Entertainment

Perfect Sequel To Legendary Action Franchise Streaming On Netflix

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 33 seconds ago

Sometimes, blockbuster franchises go so far off the rails that it can really skew your perspective of earlier films. The Jurassic World movies are a great example of this: Fallen Kingdom was a braindead horror movie, Dominion was a lazy nostalgia fest, and Rebirth was a soulless schlockfest. Because of this, many movie lovers have written this franchise off and are waiting for the next asteroid to conveniently make this entire franchise extinct.

However, the film that originally brought all this “dino DNA” back to the big screen is still a very solid blockbuster unto itself. Thanks to a talented director and some solid talent all around, Jurassic World (2015) is a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat with both CGI spectacle and surprisingly good character development. It’s currently streaming on Netflix, making it easier than ever for you to return to the cinematic universe first made famous by Steven Spielberg.

They Just Won’t Stay Extinct

The premise of Jurassic World is that a new CEO has decided to revive the original Jurassic Park concept, making it bigger and better than ever, despite the highly publicized tragedies portrayed in earlier films. It works at first, and the newly-minted Jurassic World is a hit with almost everyone, including the visiting nephews of the new park’s operations manager. But Chaos Theory wins out again, and once the dinos inevitably get loose, it becomes a race for survival for everyone involved. This includes an experienced raptor trainer, a scheming security chief, and a geneticist who witnessed the rise and fall of the original park.

The cast of Jurassic World is mostly filled with faces new to the franchise, including Chris Pratt (best known for Guardians of the Galaxy) as a charismatic raptor trainer and Bryce Dallas Howard (best known for Jurassic World: Dominion) as the park operations manager and his ersatz love interest. One of her nephews is played by Ty Simpkins (best known as Tony Stark’s kid sidekick in Iron Man 3), while Vincent D’Onofrio (best known for Men in Black) plays a shady security chief who wants to weaponize the raptors. Surprisingly, Jurassic Park alumnus BD Wong (best known outside this franchise for Mr. Robot) returns as the brains behind the ill-fitting park’s revival.

A Dangerous Gamble Pays Off

As with John Hammond’s original decision to bring back the dinosaurs, the studio’s decision to revive Steven Spielberg’s prehistoric powerhouse of a franchise was quite the gamble. Fortunately, it paid off: against a budget of approximately $215 million (some estimates go as low as $150 million), Jurassic World earned a whopping $1.671 billion. That made sequels inevitable, although the next three Jurassic World films could be summed up by Ian Malcolm from the original Jurassic Park: “Now, that is one big pile of sh*t.”

When Jurassic World came out, the general consensus regarding this revival of Spielberg’s blockbuster franchise was that it was good, not great. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 72 percent rating, with critics praising the movie for being a visually stunning thriller that’s great for those just looking for a bombastic good time. They did note that this revival doesn’t offer nearly as much innovation in terms of effects and storytelling as the original Jurassic Park. Casual moviegoers enjoyed the film as a spectacle of violent action unto itself, and the film has a notably higher 78 percent audience score.

A Thrill Ride Millions Of Years (And Dollars) In The Making

You probably know all about how bad the later movies get, so let’s cut to the chase: why would you return to the original Jurassic World? For one thing, the movie is a cinematic spectacle that takes the theme park thrills of the earliest film in the franchise and takes everything to a whole new level. There is wonder in seeing these fantastic creatures brought back to life, and there is pathos in seeing them harmed by new threats like the Indominus Rex. Mostly, there is nailbiting intensity as you watch a cast of likeable characters escape seemingly certain death in scene after scene.

Speaking of the characters, the real secret weapon of Jurassic World is the cast: while Chris Pratt is very played out these days, he is at his affable best in this movie, channeling all the charm of Star-Lord and transforming his character (not to mention himself) into a modern-day action hero. Additionally, he has solid chemistry with Bryce Dallas Howard, and their sparking chemistry echoes the ferocious flirtiness of Han Solo and Princess Leia. With these characters, Colin Trevorrow shows that he understands something very fundamental to these prehistoric blockbusters: that the audience must care about your flesh and blood characters before they can care about your next-level CGI.

We’re Just Along For The Ride

Also, if you’re a real fanboy for the original Jurassic Park, Jurassic World wears its nostalgia very proudly, going so far as to include an in-universe character who’s a huge JP fan. Is this just some straight-up member berries fan service? Absolutely. But it’s done so well that this adds extra appeal for any ‘80s and ‘90s kids who grew up endlessly quoting Steven Spielberg’s seminal work (like yours truly).

