Jurassic World

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Following up Steven Speilberg's original Jurassic Park movie is so difficult that even in the director's chair Spielberg himself wasn't able to do it too fantastically. Four years after that attempt, Jumanji's Joe Johnston gave it a try, and while he was able to bring some fun back to the franchise, his entry too lacked the awe of the first Jurassic Park movie. Now, we welcome in Colin Trevorrow, who brings to the franchise no previous experience with big-budget pictures. Instead, he brings an approach.

Immediately when Jurassic Park was released, people were enthralled, leading nostalgia to be a obvious presence in the sequels. By bringing back and focusing on familiar characters like Sam Neill's Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcolm, Speilberg and Johnson brought superficial nostaliga to their respective follow-ups - hoping to inspire memories and wonder just because of some familiar faces on an island with dinosaurs. Trevorrow, on the other hand, incorporates into his film a more effective form of nostalgia - an emotional type, a true type. Aside from one doctor with a minor role in the first film, Jurassic World gives us a completely new set of players. A risky move, but one that pays off, because Jurassic World is the sequel we can whole-heartedly admit we have been waiting for. Not because it shows the same characters, but because it invokes feelings audiences have not felt in a dinosaur movie for 22 years.

So, like most of you, my hopes were extremely high for this film. The park is open, we're back to the original island, and speaking frankly, the trailers looked pretty awesome. Still, one in my position can't help being hesitant. Unfortunately, those working at Jurassic World aren't too hesitant, especially when the park's operation's manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) okays the genetic construction of a new super dinosaur, bred to evade any threat manmade or in nature. When things inevitably go wrong, the entire island of animals and visitors - including Claire's two nephews (Ty Simpkins & Nick Robinson) - loses the illusion of safety and control. So, out comes dino trainer Owen (Chris Pratt) on his motorcycle with his entourage of trained raptors to save the day.

Trevorrow, who also co-wrote the script, knew where to take the audience to bring us back to our happy place in this franchise. With some subtle and other not-so-subtle nods to the original Jurassic movie, he manipulated my emotional attachment to the story so well that I was able to overlook the film's occasional flaws effortlessly. When Simpkins' character runs to his hotel room and opens up his balcony to see the fully active theme park, I was wide-eyed and grinning like an 8-year-old. That's talent that can't be ignored, and I'm glad that talent was brought to this franchise.

Sadly, the movie was not without its eye-rolling moments, namely the unnecessary subplots and characters. For example - Claire and Owen had/have a thing for some reason? Sure. Why not? Zach and Gray's parents are getting divorced, even though this moment is only brought up once and never shown to be evident in the parents' behaviors? Sure. Why not. InGen is once again trying to undermine the people who actually know what they're doing on the island and sends out a cocky and annoying character to stir up even more trouble as if there isn't enough already? Sure. Why the heck not. But let's face it - I was having way too much fun watching this movie that most of the time I told my critic mind to shut up and enjoy the ride.

So, please, do yourself a favor and allow yourself to go back to Isla Nublar. See what's new for you and what shining moments from the past it has to offer. Pratt will charm you, Simpkins and Robinson will relate to you, and the movie will inspire you. Because if you thought the times where you could have a complete blast at the movies were over, you'd be wrong.

Rating: 4/5

Paper Towns

Margo (Cara Delevinge) and Q (Nat Wolff) carry out their plan for
high school revenge (FoxMovies)

As John Green's readers know very well by now, Paper Towns is no The Fault in Our Stars. Of course, I mainly say this in regards to the plot - for just because this movie too is about two teens in a maybe-romance and is by the same author and stars Nat Wolff does not mean we should expect the same atmosphere, themes, or story. But when I say this movie is not TFiOS, I'm also referring to it's quality. Paper Towns stands on its own as a good high school movie, but aside from a compelling mystery twist, it is incapable of standing out much more than others in its genre.

Nat Wolff stars as Quentin (aka "Q") - a reserved, results-oriented senior who appreciates consistency but lacks spontaneity in his life. That's where Margo Roth Spiegelman comes in. Quentin and Margo grew up next door to each other, but during their tween years, Margo realized Q's anchored lifestyle wasn't enough to match her reckless behaviors. They drift apart until one night their senior year, where Margo slips into Quentin's room. With a determined look on her face, Margo asks Q to serve as her getaway driver for a contrived revenge plot against her cheating boyfriend and her friends who didn't rat him out. Apparently that's a big no-no in girl-world. (I went to an all-boys high school, don't judge me.)

After re-establishing a connection, Margo and Q part following their misadventurous night of pulling pranks and ruining social lives, leaving Q with hope of a possible future with Margo. But the next morning, she goes missing. While her family and friends write it off as typical Margo behavior, Q thinks it's her way of calling him to come find her. Q finds clues around town, and rounds up a group of his friends to pile into his mom's mini-van to trek across the coast to find her, vowing to be back before their prom night.

Wolff and Delevinge make for an alluring on-screen pair, and perform their parts perfectly fine, but the duo that made me enjoy the movie most was Austin Abrams and Halston Sage. They play Quentin and Margo's respective best friends Ben and Lacey who tag along on the road trip. Both of these supporting actors give hysterical and sincere star-making performances - especially Abrams, who plays a goofball sidekick, a hopeless romantic, and a scene-stealing, beer-filled partygoer in a single role that shows a wide array of acting chops.

With it's element of mystery, the movie does warrant a watch if you're afraid it'll be just like every other movie of its kind. Thankfully, this isn't entirely the case. It has some detractors to it though - mainly its all too familiar tone and it's inclusion of certain ideas and behaviors I personally don't condone on a moral level.

Paper Towns suffices as a more-often-than-not enjoyable high school movie. It was nice to see that the filmmakers were trying to add something new to the teen movie genre, though the execution showed they weren't entirely successful. If anything, it's a showcase of a few new faces and some old ones delivering good performances throughout a story that's just past the threshold of keeping your continuous interest.

Rating: 3/5