‘Jurassic’s’ resurrection as effective as its star – Indominus Rex

The original 1993 Jurassic Park may have been an enormous hit but it didn’t work for me for one simple reason. Despite the much ballyhooed special effects, the dinosaurs still looked “fake-y.”

Instead of reveling in the wonder of seeming to walk among dinosaurs, I was completely distracted by their unconvincing presentation on the screen. The movie also had thematic issues it wanted to mull over – like whether it’s a good idea to resurrect extinct species, and if so, whether it’s smart to try to market them – but if the dinosaurs weren’t believable, the film had lost its raison d’etre.

Listen to Tom’s review of ‘Jurassic World’

Twenty-two years later, the filmmakers have certainly solved that problem. “Jurassic World’s” dinosaurs are as convincing as you could hope for, every bit as believable as the humans, and in some cases, more so. That’s not a knock against the actors, who are ably lead by rising superstar Chris Pratt (of “Guardians of the Galaxy” fame). But when you go to a Jurassic movie, it’s the dinos that are the real stars. And shine they do.

The velociraptors, made famous in the original, seem faster and smarter and more vicious than ever. The flying pterodactyls are more numerous and more relentless. (Think Hitchcock’s “The Birds” or the flying monkeys of Oz, all on steroids.) Some kind of mammoth monster lives underwater and yet can jettison himself high in the air to catch prey. (Think “Jaws” times ten.) And then finally, the pride of “Jurassic World,” Indominus Rex.

“We have learned more in the past decade from genetics than a century of digging up bones. A whole new frontier has opened up. We have our first genetically modified hybrid.”

“You just went and made a new dinosaur? Probably not a good idea.”

That’s the understatement of the year. Indominus Rex is a laboratory experiment that mixed the DNA of a T-Rex with the DNA of … well, that’s a trade secret. It’s bigger and stronger than a T-Rex, it’s smarter and madder than a T-Rex, and it doesn’t just kill to survive &#8212 it kills for sport. But not to worry – it’s being held in check by a 40-foot high prison wall. With 20,000 tourists just milling around outside that wall, what could possibly go wrong? Mayhem and destruction soon ensue.

“Do you think it will scare the kids?”

“This will give the parents nightmares.”

I don’t know about nightmares, but this will definitely scare little kids. It’s a PG-13 movie for good reason. I don’t care how “into” dinosaurs your little 8 year-olds are, this movie just might traumatize them &#8212 especially if they see it in 3-D and on an Imax screen like I did. Teenagers with a penchant for horror films, on the other hand, should love it. It’s a relentlessly tense and scary movie, thanks to Indominus Rex, who’s as conniving as he is bloodthirsty.

The movie climaxes as all good creature features should with a colossal battle among the dinosaurs. It ends in grand fashion with what might best be called a “dino ex machina.” It’s a hugely satisfying and crowd-pleasing moment. And yes, if you squint, you can see a sequel not too far off on the horizon.