Jurassic World - B-

Chris Pratt

Rated PG-13, 123 minutes

Action-packed yet dumb, "Jurassic World" still entertains

Somewhere between parts 2 and 3, but still not as good as the original. The action-packed but silly "Jurassic World" is the long and eagerly awaited new installment in the "Jurassic Park" series, and while it isn't dull visually, it eventually becomes what the original 1993 film tried not to be, and that is a dumb monster movie. Taking place twenty-two years after the events in the original film, there is now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park off the coast of Costa Rica, with a staff that includes Owen (Chris Pratt), a trainer of the Velociraptors (or as I call them, mini-dinos) and the park's operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard). However, the park's deadliest creature, a genetically created dinosaur known as Indominus Rex, or basically a T-Rex on steroids, gets loose and creating mayhem, and it's up to Owen and Claire to help stop the deadly creature from creating an outright disaster. Directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow of "Safety Not Guaranteed" fame, the enjoyably bland "Jurassic World," which is a direct sequel to the 1993 film and ignoring its two sequels, should easily find its place among this summer's blockbusters, and while it's dumbed down by a stale script, there's still some entertainment value for the popcorn moviegoer. For one, the special effects and visuals are admittedly impressive (especially the slick Indominus Rex), albeit with heavy, heavy CGI that occasionally casts a fake, green-screen spell. Two, Chris Pratt is a charming action hero (yes, he knows how to run), though the rest of the characters and story are mostly forgettable, especially Howard's ditzy character and her lack of chemistry with Pratt. Three, it's energetic and action-packed, including a breathless Godzilla-like finale, proving that while special effects have certainly advanced in twenty years, story and characters still can't keep pace with the dinos, with one of the worst-written villains of recent memory, wasting the talented Vincent D'Onofrio in a scene-chomping role whose motives are murky and a fate you'll see coming early on. In addition, be prepared for some egregious, annoying product placement - the shiny Mercedes vehicles themselves are supporting characters - and others such as Coke and Starbucks make distracting appearances. The fast-paced "Jurassic World" is a likable but silly, unmemorable big-budget blockbuster that uses some familiar calling cards - dinosaurs and lots of running - as good as, but not necessarily better, than the other "Jurassic" movies. There are also a few nods to the original that fans of that film should pick up here, including a famous T-shirt.