I loved dinosaurs like you wouldn’t believe when I was a kid. I wanted to be a paleontologist, I was a regular at the Chalk Dust store on Main street, and Sharptooth from “The Land Before Time” scared the ever-living crap out of me. So, very naturally, “Jurassic Park” is an incredibly central film in my love and study of cinema.

“Jurassic World,” on the other hand, is an entertaining amusement park ride, but it is far from the game-changer that its forebear was, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s very easy for critics, myself included, to climb on top of our pedestals and point out the failings of this film or that film because they aren’t ahead of their time. Some films are simply part of their time: such is “Jurassic World.” It doesn’t propel the industry forward, it simply takes the best of what’s available and puts it to commercial and artistic use.

“Jurassic World” is a solid movie; it’s fun to watch and it has compelling moments, but it cannot hold a candle anywhere near the original. That said, Chris Pratt’s star continues to rise and the film offers more than a little something for everyone. The widespread appeal is easy to see; nevertheless, the experience is wooden in places. Some pieces are too rigid and some are the same, warped frames that summer action films are so often built on.

The modern human experience is kind of weird. We like to watch weird stuff. We watch the ruination of our planet and then watch old men argue about whether or not it’s actually happening. We’re entertained by disturbed families further destroying themselves for 15 minutes of fame. Furthermore, in a very different but related boat, we like to watch people run away from dinosaurs. I can’t speak for the readers, but I have to admit that those are certainly odd things that we, as a culture, collectively agree are enjoyable.

And, oh boy, do many of us find it enjoyable. Good thing Velociraptors have binocular vision, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to see their prey from on top of the mountain of money they’re sitting on. “Jurassic World” made over 200 million dollars at the box office last weekend. That’s the second biggest opening weekend of all time, and well over 50 million dollars more than “Jurassic Park III” made in its entire theatrical run. With spectacular box office numbers and largely positive critical reviews, not to mention very strong word of mouth, “Jurassic World” stands to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hit of the summer. From where this reviewer is standing, it’s hard not to wonder if the reign of the superhero movie as the box office king might not be more than a little tenuous.

Don’t go into “Jurassic World” looking to be moved or changed in any way. This is what a “just for fun” film should be: fun, mostly well-made, and marginally intriguing.

4 of 6 stars