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Sisters of Summer's End (Summer Resort #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was wondering where the sisters would come in to play at Coopers Charm RV park since after reading the first book, Coopers Charm, and knowing there was only one set of sisters residing at the park and they had their story line in the first book. After finishing this book I realized sisters don’t have to be defined by blood only. The best kind of family is the ones we pick for ourselves.

Joy has had a single focus in life since she became a mother to Jack. Once her family disowned her, she set out to make a life for her and her baby and almost 6 years later she has found her stride. Living and working at Coopers Charm has been a dream come true, having taken pity on her pregnant self and hiring her on the spot while providing an apartment, Cooper saved her life and soul. These people are her family now and she hasn’t looked back.

Royce has looked to make a change in his life since his mother passed away. Buying the old drive in seemed like the perfect way to escape all of life’s hardships and taking care of himself unencumbered. He never counted on Joy or Jack working their way into not only his life but also his heart.

Secondary in this novel is the story of Maris and Daron. We met both these characters, and got a hint of their flirtation/denial in Cooper’s Charm. Maris is a fiercely independent woman who wants nothing to do with playboy Daron. Or at least that is what she keeps telling herself and anyone that asks. Her body may argue that point with her mind. Daron has pursued Maris for years, knowing deep in his soul that she is the one for him above anyone else. Having her refuse his advances all these years has just made him want her more. When she finally decides it is ok to act on her feelings and still be the independent woman she desires to be, she jumps all in with Daron.

Joy, Royce, Daron and Maris have a romantic fall season at Coopers Charm RV park. They navigate the newness of relationships while trying to maintain so type of normalcy with the lives they’ve come to appreciate. When Joy’s mother makes an unexpected appearance in her life again, Joy needs to reevaluated and make choices that will affect her future as well as Jack’s.

Once again I am taken to a fictional place with wonderful characters that make me want to search them out in real life. The people of Coopers Charm RV resort come together to form stronger bonds than most families will ever experience in their lifetime. 5 out of 5 stars for this wonderful story of friendship, sisterhood and family that I read and reviewed in advance without any expectations. I’m hoping to return to Coopers Charm sooner rather than later, to catch up with these friends who have formed lifelong bonds.
  
Knives Out (2019)
Knives Out (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Due to its ensemble cast, gorgeous aesthetics and whodunit storyline, it’s safe to say that I had high expectations for Knives Out.

I’m pleased to report that it surpassed each and every one of them.

Rian Johnson’s tale of mystery follows the death of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), which took place after his 85th birthday. Presumed to be a murder, his eccentric and very large family are soon under investigation by Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and his team.

Straight away, Daniel Craig steals the show with his hilarious performance of Detective Blanc. From his deep Southern American drawl to his quirky mannerisms, this is so far removed from what you’d expect from a Craig performance. I’ve never seen him have this much fun in a role before.


He’s tasked with getting to the bottom of what happened, which involves a delightful series of interviews in which the family are sitting in front of several display knives, just one of the many eccentricities of the Thrombey manor house. In terms of set design it’s just glorious to look at, and even one of the characters compares it to a Cluedo board.

Even the characters themselves are quirky enough to be boxed up inside the classic board game, and could give the likes of Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard a run for their money.

Characters include Thrombey’s daughter and real estate mogul Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband Richard (Don Johnson), and outcast trust fund son Ransom (Chris Evans), who form quite the dysfunctional family even when you remove them from the bigger picture.

Then there’s the rather insufferable, yet hugely entertaining, lifestyle guru Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette) and her daughter and social activist Meg (Katherine Langford). These two characters are parodies of popular blogging culture and ‘social justice warriors’, and they’re hilarious.

Each character has been wonderfully crafted by Rian Johnson, who both wrote and directed Knives Out. They’re essentially caricatures, but the result of this is a thoroughly entertaining cinema experience. What a brilliant use of such a talented cast.

The only seemingly normal person wrapped up in all this is caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), who acted as both a friend and nurse to Harlan prior to his death. Even against a backdrop of such bold characters, de Armas’ performance shines just as brightly.

Mysteries are hard to get right, and being able to predict the ending is a bragging right for many cinephiles. Well unfortunately, this script absolutely floored me with how fantastic it was, and I was unable to predict anything that went down. Johnson has serious talent when it comes to crafting a murder-mystery.

