Sixty-five million years ago, the Tyrannosaurus Rex stood dauntingly, a tyrant over his kingdom, at roughly at fifteen feet tall, thirty-nine feet long. His four foot long jaw filled with dozens of cone-shaped teeth made it easy to tear into flesh and rip away his filling, an act so constant that this carnivorous beast regularly engulfed over five hundred pounds of meat in a single day. These are facts that used to impress people. Ten years ago, when Masrani, the powerful park owner, and Dr. Henry Wu, the scientist behind the creations, first breathed life into John Hammond’s Jurassic Park plans, they opened the door to a whole new world that previously, only a few select eyes had seen. A world filled with real dinosaurs; massive, scaly, ancient beacons of hope which stood as proof that a more magical time truly existed long ago. Jurassic World, the updated version of Hammond’s humble dream, takes that idea and super sizes it.

As blissful kid genius Gray wanders with wide eyes in through the gate of the park, his reluctant teenage brother Zach trudges behind, blankly staring at his smart phone. Unimpressed, but under obligation by his parents, Zach sticks by his little brother as they wander through the different attractions and explore the many hot spots of Jurassic World. Hologram dinosaurs roar enthusiastically at young children in the lobby of the main building, while baby triceratops are ridden like ponies at the petting zoo. A stream nearby carries canoes down a calm shoreline while a group of friendly plant eaters It might as well be tigers and bears to Zach, the single boy who represents an entire generation of jaded boredom, the kids who have seen it all, and captured it on their electronic devices, too. This current culture of instant gratification and and constant need to be entertained by the biggest, baddest and newest products will no longer be satisfied with simple dinosaurs, no matter how majestic they once seemed. Jurassic World executive Claire knows that, which is why she’s enlisted Dr. Wu to aid her in creating a genetically modified mega dinosaur that’s sure to scare the kiddies back into quiet admiration.

When we first meet Claire, she’s in the elevator, on her way to meet with corporate sponsors who are interested in investing in the park. With the sharp folds of her white jacket and her binding white skirt and her stiff white heels, Claire stands pristine, immaculate, and capable. This is a woman who can take care of the 20,000 people that depend on her each day for a safe journey to the fantastical island. As Claire guides the men through the lab, she unveils a plan that’s guaranteed to make every person in the room even richer. She speaks of the spike in attendance that results whenever they add a new attraction to the park, a fact that led her to her latest scheme. In the effort to stay ahead of the curve, Claire explains how she and Dr. Wu spliced together a new, more advanced dinosaur, with some parts added from different animals, and some unknown classified additions that have yet to be revealed. This new creation, aptly named the Indominus rex, stands even taller than the traditional T-rex, and possesses a few newly vamped up predatory skills as well. It has yet to be revealed to the public, but with the excitement demonstrated in her meeting, it seems that this monster has already garnered some attention, and playing god might just pay off.

For a while, it seems that Claire might be able to pull off wooing the investors while hosting her nephews Gray and Zach, who have made the trip all the way from home to visit their busy aunt. Of course, Claire’s attempt at balancing work and family means shoving the kids off on her assistant and loading them up with passes for rides and games that they’ll attend without her, but after a quick, reassuring call to her sister Karen, Claire promises to take some time off of work to hang out with the boys, and swiftly soothes over any troubles she might have caused. This rushed attempt to fix a deeper problem comes back to bite her when the brothers inevitably escape their babysitter, right around the same time that the Indominus rex breaks loose. The asset escapes his cage, a notion made all the more terrifying by the fact that the beast was raised in isolation after eating its only sibling, never learning the social skills necessary to interact with other species. As it runs free for the first time, the Indominus rex witnesses the only other dinosaurs its ever seen. In a world that is confined by the walls of a cage, where the crane that drops the meat into the center of the boxed prison is the only sense of love or affection from another living being, it’s no wonder that the Indominus rex interpreted its new counterparts as predators, and in defense, ripped every one of them apart. As the panic of the situation sets in, Claire finds herself turning to her least favorite person on the island for help: Owen.

Owen is the raptor trainer at the park, a man who has become known for his effective routines with his trained reptiles. Although people are quick to praise his ability to tame these wild creatures, Owen insists that the key element that he has with these animals is a relationship, not control. Sadly, the more effective his work, the more his words fall on deaf ears, as the greed of progress shouts loudly over the decency of understanding, and Owen’s pleas to treat the dinosaurs with respect are wholly ignored. Perhaps the most stubborn person that he deals with on a regular basis is Hoskins, the military man who constantly urges Owen to look into weaponizing the raptors for combat use in war. Despite Owen’s constant declines, Hoskins continues to beg, and it soon becomes clear that he isn’t as much looking for permission as he is an opportunity. An ex-Navy man, Owen sympathizes with the raptors, and fights to stop them from being used as pawns in the government’s game, a feeling that he has always related to and continues to relate to, as the pressure Hoskins brings to turn Owen’s raptors into a homicidal militia puts weighs heavily on Owen, just as it does the raptors. Perhaps it is this innate need to help others in jeopardy that lends to Owen’s decision to assist Claire, and help her take down the rogue rex and find her nephews, because it certainly isn’t his affinity for her. Owen sees Claire as just another bureaucrat from the board at Jurassic World; a person that only comes along when they need something from him. Although, however rough his exterior, Owen is not one to folly when a crisis calls for his aid, even when that cry is sent out from the mouths of thousands of people all screaming at once. After all, it isn’t just Zach and Gray that need saving from the unstoppable Indominus rex, it’s the entire population of the island that’s doomed to experience the consequences of taking advantage of scientific advancements.

