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Jurassic World

age 13+
(i)

 

Reboot is fun but scarier, more violent than the original.
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  • Review Date: June 12, 2015
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Release Year: 2015
  • Running Time: 124 minutes

Jurassic World gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

Science and nature can't be controlled, and animals shouldn't be treated as predictable, passive attractions. Teamwork, bravery, determination, and smarts are valued.

Positive role models

Owen is protective, wise, and courageous, as is his assistant. Claire initially doesn't seem like she cares about anything besides her job, but she quickly goes into mother-bear mode to rescue her nephews. Zach has to step up and take care of his little brother, Gray. Despite his age, Gray is quick-witted and intelligent and helps the boys get themselves out of dangerous situations. The park owner and other secondary characters all rise to the occasion to save others. On the downside, there aren't many female characters (unless you count the dinosaurs...).

Violence

Several scenes of sustained tension, peril, terror, and jump-worthy action when it seems like even kids will be killed. Dozens of people die (including major supporting characters); they're eaten or ripped to shreds (sometimes in graphic ways), trampled, or burned in explosions. Everyone is injured, some severely and others in minor ways. Bloody fights between the dinosaurs, who slash, hunt, and eat one another.

Sex

A couple of kisses and references to mating, as well as innuendos related to what Owen and Claire could do alone together. Zach stares at and flirts with various teen girls.

Language

Infrequent use of "s--t," "bulls--t," "damn."

Consumerism

Many real-world products featured in the fictional Jurassic World park: Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Apple (iPhone, MacBooks), Mercedes, Verizon, Jeep, Margaritaville, Beats, Nissan Quest, ViewMaster toy. Also lots of tie-in merchandise available in real life.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Cameo of Jimmy Buffett fleeing with a margarita in each hand. An employee makes a joke about a dinosaur that's been sedated being "stoned."

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jurassic World is more violent and terrifying than the original Jurassic Park. Since the titular theme park is actually open and filled with visitors, the ensuing body count when the dinos run amok is much higher than in the previous films (including some major supporting characters), and there are many intense scenes of sustained terror, suspense, and peril (including kids in danger). People are eaten, torn to shreds, trampled, and severely injured. Language is infrequent (occasional use of "s--t" and "damn"), and there are a couple of kisses and suggestive remarks. And you can expect a lot of overt product placement -- from Coca-Cola, Apple, and Mercedes to Jeep, Beats, Verizon, and more. Mature tweens and teens who are fans of suspense/action (and still fond of dinosaurs) will be thrilled -- just make sure they can handle the truly jump-worthy scares.

What's the story?

At the start of JURASSIC WORLD, a mom (Judy Greer) sends her two sons -- teen Zach (Nick Robinson) and tween Gray (Ty Simpkins) -- to visit their Aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), an executive at JURASSIC WORLD, the exclusive dinosaur theme park off the coast of Costa Rica. As the boys enjoy their VIP experience, Claire deals with an escalating set of emergencies surrounding the park's newest "asset," a huge hybrid dino dubbed Indominus Rex. Jurassic World owner (Irrfan Khan) asks Claire to bring in security consultant/velociraptor wrangler Owen (Chris Pratt) to inspect the Indominus; things suddenly spiral out of control when the angry, isolated beast breaks loose and wreaks havoc, killing every dinosaur and person in its way. Owen and Claire must team up to rescue her nephews and take down the Indominus as quickly as possible.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Jurassic World may not meet the expectations set by Steven Spielberg's original, but it does surpass the underwhelming sequels, and it has enough visual thrills, humor, and memorable performances to make for a fun (if occasionally terrifying) franchise reboot. Director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) smartly doesn't try to mimic Spielberg, but he does stay true to the master's ability to make the movie's moments of suspense even more terrifying than the actual people-eating. Pratt plays Owen like Star Lord mixed with a Navy SEAL -- funny, clever, courageous. His chemistry with Howard's Claire is breezy and full of banter (and not nearly as sexist as some critics were worried about).

This is definitely a big-budget blockbuster: It's loud, thrilling, and full of intense sequences that will make viewers jump -- or possibly cower, depending on their age. Indominus is a mean, scary, killing machine, and the devastation she leaves in her wake makes the original movie's death toll look positively tame by comparison. The boys are both accomplished young actors, and they poignantly and realistically portray kids who are alternately impulsive, courageous, and frightened out of their minds. It's not groundbreaking in the same way Jurassic Park was, but if you're looking for heart-quickening fun, Jurassic World clearly delivers.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about the amount of violence in Jurassic World. How does it compare to what you expected? Did some of the scenes of violence affect you more than others? Why? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • What makes Jurassic World scary? What's the difference between horror and suspense? Which has more impact on you, and why? When are kids ready for horror movies?

  • How does Jurassic World compare to the other films in the Jurassic Park franchise? Do you think it's a good franchise reboot? Have movies become more violent over the years?

  • Do you think there should be a sequel? What elements of the story were left open-ended?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:June 12, 2015
DVD release date:October 20, 2015
Cast:Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Bryce Dallas Howard
Director:Colin Trevorrow
Studio:Universal Pictures
Genre:Science Fiction
Topics:Dinosaurs
Run time:124 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril

This review of Jurassic World was written by

Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Teen, 14 years old Written byDylanRTwinHills June 13, 2015
age 14+

Very Gruesome for a Pg-13 movie

I have been a huge fan of Jurassic Park since I was in 4th grade, and I loved all of them (except for Jurassic Park 3, which is a very disappointing movie) and I was excited for Jurassic World ever since the first trailer. I'd say the first Jurassic Park wasn't very inappropriate for most people, and neither was the third. But the second one pushed the envelope in my opinion, but I loved the movie because of that. Jurassic World pushes even harder, but the difference is that not many of the deaths are fun. The victims scream, and yell, and most of them are completely innocent people. The first scene where the military guys die is pretty cool, but later on there is a scene where an innocent (she's annoying but she's still innocent!) women who is thrown back and forth between pterodactyls and (while screaming is eaten alive by them. It's a long and gruesome death that just makes you feel bad. That was one of the worst, but expect these kinds of thing s when you go into the movie. The script is also pretty predictable, but I could tolerate it. Jurassic World isn't very good, but it isn't bad, so if your kids are above the age of 12 and can handle it, then they will probably enjoy it.
What other families should know
Too much violence
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Adult Written byBan Moy June 11, 2015
age 15+

Sequel is much more intense, much less entertaining than the original.

Jurassic World is a hugely anticipated sequel to Jurassic Park. Sadly, the flick is more violent and intense than the original, and it probably should have been rated R. I was expecting the film to be around the same level as the original. The violence is very high, and there is some swearing. Overall, Off for 11 and under, Pause for ages 12-14, On for ages 15+.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much swearing
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Written byAnonymous June 11, 2015
age 14+

Dark intense sequel is more Violent then the trilogy

My rating:PG-13 for violence and action throughout,language and partial nudity
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