Don’t even get me started on how gorgeous the wardrobe in this film is either. If anyone knows where I can get Jamie Lee Curtis’ striking red suit, you need to tell me immediately.

Watching Knives Out was the most fun I’ve had in the cinema this year, perhaps ever. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, and walked out with the biggest smile on my face.

If you see one film this autumn, make it this one. You won’t regret it.
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated The Abominable Snowman (1957) in Movies

Jul 8, 2019 (Updated Oct 24, 2019)  
The Abominable Snowman (1957)
The Abominable Snowman (1957)
1957 | Adventure, Sci-Fi
7
5.5 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Due to its ensemble cast, gorgeous aesthetics and whodunit storyline, it’s safe to say that I had high expectations for Knives Out.

I’m pleased to report that it surpassed each and every one of them.

Rian Johnson’s tale of mystery follows the death of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), which took place after his 85th birthday. Presumed to be a murder, his eccentric and very large family are soon under investigation by Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and his team.

Straight away, Daniel Craig steals the show with his hilarious performance of Detective Blanc. From his deep Southern American drawl to his quirky mannerisms, this is so far removed from what you’d expect from a Craig performance. I’ve never seen him have this much fun in a role before.


He’s tasked with getting to the bottom of what happened, which involves a delightful series of interviews in which the family are sitting in front of several display knives, just one of the many eccentricities of the Thrombey manor house. In terms of set design it’s just glorious to look at, and even one of the characters compares it to a Cluedo board.

Even the characters themselves are quirky enough to be boxed up inside the classic board game, and could give the likes of Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard a run for their money.

Characters include Thrombey’s daughter and real estate mogul Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband Richard (Don Johnson), and outcast trust fund son Ransom (Chris Evans), who form quite the dysfunctional family even when you remove them from the bigger picture.

Then there’s the rather insufferable, yet hugely entertaining, lifestyle guru Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette) and her daughter and social activist Meg (Katherine Langford). These two characters are parodies of popular blogging culture and ‘social justice warriors’, and they’re hilarious.

Each character has been wonderfully crafted by Rian Johnson, who both wrote and directed Knives Out. They’re essentially caricatures, but the result of this is a thoroughly entertaining cinema experience. What a brilliant use of such a talented cast.

The only seemingly normal person wrapped up in all this is caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), who acted as both a friend and nurse to Harlan prior to his death. Even against a backdrop of such bold characters, de Armas’ performance shines just as brightly.

Mysteries are hard to get right, and being able to predict the ending is a bragging right for many cinephiles. Well unfortunately, this script absolutely floored me with how fantastic it was, and I was unable to predict anything that went down. Johnson has serious talent when it comes to crafting a murder-mystery.

Don’t even get me started on how gorgeous the wardrobe in this film is either. If anyone knows where I can get Jamie Lee Curtis’ striking red suit, you need to tell me immediately.

Watching Knives Out was the most fun I’ve had in the cinema this year, perhaps ever. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, and walked out with the biggest smile on my face.

If you see one film this autumn, make it this one. You won’t regret it.
  
Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
2020 | Comedy
As good as the first - just not my thing
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan sees Borat return to the USA after the humiliation he caused his country in the first movie.

This time Borat is returning to America to get “Mac”Donald Trump to acknowledge the Premier of Kazakhstan as his friend and ally, and it couldn’t be more different than the first film. Borat is now a recognisable face across the globe so Sacha Baron Cohen can no longer parade around the streets and dupe unsuspecting members of the public. Instead he has to don ridiculously terrible disguises that surprisingly still fool people, and also put Maria Bakalova as his daughter Tutar front and centre with a large portion of the scenes.

For the most part, this works as Bakalova is a fantastic actress and she’s a delight to watch. Alongside Cohen who works his magic yet again, you can’t help but marvel at their guts and acting prowess at pulling off these stunts with a straight face. And not only this, but they excel just as well at the sweet and heartwarming side of this film that focuses on the father daughter relationship and female empowerment.

My biggest issues with this film (and it’s predecessor) probably come down to personal taste. I laughed a fair amount watching this and there are some crazy scenes that you can’t help but chuckle at – the synagogue and cosmetic surgery clinic to name a couple. I also thought the twist ending was absolute genius. However I’m not a huge fan of hidden camera type comedy that goes beyond humour and into cringeworthy and embarrassing, and sadly Borat does this a lot, even to the point where it’s crude and disgusting. This is just my personal view, as I just don’t find comedy funny if it’s making me cringe. There’s bad taste that’s funny and bad taste that goes too far, and for me Borat features both of these. Fortunately the former just about prevails and doesn’t make the film too uncomfortable. What helps is the political themes and motivations that are so ably managed and highlighted, and the fact that they’ve managed to seamlessly integrate the COVID-19 pandemic into the filming which is pretty impressive.