It’s easy to forget how fragile and small we human beings are; how new. It isn’t until we are standing next to something so massive and powerful that we confront our own morality, and in our moment of discovery, get in touch with our vulnerability. Of course, it is our softening that allows us to experience childlike joy, which is why awing a person with a dinosaur can get them back in touch with their childhood, in in turn, their humanity. In all the years that Claire has worked at Jurassic World, she became jaded, and forget that sense of wonder and exhilaration, a feeling that unfortunately comes with familiarity and repetition. It is only when she begins to lose her sense of control, as the rex escapes and her grasp on the situation falters, that she is reunited with the butterflies in her stomach, and a desire for human interaction beyond commands and data reports. Claire realizes that she’s been missing the one thing in her life that she needs to feel complete: family. For the first time, Claire feels like she might want a few kids of her own, and a man of the house, too. She understands that she has been harsh and driven and emotionless for so long, that she forgot what was really important in life, and the one thing that every woman needs to fulfill their purpose — offspring.

It’s unfortunate that such a successful summer blockbuster has to be tainted with such a stereotypical storyline for its female lead, but therein lies the only real problem with Jurassic World: Claire. With decades upon decades of movies implying that women have to choose between their careers and their biological clocks, it’s not an uncommon route for Jurassic World to take, just a disappointing one. It’s strange, too, that in a film where such strong themes are represented, that a message like this one would exist. Jurassic World coyly delivers meta messages about product placement, while providing thoughtful commentary on messing with the natural order of things, and turning every new invention into a weapon. Yet, it still manages to squeeze in a misogynistic depiction of today’s modern woman; for she is only delaying the inevitable desire for children with her adamant work structure and determination for a fulfilling career. Aside from how offensive this standpoint is, it’s honestly just downright surprising since the rest of the movie works so well. Even stranger is the fact that the actor behind the role is living proof that her character is a sham. Bryce Dallas Howard is a woman who balances it all in real life — she is an extremely successful actor, she is married and has children, and while on the set of Jurassic World she not only attended school classes, but also directed a short film from the set of multi million dollar blockbuster she was already apart of. The biggest letdown of this otherwise enjoyable movie is how it lessens this brilliant person to a hot redhead who runs well in heels. Perhaps if it had taken more of a Romancing the Stone route, and simply suggested that Howard’s character Claire just needs to lighten up and enjoy life a little more, as opposed to the idea that she needs to have children to be happy, it would come across more favorably to its female audience.

Despite this glaring issue, the rest of the film truly is a jaw-dropping, spectacular return to the fully completed park. The film itself is a ride at the theme park, it’s a roller coaster that delivers and gives you the full benefit of your buck. When you buy a ticket to this movie, you enter the gates alongside Gray and Zach, and feel the same sense of naive wonderment as the children that populate the park; spectators joined together by the incendiary force of cinema. Director Colin Trevorrow truly did create a believable destination that begs to be visited and lavishly rewards those who abide. Jurassic World provides a sense of homecoming for fans of the original early ’90s classic, while also providing enough excitement for newcomers who have yet to experience the magic of a Spielberg fantasy film. It packs so much excitement, in fact, that it is surprisingly violent and, despite its PG-13 rating, not for the faint of heart. Those who are worried that the newest addition will water down the chaos in favor of reaching new audiences need not fear, for Trevorrow has brought the action right along with the commentary. While paying tribute to its ancestors, it also stands alone as its own film, and in its own way, is a success. It is quite clear that the legacy of this iconic franchise has been placed in some pretty safe hands, even if the series still has room to grow.

The temptation to compare the newest addition to the Jurassic franchise to the epic original Spielberg-helmed, revolutionary fantasy is overwhelming, but it must also be noted that although the original, although historically significant, only shines more brightly with the blissful blurring of nostalgia. Jurassic World may not provide as much of a sense of isolation on the island, or surpass the ridiculously high bar that Spielberg set, but one thing that must be agreed on by all accounts is that this film truly is an excellent example of a cohesive big budget project with a very pure and singular vision that is rare for a summer blockbuster of its kind, and one that hopefully acts as an indication of studio involvement for years to come.