The international phenomenon that is Jurassic World has come home. That’s right, the number one movie of the year (so far, that is until a certain Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuts) has debuted on DVD, Blu-Ray and download formats. The fourth film in the Jurassic Park series, as you can tell from our theatrical Jurassic World review, is the best sequel in the series and more than worth the decade-long-plus wait since the last installment.
As was teased in the Jurassic World trailer, director Colin Trevorrow’s film takes place decades after the events of Jurassic Park. The park is open, and has been running successfully for years. It is a top tourist destination and sees millions of visitors a year.
Bryce Dallas Howard plays the woman who runs the locale, and as she sees how attendance spikes when new attractions open, she is looking for her next big splash. She found it with the creation of an entirely new dinosaur, the Indominus Rex. The park security expert, played by Chris Pratt, does not think this is a good idea. When the Rex outsmarts its handlers and escapes to devour an island full of tourists, our adventure truly begins.
Trevorrow was the most astounding of choices to helm this feature and the first film’s director, Steven Spielberg, has his handprints all over this gem. Trevorrow is clearly a fan of the original and the director who had only previously worked on independent films, injected a true character driven plot to a franchise picture that works on so many levels.
There is a reason why it did so well at the theaters. This is a film you can and want to see repeatedly. That is why it makes a perfect home video release. Look for Jurassic World to be the number one DVD and Blu-Ray of the year.
The bonus features cadre is utterly fantastic.
We have to begin by saluting Welcome to Jurassic World. The featurette features dream team collaborators Spielberg and Trevorrow taking us inside their latest creation. The viewer gets a true sense of the look and feel of Jurassic World. Also, Spielberg lets fans in on the inside scoop on how this project even came to be and most importantly why the legendary filmmaker thought that this was a world worth revisiting after all these years. Simply hearing Spielberg talk film alone is worth the price of anything, but to see what a great rapport he has with Trevorrow and witness how Jurassic World went from idea to fully-realized illuminated creation is mesmerizing.
Another pair that clearly have a creative shorthand is star Pratt and his helmer. That’s why Jurassic World: All-Access Pass is an utter delight. Trevorrow and Pratt reveal their favorite moments from the film and take audiences behind the scenes and show off how some of the most astounding scenes were shot and visual effects brought to life. Pratt is quickly becoming one of our favorite movie stars (after the success of this film and Guardians of the Galaxy) after his tenure as a TV star on Parks and Recreation. Seeing his ease on a big budget film set first-hand on this bonus features tells us that this guy is only beginning his blockbuster movie career.
Further proof of how great Pratt and Trevorrow are together arrives in the short features Chris & Colin Take on the World. Pratt, known almost exclusively previously for his comedy, shows off his comedic chops in a featurette that solely features the two men interviewing each other. Sure, there are plenty of serious moments where the two delve into the complexity that was making Jurassic World. But, there is also still plenty of humor to be had from one of the funniest men in Hollywood.
For fans of the entire series, the don’t-miss bonus features has to be Jurassic’s Closest Shaves. The fantastic set of clips edits together every single “near death” action sequence from the entire four movie set. Prepare to be dazzled and to hold your breath once or twice!
One of the main reasons this film series is and was such a hit is how astoundingly realistic the dinosaurs look on the screen. That was the big draw, and of course a fantastic story from Michael Crichton, of the first film and that is also why audiences returned in droves to Jurassic World. Our final bonus feature to salute is Dinosaurs Roam Once Again. It does a marvelous job of showcasing the visual effects magicians that brought filmmakers dreams of when “dinosaurs roamed the earth” to roaring life in a thrill ride that is among one of the best of the year.
Movie Itself: A
Bonus Features: A+