable political and social impact. • Entourage (R) — 2 ½ stars Like the long-running HBO show on which it’s based, “Entourage” is brimming with misplaced, rich white guy entitlement, lots o’ young flesh, sex, drugs, booze and cameos from half of Hollywood and is less a feature film than an overlong, tacked-on final episode. • Love & Mercy (PG-13) — 2 ½ stars Paul Dano (as the younger) and John Cusack (as the
older) both star as troubled musical genius Brian Wilson who, after fueling the Beach Boys hit-making machine, turned to musical and drug experimentation with harrowing mixed results. • Saint Laurent (R) — 1 ½ stars Slightly better (meaning less painful) but more bloated than the almost identical film from last year with a slightly different name, “Saint Laurent” seems less concerned with the man that reinvented high fashion and more with his hedonistic lifestyle. • Spy (R) — 3 stars In her third collaboration with filmmaker Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids,” “The Heat”), Melissa McCarthy hits comic gold in this romantic comedy posing as a spy spoof. Jude Law, Rose Byrne and Jason Statham all turn in terrific support in a movie that should’ve been shorter. • Aloha (PG-13) — 2 stars The once great writer/director Cameron Crowe’s third straight stinker (“We Bought a Zoo,” “Elizabethtown”) is an incomprehensible mess which is likely due to editing that shortened it by 20 odd minutes. Even Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone can’t save it. • Good Kill (R) — 4 stars For his third collaboration
with Ethan Hawke, filmmaker Andrew Niccol (“Lord of War,” “Gattica”) tackles the touchy subject of drone warfare and the unforeseen negative effects it has on soldiers. January Jones and Bruce Greenwood turn in great supporting roles. • I’ll See You in My Dreams (PG-13) — 3 stars In one of her rare lead performances, Blythe Danner stars as Carol, a long-time widow living in a California retirement community who suddenly finds herself being courted by two men (one being the endlessly entertaining Sam Elliot). • Tomorrowland (R) — 3 stars Co-writer/director Brad Bird (“The Iron Giant,” “The Incredibles”) gets a lot right in this unique sci-fi not-quitetime-travel adventure. When the filmmakers get preachy and political the movie loses its suspension of disbelief and keen sense of wonder. • Mad Max: Fury Road (R) — 4 stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron star in this longawaited reboot of the classic ’80s dystopian franchise. Written, produced and directed by George Miller, “Fury” is a thinking-person’s action flick; an art-house film posing as a summer blockbuster.