Despite being panned by critics, as of June 15, 2015, Jurassic World has grossed over $209 million in North America and $316 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $525 million, against a budget of $150 million.
Its worldwide opening of $511.8 million is the biggest of all time.
Furthermore, it also marked the first time that a film has generated over $500 million worldwide in a single weekend. The film also set the record for largest worldwide IMAX opening with $44.1 million (breaking Iron Man 3 ’s record) and a single day IMAX gross of $13 million on Friday, June 12, 2015.
The numbers are astronomical and better than beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, despite its many negative reviews. There is only one small problem, it isn’t nearly as good as one would have hoped. In this reporter’s eyes, “J-Dub”–as I’ll call it–is a distant third behind the original, and even JP3 that came out in the early 2000’s.
However, it is better than the horrible “Lost World” that was an epic fail for a sequel from the original classic version.
I must warn you the reader, STOP READING NOW – SPOILER ALERT!!!! If you haven’t already seen it and plan on seeing it.
Here is the basic jist, and why the critics are grilling the storyline. As some of the events in the movie, make even the most-naïve viewer pretty darn skeptical.
22 years after the disastrous events of Jurassic Park, a group called In Gen has decided to open a new park on the same site called Jurassic World.
Basically, J-Dub executes the SAME basic storyline for the 4th straight movie, only difference, these people actually get it off the ground.
Claire Dearing(Bryce Dallas Howard), is the parks operations manager and “work-a-holic” has her two nephews that she hasn’t seen in seven years come visit.
A work-a-holic female in charge of a major corporation. Can you say cliche?
Naturally, due to her busy schedule, Claire has her assistant(Katie McGrath) act as their guide while she tries to attract more investors, with the promise of a new dinosaur sponsored by them called Indominus Rex made from the DNA of several predatory dinosaurs.
The parks new owner, Simon Masrani(Irffan Khan)–who is basically a poor man’s Dr. Hammond–is excited for the size and drama that will be behind the new dino, but is worried about safety so he requests Velociraptor trainer–token hunk and lead male character–Owen Grady, played by Chris Pratt, inspects the Indominus ’ enclosure before its exhibit opens to the public.
Which of course, leads into the “romantic angle” between Claire and Owen as it is revealed that they used to date.
Of course they used to date!
Meanwhile, a few moments later, Indominus escapes.
To add the ever-present “human villain” into the mess, we have Vic Hoskins, the head of InGen security who wants to use the park’s four Velociraptors for military use, believing that training them to fight would save American lives in war.
Naturally, the two boys Gray and Zach wonder off course while riding on the “gyro-sphere” ride and bump smack dab right into Indominus. But somehow, the two boys escape the monster Dinosaur.
Mind you that said dinosaur that just went on a murdering spree and killed over a dozen Dinosaurs and fully armed military men was out smarted by two little boys? Really?
Claire orders the island evacuated as the Indominus continues its rampage, killing several Apatosaurus and smashing into the park’s pterosaur aviary. Well at least they have him trapped again right?
Wrong, because here comes a helicopter flown by park owner Simon Masrani, but it crashes, killing everyone aboard and allows Indominus, because, who else could fly the plane right?
Luckily, Gray and Zach return to the main park as escaped pterosaurs begin attacking visitors. Even though the park is filled with 20,000 people, Magically, Owen and Claire are reunited with Gray and Zach in the middle of the mess.
Awwww….
With the park owner now dead in the helicopter crash, Hoskins assumes command and decides to use the Velociraptors to find and kill the Indominus. However, that plan fails miserably as the Indominus is able to communicate with the Velociraptors and turns them against the soldiers, killing all of them except Owen.
Just when it looks the worst, Owen reestablishes a connection with the raptors and gets them to attack the Indominus. So apparently, the Raptors now change their minds and emotions with the wind?
OK, right!
Claire realizes that even with the wishy-washy Raptors, they are still outmatched and lures the park’s Tyrannosaurus Rex into a fight with the Indominus.
So basically, after an entire movie of preaching how Indominus is “the strongest Dinosaur ever”, they turn back to the 22-year-old T-Rex to kill him?
The T-Rex lures the Indominus over to the Lagoon where the Mosasaurus drags it into the water, drowning it.
Basic recap, some really cool-looking Dinosaurs attack and kill a bunch of people until a really old T-Rex and a jacked up Shamoo kill the Indominus!
Also, ending leaves things wide open for a sequel!