Cohen has been very smart when it comes to releasing this film, in the hope that it may have some impact on the upcoming election. Frankly after watching this, I’d be surprised if it didn’t. The scene featuring Rudy Giuliani, which has been very well publicised over the past few weeks, is both fascinating and creepily disturbing in equal parts and if this doesn’t hamper the public’s opinion of him, I don’t know what will.

Overall this is a very smart and daring film with two fantastic actors. There has been a lot of debate over whether this is better or worse than the original, but for me it’s just more of the same. But if you loved the first one, you’ll love this.
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Sirena in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
S
Sirena
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was another Greek mythology story that completely captured my heart. I was iffy about this one when I started it because it is written in present tense, first person. I loathe reading first person, and present tense just sounds so awkward that I don’t even attempt to read anything written as such. However, from page one, I was hooked.

The story is narrated by one of the 50 mytholgical mermaids, Sirena. She lives with ten of her sisters on an island where they are protected and guided by three guardian birds. The sole purpose of Sirena’s and her sister’s existence is to somehow make human males fall in love them so that the mermaids can become immortal like their ancestors. They live simple lives, dressing up in starfish and pearls and singing to lure ships towards their island where their ship will wreck on the reef just offshore. What makes Sirena different than her sisters, however, is her conscience. Whereas her sisters are only concerned with becoming immortal, Sirena actually cares about the welfare of the men whose lives they put in danger.

When the story begins, Sirena is preening herself before singing to lure not one, but three ships to her sister’s island. The men on the ships fall under their spell and two of the three ships crash upon the reef. Most of the men die because they do not know how to swim. While the ones who know how to swim make it safely to shore, the mermaids try to save as many of the others as they can. Only eleven men initially survive. They eventually die because of lack of resources on the island, but not before they beat one of Sirena’s sisters, Cecilia, to death for trying to save a drowning sailor.

Shortly after, Sirena runs away to the island of Lemnos to escape the life she has been subjected to. There, she tries to help heal Philoctetes who has been bitten by a serpent sent by Hera. From there, their relationship blossoms and they come to love each other despite their differences, including Sirena’s newly acquired immortality. Eventually however, Odysseus comes to obtain Hercules bow and arrows from Philoctetes so that the Greeks can win the Trojan War. The book ends with Philoctetes leaving with Odysseus, leaving Sirena on the deserted island of Lemnos.

This book completely crushed my heart. All in all, the book was actually pretty graphic for what I thought was an independent reader novel. Whenever Cecilia is killed by the sailors, Napoli gruesomely describes the mermaid’s smashed in face. Sirena makes multiple references to their beautiful breasts. While Napoli had enough decently to leave out any sex scenes, it is blatantly alluded to.

The majority of the novel is Sirena and Philoctetes bonding and building their relationship. Napoli takes us through the two learning about each other, bantering playfully, and falling in love. Only to rip them apart. It was so anticlimactic and soul-crushing, I almost started crashing.

All in all, it was a great novel. Despite being written in first person, it was expertly written. I love the simplicity of Sirena’s thinking. It is clear that she lacks any education beyond her island world. Reading about Sirena and Philoctete’s developing relationship was enchanting.

Definitely worth the heart break at the end.
  
Rosemary's Baby (Rosemary's Baby, #1)
Rosemary's Baby (Rosemary's Baby, #1)
Ira Levin | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
10
8.7 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>This is no dream, she thought. This is real, this is happening.</i></b>

<b>Note to self and others:</b> beware of overly friendly neighbours.

This is amazing. At just over 200 pages, this novel takes you on a hell (excuse the pun) of a journey that you won’t forget anytime soon. Levin has managed to make a novel so witty, and at the same time, so terrifying. In a way, the tone of this book is reminiscent of American Psycho (or rather American Psycho is reminiscent of this as it came out afterwards), but rather than in-your-face vulgar gore, this is far more psychologically disturbing. Never has such a mundane life, as Rosemarys and Guy’s, ever been so horrifying.

