Jurassic World...Those Scientists Never Learn Do They? (Possible Spoilers)

You know you're watching a good movie, nay great movie, when it has you at the edge of your seat. Now that also could have been because I got stuck in the neck-breaking seats so I had to slouch down as far as possible. But that's besides the point. Emotionally, I was very invested in this movie. I can't remember a time that I was so excited to see a movie because of it's relation to a childhood favorite. As soon as that theme music started, I could have cared less about: the crappy seats, how crowded it was, the sticky floor, the small children in the row behind me. All that melted away and I was 6 years old again, watching dinosaurs roam around a park like elephants at a zoo.

This movie captured everything that was nostalgic of the original while adding updated and modern effects to give it an edge--the wow factor--that the first didn't have. Not to say that the original wasn't advanced for it's time, it certainly was, the dinosaurs were life-like and convincing, very cool. So, it's only a given that 22 years later, Jurassic World would pick up where Jurassic Park left off, not just in story-line but in entertainment and then kick things up a notch.

The cast was fantastic. Where the original gave us a brother/sister duo, this movie introduces us to two brothers (Zach and Gray) on vacation visiting their Aunt Claire (park manager) at Jurassic World. Claire is played by Bryce Dallas Howard. You'll most likely remember her from: The Help, Spider-Man 3, Lady in the Water, The Village. Daughter of renowned actor/director Ron Howard. Opposite the leading female character (as the leading male) we have Chris Pratt as Owen. The attractive, ex-Navy dinosaur whisperer. I'm sure I don't need to explain what else he's been in. It was only one of if not THE highest grossing movie of last year. But, just in case someone out there has been living under a rock...Chris Pratt was Starlord A.K.A Peter Quill in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Also: Zero Dark Thirty, Parks and Recreation, The Lego Movie. The cast is rounded out by the talented Vincent D'Onofrio (Daredevil, Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Bollywood leading man Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millonaire, The Amazing Spider-Man), New Girl's Jake Johnson (Let's Be Cops), Omar Sy (X-Men: Days of Future Past), the familiar face of BD Wong (Law & Order: SVU, Jurassic Park) and Judy Greer (13 Going on 30, Ant-Man).

Despite this great cast, I have to say that once again the real stars of this movie are the dinosaurs. Everyone's favorites are back, from the T-rex and Velociraptor to the Triceratops and Stegosaurus. Similar to the objective of the park itself, this movie introduces a brand new dinosaur with the intention of fascinating (possibly scaring) the movie-going audience. The Indominus Rex, genetically engineered killing machine, is part T-rex but much larger (with some other things thrown in). Naturally, things go sideways with their new beastie and we have a similar but re-imagined invigorating story-line. Dinosaur gets lose, dinosaur terrorizes and eats people, heroes stop dinosaur. Add in some new tech, some old tech, a few chases, explosions...and you have yourself a awesome movie.

It's funny, I had more of an emotional response to the dinosaurs than to the people in the movie (except for Owen of course. What? I have a crush on Chris Pratt, who doesn't?). Watching a dinosaur die, after having been attacked by the "big bad", was heart-breaking and very nearly brought a tear to my eye. I don't always cry (hardly ever) but when I do...it's over a dying Brachiosaurus. Just like the original, my love of the Velociraptors has carried over to this film. Only in this case, they are even cooler and there are four instead of three. Blue, the Beta raptor, named after it's coloring plus her three sisters: Charlie, Delta, and Echo. There were infant dinosaurs in a petting zoo that were so freaking adorable you just had to go "Awwww". A little kid hugged a Brachiosaurus and I wanted to take it home, the dinosaur not the kid. Triceratops with saddles for ridding were also very cute. The petting zoo scenes were the first time we got to see multiple young dinosaurs at length on screen. The original only had one baby raptor on screen for a short time.

There were baby dinosaurs, big dinosaurs, flying dinosaurs, even an aquatic dinosaur. This move had it all and more. It was exciting, gripping, shocking, sad and funny. I have been looking forward to seeing this movie since I first heard about it and saw the trailer. It was everything I had hoped it would be and I was not disappointed. In fact, I plan to see it again next week. Not even Avengers AOU left me with the need to go see it again in theaters. But this movie definitely...3-D Indominus Rex in my face! I recommend the movie and can hardly wait to talk to my co-workers about it in the office tomorrow. Cue the theme music! Doodoodoo doo doo doodoodoo doo doo doodoodoodoodoo doo doo doooooooooo.

Quiet Ultron, Shit is Going Down in Hells Kitchen

So, I'm sure you will recall when I mentioned (in my last blog post) I would return shortly with a new blog post dedicated to my review of The Avengers AOU (Age of Ultron). Yeah...that didn't happen. Sorry. I did go see it opening weekend, but then time got away from me and it's been too long since I saw it to come up with an entire post about just that one topic.

So you get a mini review! I know, lucky you, right? Ahem, here it goes...Avengers: Age of Ultron was a fun action-filled superhero movie, well worth the 3-D ticket price spent. There, short and sweet--you're welcome.

And we're moving on...to the piece of awesomeness that is the Netflix series Daredevil. What can I say about this show that has not already been said? Nothing. But I am more than happy to repeat the praise that this show has received in my own words. Gripping, gritty, bad-ass, mature, well-written--need I go on? I think not. The casting choices were perfect, even down to the minor characters. I've been a fan of London-born Charlie Cox since he co-starred in the movie Stardust with Claire Danes. Great movie, I recommend it to fans of the fantasy/adventure genre. Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Frisk...I mean wow. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and of course Rosario Dawson who I really like.

I was behind the eight ball on watching the show, obviously, having just finished the season a couple weeks ago. Whereas a majority of Netflix subscribers binged watched the show in April. But despite the show's popularity prior to me starting on it, I managed to successfully avoid spoilers. I have a knack for avoiding spoilers (thank you River Song). Certainly I am not alone in the opinion that this show could not have been any better. I was hooked and invested from the first half of episode one, and I can hardly wait for season two.

Now, I just have to catch up on the Daredevil podcast by Phantastic Geek. They do an excellent job of breaking down each episode, the characters, the story. Plus they have great audio/music transitions. Give them a listen, they don't just have the Daredevil podcast: Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, Star Wars Rebels, Marvel films.

I was incredibly behind on most of my other podcasts but I am slowly yet surely getting caught up. I am taking advantage of the summer TV hiatus of quite a few of my favorite shows and filling up my time with as many podcasts as I can. Not to mention, finally cracking open the novels that have been collecting dust on my desk, finished one novel this past week and have started another this week. What has not been helping me is the new shows that aren't on break that I have begun to watch: Wayward Pines, Aquarius, Hannibal (Season 3), Property Brothers. The last one is my newest addiction that I have developed literally within the last few days. But what can I say? There is just something about watching Jonathan go at a wall with a sledge hammer.

Oh! I finally finished The Flash a couple days ago as well. I was four episodes behind and binged watched them this past weekend and the finale on Monday. Another fantastic series that did just about everything right. It had limited CW angst, which a few of their shows tend to have. They have a handle on their super hero shows, although I have yet to see Arrow in its entirety. Even though one of my favorite shows is now slotted right after it on Wednesdays, Supernatural. For a brand new show, The Flash knocked it out of the park. It easily outdid Agents of Shield and Gotham and those are both shows that I enjoy as well. Their first seasons were not nearly as well done, and fun as the freshman season of The Flash. Well done, CW. I could continue to go on and on about The Flash, but again, it's not anything that hasn't already been said. I too will be looking forward to the second season of this great show as well.

That'll do it for me this time around. Thanks to all and to all a goodnight!