Ladies and gentlemen, a thriller.
Right from the get-go, this film is designed to have the audience on the edge of their seats. The acting, the plot-line, the animation, the lights, the camerawork, the costumes, the sound, the set, and subplots; everything is geared toward an adrenaline rush. I have a reasonable amount of experience with adrenaline, and it's not designed to work this way.
The acting fit the film. The kids are kids, the guests are guests, and those that sit behind desks are plain ol' people. Reactions to reptiles are believable and help you see the story as real. Claire and Owen are interesting. The chemistry between them fits the movie. The thing is, especially with Owen, they start out too dramatic. When you introduce a character in a dramatic, over-the top Hollywood-style way, it's difficult to increase the drama through the film without making yourself look ridiculous. By always adding to the danger, risk, mood and thrill, you wear out the audience. Yes, it's more exciting now than it was five minutes ago, but I haven't had time to rest and recover. I know it's going to get worse. I also know you can't make your voice any more mysterious so you are stuck on that level for the rest of the film. Monotonous mysteriousness becomes amusing after a while, at least to me. Also, concomitant with camera, light and sound, you knew where the dinosaur was going to appear before you saw it. Often you could even pick out who it was going to eat next.
Lights and animation were, again, fitting to the film. They were what I was expecting to see. The dinosaurs were accurate, once you understood they had been cross-bred. There was too much light in most of the dark shots. Even with a truck full of lights chasing him through the jungle, you shouldn't be able to see Owen's face. The lights were behind him. Shadows were wrong. The daytime and interior scenes were well done. The shots where people are in the observation area outside the Indominus Rex's enclosure were well lit. The distinction between indoors and out was made clear through lighting. In general, the light was designed to capture the act.
Camera work was typical to good, based on what I've seen from high-budget films lately. As always, I enjoyed seeing through the actors eyes. The camera is occasionally given movements to mimic those of a frightened person's eyes, or a dinosaur's. There were not as many cuts as there could have been. This kept the pacing smoother and eliminated potential acting missteps. Height, speed and angle were changed frequently. It was nice to not see large chunks all filmed in the same manner.
Costumes were decent. There is always the question of just how battered one should appear from a motorcycle chase through a forest, but in general they were well executed. Sound was well done, if a bit dramatic.
The set was great. It looked like a theme park. Extras were everywhere. It was also consistent. In the jungles and forests, greens were balanced with browns to keep it dark but alive. It was terrific.
Before the end, here are some notes on the development of subplots. Really, only two were developed. One was the romance between Owen and Claire. This began when she visits him at his shack. Had she not come in, this would have been a rest scene, a chance to slow adrenaline production and get ready for the next big thing. But in she waltzes, and we witness a great deal of backstory in a short amount of time. This was well done. The other is the tension between sisters. Both are resolved positively in the end. The potential subplot of a pending divorce was confusing. It seems as though those lines were put in for the sole purpose of tugging on the audience's heartstrings. Development does not happen. Zach's girl issues seem to be part of his character, but lead nowhere. The army coming in to steal secrets is so close to reaching completed status, but in the end is sort of left hanging. The subplots they chose to develop were done adequately.
Aside from plot holes, unnecessary over-dramatization, and too much money, it wasn't bad. A predictable story, but enjoyable. Will it become a classic? Possibly. Will it make millions? Probably. Regardless of technique, the story of a rampant dinosaur is going to be enjoyable.