I’d already watched the movie when I picked this up, so I knew what this novel was about and what happened, and I think, maybe, that made me enjoy this <i>more.</i> When you know how the story plays out, the tension in this really grips you and you find yourself angry and empathetic towards Rosemary’s naivety. I think if I went into this novel not knowing, Rosemary would have simply pissed me off, she’s that sort of weak and dependant woman I oh-so hate in books, but it was a different experience for me, knowing what I know. That’s not to say you won’t like this going into it blind, I’m sure the tension and horror of this will affect you just the same way <i>and</i>_ you'll get the pleasure of the pure shock of the discovery, something I didn't.

I’ve said previously that I find it hard to really <i>hate</i> a character in a book, as I often find things to like about them, despite all their bad ways, but that’s not the case in this one. Let’s just say there is one specific character in this I hate more than anyone (in any other book ever, so far) for their betrayal, all for their own selfish gain.

The ending of this novel is one of the hardest, if not <i>the</i> hardest to swallow. It’s <i>so</i> distressing and <i>so</i> upsetting. I can’t say anything more than that, but it’s truly awful.

I’m really trying not to give too much away with this review, it’s hard not to say so many things, but I think it’s OK to mention the fact this book is about devilry (it’s written on the book as a quote from Capote so it can’t exactly be ignored)! This is a truly terrifying novel, and if you had qualms about having children before, you’ll definitely have more after reading this book.

This is a one-sitting read for me and I’m actually excited to re-read it sometime in the future. This work is a masterpiece. Levin is an incredible writer and I’m now aiming to read the rest of his work by the end of the year (yes, even <i>Son of Rosemary</i>, even though it has the worst ratings ever).

P.S. Even if you don’t like horror, you’ll most likely enjoy this book as it’s not openly trying to freak you out. It’s far more a suspense novel that gets in your head.
  
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
2013 | Action, Sci-Fi
For Tony Stark, (Robert Downey Jr.), life has become very complicated for the self-proclaimed genius, philanthropist, billionaire, and playboy. In the new film “Iron Man 3”, Stark is wracked by insomnia and dread following the battle he waged to save New York in “The Avengers”.

Stark throws himself into his work and endlessly creates new Iron Man suits as well as system upgrades which currently have him at the Mark 42 version which is a huge jump from the Mark VII he was last seen in which was itself a prototype.

When a terrorist named The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), has unleashed a series of bizarre bombings on the world and has opening challenged the President (William Sadler), Stark is caught up in his own fears, most notably protecting his beloved Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow).

When his friend Happy (John Farveau) is caught in an explosion, Stark openly challenges the Mandarin which results in a devastating helicopter upon Stark and Potts. With the world thinking he has died, Stark sets out to stop the Mandarin at all costs and find a way to battle his inner demons and fears to save the ones he loves and do what he knows is right.

The movie is big on laughs and character as we see a more well-rounded Stark this time out. He is haunted by demons of his past yet committed to improving himself and doing what is right. The film takes a bit of time to get up to speed, but thanks to Downey’s performance you maintain your interest as you are always waiting for what he will do next as he is in total command of the character and never lets the quirks or humor of his situation overshadow his humanity or undermine his performance.

I would have liked to have seen Downey is his armor more kicking butt and taking names, but thankfully the finale is very enjoyable. The converted 3D in the film is very good as although I am not a fan of 3D conversions this was the best I have seen to date as ash, snow, and debris did seem to float into the audience the way it does in films that are shot properly in the new 3D technology.

The supporting cast for the film is very strong especially Kingsley and Guy Pearce and I enjoyed the effort that Writer/Director Shane Black put into allowing the characters time to grow. I was a bit disappointed that Don Cheadle was not given a lot to do in his role especially when playing Iron Patriot/War Machine. The battle at the end of “Iron Man 2” where he and Iron Man took on legions of bad guys had me hoping for more this time out.

That being said, this is a very enjoyable summer movie that shows the franchise is not slowing down or taking the easy road out. There has been discussion that Downey Jr. may step away after the next Avengers film but hopefully that is not to be the case as I could not imagine another actor capturing the role as perfectly as he has.

