Jurassic World (2015) 2D
Also available on Blu-ray in 3D
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Jurassic World is exactly what you expect it to be – dinosaurs running amok and eating people. That is what people want to see, and that is exactly what they get. The film makes no attempt to be more than what it is, it never tries to force the audience to think too hard, and while some people dismiss films like this, but I think they really have their place as escapist entertainment. I like to use Roger Ebert’s philosophy – don’t think so much about what a movie is about, but how it is about it. If you are a fan of the original Jurassic Park, you will be thrilled with the references to the original film, but it still manages to be a solid film as a standalone as well.
In terms of characters, we have Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), the aunt of the two children, Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson) who are, not surprisingly, left to defend themselves from the dinosaurs. We have Owen (Chris Pratt), a former army guy and all around bad-ass. He is likeable, but not quite as dynamic as he should be in the role. Vincent D’Onofrio plays Vic, an irritating In-Gen employee with darker motives, and Billionaire / questionable helicopter pilot Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), who replaces John Hammond as the one who “spares no expense” in order to offer visitors an unforgettable experience. B.D. Wong returns as Dr. Wu, who my wife felt was portrayed as a ”bad guy”, but I disagree because to me he was only doing what he had always been doing from the very beginning. The movie has all the usual plot points and really doesn’t offer any surprises – characters find each other annoying, but ultimately are attracted to each other, parents are divorcing (maybe), kids get lost, kids are found, childless adult learns that maybe kids aren’t that bad – but in the end the film delivers on great visuals and sound and is an overall fun adventure even with the clichés. This one is a bit more graphic than the earlier installments, with a lot more blood and therefore not really suitable for young viewers, despite its PG-13 rating.
Picture Quality
The 2D picture quality is top notch. First of note is the aspect ratio of 2.00:1. I really liked that ratio, as it is just a bit wider than 1.85:1 but still maintains the height to make the dinosaurs appear all the more impressive. They are tall, after all. Colors are fantastic with a lot of lush tropical hues. Skin tones are natural, and Claire’s hair is a wonderful red. The picture is clean and clear with nice definition. The humidity was doing some havoc on Claire’s hair, even when it was well prepared, and you can easily make out individual strands sticking up here and there. Frankly, if you are not pleased with the video presentation, then there is no pleasing you.
Audio Quality
Back in 1993 Jurassic Park was the first movie to be released with DTS audio and it had Gary Rydstrom at Skywalker Sound working tirelessly to get the sounds of the T-Rex and Raptors just right. I am pleased to say that Jurassic World maintains that great tradition, and Gary Rydstrom is credited as a sound consultant. The raptors maintain their distinctive sound – which I always thought was menacing and cool at the same time. It certainly is not a sound that I would want to hear while in the wilderness. Aside from the dino sounds, the audio, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, is crystal clear (I listened to it down mixed to 5.1). The dialogue is natural and easy to understand. There are a lot of sound effects, and the whole soundstage is used effectively with some big sounds in the rear channels. And let’s not forget the LFE, which will give your subwoofer a nice workout. Feeling a dinosaur approaching before you see it never gets old. Again, if you want lots of rumble, cool sounding dinosaur vocals, and swooshing sounds all around – then look no further than Jurassic World.
Another element of the sound is the musical score, and Jurassic World had a lot to live up to. The score by Michael Giacchino is much better than the score for Jurassic Park III, but does not live up to the John Williams original, but let’s be honest – anyone stepping up to do a John Williams score has big shoes to fill. It is like someone trying to sing a Sting song – No matter how good it is, it just isn’t quite right. That being said, I actually think that Michael Giacchino did as good a job as any non John Williams composer could do. He touched on the classic theme just enough, and some of the other queues seemed to be inspired from the original Jurassic Park. And to Giacchino’s credit, it truly is much better than Jurassic Park III, which I thought sounded more like a rip off of a Williams score than a tribute to it. (I feel bad for Alexandre Desplat, who is doing the score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as he faces the same challenge. Perhaps he can pull off the impossible and make a score better than The Empire Strikes Back.)
In the end Jurassic World will deliver what you want, assuming you want great visuals, great audio, hungry dinosaurs, and peril. This one is a worthy addition to your collection.
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BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO Blu-rayTM:
- WELCOME TO JURASSIC WORLD: An in-depth take on the creation, look and feel of Jurassic World. Director Colin Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg discuss how the idea of the film came together and how the casting was decided with actors’ commentary on their roles and filming locations.
- JURASSIC WORLD: ALL-ACCESS PASS: Chris Pratt and Director Colin Trevorrow discuss key moments in the film, supported by behind-the-scenes footage and VFX breakdowns.
- INNOVATION CENTER TOUR WITH CHRIS PRATT: Chris Pratt gives a tour of the Innovation Center, a museum/exhibit, built just for the movie.
- JURASSIC’S CLOSEST SHAVES: Clips from all films in the franchise showing “near death” or extremely scary encounters with dinosaurs.
BLU-RAYTM and DVD BONUS FEATURES
- DELETED SCENES
- DINOSAURS ROAM ONCE AGAIN: Behind the scenes look at the making of Jurassic World’s visual effects, how the dinosaurs came to life, and actors filmed scenes.
- CHRIS & COLIN TAKE ON THE WORLD: Chris Pratt and Colin Trevorrow (Director) interview each other and discuss Jurassic World as well as the other Jurassic Park movies.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: October 20, 2015
Copyright: 2015 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Selection Number: 6112956 (US)/ 61129744 (CDN)
Layers: BD-50
Video: 1080p Widescreen, 2.00:1, MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1/Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish DTS Surround 5.1, French DTS Surround 5.1
50GB Blu-ray Disc two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD), UV digital copy, iTunes digital copy, Digital copy, DVD copy