Obviously, Jurassic World isn’t going to dethrone Jurassic Park as the greatest dinosaur movie ever made. However, it is arguably one of the best films in this long-running franchise, one that will constantly remind you of why you fell in love with this tangled tale of dinosaurs and destruction in the first place. With heart-racing thrills, memorable action, and a talented cast giving it their all, Jurassic World is a perfect little paradox: it’s pure schlock, but it’s blockbuster schlock, and some of the best we’ve gotten in nearly two decades.

Will you agree that shlock, uh, finds a way, or is Jurassic World the kind of movie you’d rather feed to a raptor? The only way to find out is to stream this high-flying blockbuster remake on Netflix for yourself. The streamer is currently showing the sequels, but trust me: this is one franchise that you’re better off forgetting that it ever got any follow-up films!

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Entertainment

8 Readers Share the Recipes They Know by Heart

8 readers' favorite easy recipes

My friends and I make Alison Roman’s squash and lentil soup so often that in our group chat we’ve taken to referring to it as “our soup.” As in: “I’m making our soup tonight,” or “Sorry you’re sick! Can I drop off our soup this afternoon?” We may not have written the recipe but it’s ours now! Inspired, we asked Cup of Jo readers to share the recipes they’ve made a million times. Here, eight readers recommend their tried-and-true dishes…

Alison Roman squash soup

“Our” Alison Roman soup — the recipe calls for acorn squash, but I’ve been making it with honey nut squash from my garden.

8 readers' favorite easy recipes

“Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I swear by the one my mom always made from my grandmother’s The Best of Country Cooking cookbook. I have the recipe memorized, and I also add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. When I made these cookies for a friend, she could not believe I made them ‘out of my brain.’ Now it’s my favorite way to describe knowing a recipe off the top of my head.” — Katie

dan pelosi's Nonna's Negroni

“I make Dan Pelosi’s non-alcoholic Negroni on repeat. Basically, you steep half a box of Red Zinger tea with orange peel, sugar, cloves, and black peppercorns, then serve it with tonic (and grapefruit juice if you have it, but I usually don’t). It’s a nice treat to sip on while putting dinner together. My husband and I like it so much that there’s usually a big jar of it in our fridge.” — Sarah

Marcella Hazan tomato sauce

“Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce is pure kitchen magic. I’ve made it so many times that I no longer need the recipe. It seems too rudimentary to be special — just tomatoes, butter, and whole onions — but somehow the result is truly exquisite. My girls have always loved it — they’re busy teens now and still get excited when they come home and smell tomatoes simmering. They call out from the doorway, ‘It’s a tomato sauce day!’” — Ashley

8 readers' favorite easy recipes

“On vacation in San Francisco, I ate a revelatory sandwich from Golden Gate Market Deli & Liquor, a bodega right next to the Presidio. Ever since, I have dedicated myself to perfecting my sandwich game. My latest is good sourdough, French Dijon, garlic aioli, Jarlsberg and smoked Gouda, an entire avocado, red onion, cucumber, perfectly ripe tomatoes (with salt and pepper, of course), wilted spinach, and a whole lot of sprouts. It takes a half hour to make but it is so, so worth it!” — Elizabeth

8 readers' favorite easy recipes

“We make a kale Caesar with poached eggs all the time. The key is to tear the kale into strips and massage them for at least a minute. Then, add lemon juice, a glug or two of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lots of freshly grated Parmesan. Toss it all together. The leaves should be acidic, salty, and a tad spicy. Sometimes we make homemade croutons from a fresh loaf of bread. Finally, poach eggs and put them on top! Dinner is served in 20 minutes. The salad is super nourishing but also finger-licking good.” — Becca

smitten kitchen confetti cookies

“Hands down, my go-to recipe is Smitten Kitchen’s confetti cookies. As Deb Perelman says, they’re the best because you can pull ingredients straight from the fridge without waiting for them to come to room temp. We call them ‘rainbow cookies’ in our house, and they’ve become my signature. My eight-year-old just made them all by himself for the first time, and I was so proud!” — Laura

buffalo chicken meatballs

“For several years, I’ve made ahead a batch of buffalo chicken meatballs to freeze and pack for lunch. I’m a high school math teacher, mom of three, and short on time, so I value the consistency. I like to pair these with roasted sweet potatoes. Never disappoints!” — Andrea

Melissa Clark's cheese white beans

“A simple meal that my teenagers will always polish off is Melissa Clark’s cheesy white beans. I serve it alongside green salad and sliced baguette, and the whole thing takes 25 minutes, all in. We even had it over Christmas break, and Lulu and my dad approved, as well.” — Joanna

Now, it’s your turn to shout out your go-to recipes! What dishes have you made so many times you know them by heart? We want to add them to our list.

P.S. 11 (more) readers share their go-to recipes, and what are five recipes in your arsenal?

(Sprinkle cookie photos by Deb Perelman; tomato sauce photo by Christopher Testani for The New York Times; meatball photo by Chrissa Benson.)

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