Following a bonus post credits scene, we are told in the best James Bond style that Tony Stark will return, and you can bet legions of fans will be waiting.

http://sknr.net/2013/05/03/iron-man-3/
  
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story (1995)
1995 | Animation, Comedy, Family
A masterpiece
Film #9 on the 100 Movies Bucket List: Toy Story

When Toy Story was first released in 1995, it was groundbreaking. The first ever fully computer animated film and the first released by Disney Pixar, this was also one of the first films I saw at the cinema as an 8 year old child. Admittedly at that age I was concentrating more on the colourful animated toys rather than appreciating the sheer wizardry on offer, but from repeated watches over the decades, I’ve come to fully recognise the sheer genius of this film.

Toy Story centres around the idea that toys are alive, a concept that most children would love to be true. It follows Woody, a cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks, who’s cushy existence as the top dog of Andy’s toys is disrupted by a new space ranger doll, Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen. As Buzz soon becomes Andy’s favourite toy, Woody’s jealousy drives him to desperate measures that wind up with the pair of them becoming ‘lost toys’ and captives of evil neighbour Sid. And together with Buzz and Woody are a whole host of colourful and wacky toy characters, including Mr Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Etch-a Sketch and a bucketful of toy soldiers to name but a few of the childhood throwbacks on offer here.

Watching this back 25 years later, it’s hard to believe this film was released in the mid-90s. Whilst you can tell that more recent Disney Pixar releases have improved massively on the animation since Toy Story, the standard of the animation in this is hugely impressive. There are some studios that can’t master this level of detailed animation even now as we move into 2021. The feature and intricacies on show here is impressive, especially with the toy characters - you need to look no further than the scales on Rex (voiced memorably by Wallace Michael Shawn) as a shining example of this.

It isn’t just the animation that that makes Toy Story so brilliant though, it’s the entire package. It’s a heartwarming and often hilarious buddy story of sorts, with some strangely adult messages hidden in the childlike story (Buzz’s disillusionment at being a toy rather than a real space ranger is particularly poignant). As a child this made me believe my toys were alive, and as an adult I’m still hesitant about donating or throwing away old cuddly toys. It’s also full of what we’ve all come to know and love about Disney Pixar: a film suitable for kids but full of grown up innuendos and adult jokes that makes it appropriate for all ages. Alongside this it has a fantastic voice cast in household names Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, and of course brought us the first of many characters voiced by the unforgettable John Ratzenberger. And what further rounds this off is the catchy and touching original songs by Randy Newman. I doubt there are many people who haven’t heard “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, a song that evokes such a warm and fuzzy feeling inside and is fully deserving of the ‘Best Original Song’ Oscar nomination.

Toy Story is undoubtedly a masterpiece in animation. Whilst it may not have aged incredibly well when comparing it with more recent releases, this is the film that first introduced us to the world of Disney Pixar and paved the way for all of those that have followed.
  
TG
The Good Kind of Bad
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Firstly I’d like to thank Netgalley and Rita Brassington for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

<b>3.5 stars!

<i>Secrets don't stay secret for long.</i></b>

This was definitely slow to start. After getting into my last read almost instantly <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1637742966">;(All The Ugly and Wonderful Things)</a> this one didn’t seem like it was going to be my cup of tea, but after I got to around the 20% mark things started getting a little more interesting. I did enjoy reading this book, it was a much lighter read than my previous so it was nice to not really feel anything… <b>I really do mean that in the nicest way possible btw!</b> For me, this book was an easy & quick read that was entertaining but just a little bit OTT. I think this book has a lot of cliches, all very predictable, things I guessed rather easily and so if it hadn’t been for that, this would have probably been rated higher, but I prefer books that challenge and shock me.

Another problem I had with this book was that I felt like there are whole chunks of time missing from the story that either really could have helped with character and plot development or could have been explained better so we realised it had disappeared before our eyes... <spoiler>eg. she runs to Nina’s apartment (which she says is only a short distance), see’s Nina die, then runs away to the police station, stays outside for a little bit pondering what she should do (and obviously she doesn’t choose the right thing) then ends up a cafe, only for Evan to walk in a claim she’s been gone hours? Like where the <i>heck</i> did all those hours go?</spoiler>

Everything in this book was <i>massively</i> over the top. I’ve said before in a review that books are supposed to take you away from everything and land you into something fictional and exciting. But there does get a point where things become too fictional. The crazy storyline wouldn’t have mattered so much if it wasn’t for the fact that all the characters were completely unrealistic people.

However the biggest downfall for this book was the characters. To love a book, you’ve got to love the characters, and I didn’t.

