If one simply buys into the action and suspends disbelief, the film does have some redeeming qualities.
“These are dinosaurs. This is a prison. I think we’re a little out of our element,” says Pippi (Dana Melanie), who is having an unbelievable night. You see, she and two other girls, Sarah (Kayla Carlisle) and Stephanie (Sofia Mattsson), were arrested after a sorority party. A secret military organization has just transported three velociraptors to the same jail in which the girls find themselves incarcerated. Of course, the dinosaurs break free and the girls have to team up with a serial killer (Kevin Gage) to escape the prison.
Jurassic City is a direct-to-video flick written and directed by Sean Cain. Cain’s other DTV gems include Terror Birds and Eruption: LA and, as a result, my expectations weren’t particularly high. The cast includes Ray Wise, Monique Parent, Felissa Rose, and Vernon Wells, who are all recognizable names to B-movie fans. And, although I don’t think it will fool anyone, I do have to mention that it’s definitely not part of the Jurassic Park franchise.
While the script won’t win any awards for originality, it managed to be captivating enough to keep my interest. To nitpick a B-movie that introduces dinosaurs into a modern-day environment with nary an explanation about how or why they’re present seems a bit pretentious. If one simply buys into the action and suspends disbelief, the film does have some redeeming qualities.
Ray Wise delivers a surprisingly solid performance as Warden Lewis. I appreciate that Cain didn’t write the warden as a bad guy. When the warden discovers the girls trapped in his facility, he exhibits concern for their well-being and genuine humanity. That was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
Kevin Gage’s Doyle, the serial killer, has a few good scenes, especially when trading quips with Pippi, who is a diminutive force-to-be-reckoned-with in her own right. That said, the remainder of the cast is merely adequate at best.
Unfortunately, the CGI dinosaurs have some issues. Sometimes, they look impressive — blending seamlessly into background environments and looking quite real. Most of the time, however, the skin textures look blurry and/or the creatures move at a different frame-rate than the rest of the movie, giving them an obvious artificial look. I understand that this is a low-budget movie, but a slight boost in the effects quality would do wonders.
I don’t know if Jurassic City ever aired on Syfy but it seems like it was tailor-made for the channel. The CGI gore effects are relatively mild and, although, there are a few attempts at titillating 12-year-old boys by featuring bikini-clad women, there’s no nudity. Fans of more extreme cinema might find this too tame for their liking. And be forewarned that the film was originally called Jurassic Block. 95% of the action takes place within the prison or the secret military headquarters. There are only a handful of scenes that take place in the “city.”
As it is, Jurassic City is a flawed but enjoyable bit of B-movie schlock. Don’t expect much and you’ll be rewarded with a few surprises.
2.5 out of 5.0 stars
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