JURASSIC WORLD is sort of fascinating in a sense. On the one hand, it's trying to make a comment about the current state of entertainment, mixed in with some truly fun set pieces that leave the audience cheering. On the other, the script is such a mess that it directs the characters to make the stupidest decisions possible for the sake of danger.

One half of that film is one of the best blockbusters of the year. The other half is so mind-numbingly moronic it derails an otherwise fun movie. If characters are faced with a dumb decision in Collin Trevorrow's picture, then they're going to do something idiotic. Characters do what the script tells them to, not what it seems they would do because they're well-written.

It's not entirely Trevorrow's fault, yet he does do some wild tonal shifts in the second act. He crafts some exciting scenes, and the last thirty minutes did elicit a smile and applause from me. But there's scenes that just derail the film, for instance a "joke death" that falls completely flat (mainly because this character is never portrayed as an asshole that deserves it.) Trevorrow is focused on creating spectacle, and that's where JURASSIC WORLD shines, mostly.

I say mostly because the CGI here is overused. Sure, it's wonderful in parts, but there's only so many times you can throw a computer generated dinosaur at the screen before it begins to look fake. This is something Steven Spielberg understood with the first JURASSIC PARK, opting to use mostly practical effects with enhanced CGI. With other, better blockbusters out there adhering to that theory, it's something of a shame to see JURASSIC WORLD excessively using its CGI.

The actors are all fine, with Chris Pratt showing he's a true leading man. Bryce Dallas Howard is serviceable, as are Irrfan Kahn and Vincent D'Onofrio. It's the two kids, played by Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins I found to be the most annoying of the bunch. It's not their fault though, as they're working with a script that doesn't give them characters, and a divorce subplot that goes nowhere.

JURASSIC WORLD is a movie not at war with itself, but a movie that is unsure of what it really wants to be. It's entertaining, and certainly will please the crowd. Maybe if this were released in 1997 instead of THE LOST WORLD, it would be easier to forgive it's many misgivings. Instead, what we have here is a awful script, saved by talented actors and some well crafted set pieces. JURASSIC WORLD manages to be both one of the stupidest movies of the year, but also one of the most fun.