Movie time

Last Saturday my wife and I watched a Chris Pratt double feature, namely Jurassic World (2015) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

Jurassic World may be the fourth movie in the Jurassic film line, but it is a fairly direct follow up to the first Jurassic Park (1993). Jurassic Park 2 &3 have their own plot-lines and have little to do with the actual amusement park.

First off, Jurassic World is a very pretty film, the effects are stellar. The acting is fine, and the sound is as good as ever. The real problem is the script. It relies heavily on the first movie, so much so that it felt smug at times.

The core of the story is that people are becoming bored with dinosaurs so InGen creates a new scarier hybrid dinosaur in order to boost attendance. Obviously dinos escape and eat people. Heroes do heroic stuff and the villains are mean and stupid. End story.

Jurassic World is not a good movie but it is spectacular. If you want to see an action filled romp with lots of cool effects and giant monsters rampaging about, then this is worth watching. If you want character development and a complex story, watch something else. I had fun, but almost more fun dissing it with my wife.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a Marvel movie, so it's based on a comic book series. It technically belongs in the Super Hero franchise, since as an example, Iron Man later becomes a Guardian, but the film is squarely Space Opera in my opinion.

This is a spectacle in every way. It's action and fantastic backdrops, witty one-liners and explosions. It's a fast two hour ride of fun. In fact, I have only two complaints; many scenes are really dark, making it hard to see what's going on and the fact that little is really explained. Actually the last point isn't really a bad thing, so scratch that.

My second complaint is that the villain is boring and pretty generic. Since the mettle of a hero is measured by the villain he fights, this detracts somewhat from the enjoyment. Sure, the villain is powerful, but since I haven't read the comics he made little sense to me.

The cast is absolutely dazzling, with big names every time the scene changes. I'm happily waiting for the sequel.

If you really want pizzazz and just a good time, see this movie, but it's not a “serious” film, so leave the intellectual part of your brain in a drawer and let your ten year old out.

That's my entry for today. Until next time, have a stellar week!