Our main lady (we never find out her first name) of the book was beyond irritating. I felt like every single little thing she did was the wrong thing. She faced some really awful stuff throughout the book and then went about sorting it out in all the wrongs ways! She wanted you to think she was a high class, intelligent, independant lady, but in actual fact she was airheaded, weak and damn right ridiculous. What annoyed me most about her was the fact that she was ready to believe <i>anyone.</i> She knew all the people in this book for 3 months tops and she always just believed what they said, no questions asked. <spoiler>Also no questions asked as to why Evan was calling her “honey” & “baby” all of a sudden!</spoiler>

As for Joe, it’s pretty obvious why you wouldn’t like him. He’s a cock from the start of the relationship, I don’t understand what she saw in him to begin with to be honest.

Then there’s Evan, the good guy cop who comes to save the damsel in distress… how predictable he is. He’s the easiest character to work out in the world of fictional characters. I mean c’mon, there was no mystery to him at all.

After all my complaining, this was still an enjoyable read for me. It wasn't one of those books I try and force myself to read just to finish it, I actually wanted to find out what was happening. I will say that I <b>hadn’t</b> predicted the <i>ending</i> ending. I had predicted most of what was going to happen but there were elements I hadn’t been expecting. That’s definitely what gave it the extra point 5 of a star, otherwise it would have just remained a mediocre 3 stars. I would recommend this to people who like fast paced thrillers. I think this is the perfect holiday book!
  
Jurassic World (2015)
Jurassic World (2015)
2015 | Adventure, Sci-Fi
A Trip down memory lane
Can you believe it’s been 14 years since genetically modified dinosaurs rampaged across our screens in Joe Johnston’s underwhelming Jurassic Park III?

After being stuck in development hell for over a decade, Steven Spielberg handpicked indie director Colin Trevorrow to helm the fourth instalment of the popular adventure franchise, Jurassic World, but can it return the much-loved series to form?

Man of the moment Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village), Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3) and Omar Sy (X-Men: Days of Future Past) lead a cast of characters in a visually spectacular film that whilst paying homage to 1993’s Jurassic Park, lacks a little of the original’s soul.

Jurassic World is now a fully functioning theme park taken over from John Hammond’s InGen by Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan in a pleasingly comedic performance). Welcoming over 20,000 visitors a day, the park sees the need to create something bigger, louder and with more teeth to sustain visitor interest – the Indominus Rex.

Naturally, this doesn’t go quite to plan.

The performances from all of the cast are on-point with Bryce Dallas Howard being a particular highlight. There were worries that her ability would match Tea Leoni from Jurassic Park III rather than Laura Dern’s brilliant Ellie Sattler from the original. Thankfully, this isn’t the case.

Her story arc is particularly intriguing if predictable with her uptight corporate image being shed throughout the film’s succinct 123 minute running time.

Chris Pratt proves why he is the man every director wants to work with. His less comedic side comes out in Jurassic World and proves that he has the acting chops to go with his good looks.

Vincent D’Onofrio stars as the obligatory villain but his side story is never really explored – possibly setting up for a sequel should the film perform well at the box office and with it making up 90% of global ticket sales this weekend, things look promising.

Music wise, Jurassic World treads a very careful path. Make no mistake, this is a standalone movie, but the references to the original are there for all to hear. Michael Giacchino, one of the best composers of the moment, takes over from Don Davis of Jurassic Park III and provides the series with its best score since John Williams’ original.

Special effects too are top notch with the park looking stunning and the dinosaurs, on the whole, faring the same way. There are a couple of moments where things start to look a little video game like, but this never takes away from the beauty of this film.

Unfortunately, whilst the last 30 minutes are breath-taking, edge of your seat stuff, it’s difficult to differentiate Jurassic World from the plethora of high budget blockbusters that litter the cinema these days and whilst Trevorrow chooses references to the original carefully, it lacks a little of that film’s soul and ultimately charm.

Overall, Jurassic World is better than the majority of blockbusters that have come and gone from cinemas over the last year and it tops The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III to become a sequel worthy of the original.

Yes it’s not perfect, with the gorgeous finale lacking substance, but after waiting 14 years it comes pretty darn close and will no doubt be, along with Star Wars: Episode VII, one of the most memorable films of the noughties.

Do you remember seeing Jurassic Park for the first time? That’s the question everyone asks, and whilst Jurassic World won’t be making anywhere near the same impact, it’s a film worthy of the brand.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/06/14/a-trip-down-memory-lane-jurassic-world-review/