Jurassic World

So, it turns out, Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg, Michael Kahn, and John Williams actually bring something to the table. If you want proof, check out Jurassic World, a movie that looks like it was written, produced, and edited by a nine-year-old. All the science of Crichton’s science fiction is gone. The characters are dumb, have no common sense, and act like they’ve never seen a movie before. Bryce Dallas Howard fares the worst here, forced by filmmakers to run through the jungles in her high heels and deny that live dinosaurs are anything other than “assets.” It’s embarrassing. But she gets to do the bravest and coolest thing in the movie. Too bad Ian Malcolm did the exact same thing in Jurassic Park. It’s making a fortune, so clearly I’m out of touch.

Being Charlie

A work-in-progress by my employers. Sensitively directed by Rob Reiner based on a script written by his son Nick Reiner and his writing partner Matt Elisofon. Really strong performance by Nick Robinson as the kid with problems. And expertly edited by Bob Joyce.