Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 13+
Reboot is fun but scarier, more violent than the original.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Several scenes of sustained tension, peril, terror, and jump-worthy action when it seems like even kids will be killed. Dozens of people die (including major supporting characters); they're eaten or ripped to shreds (sometimes in graphic ways), trampled, or burned in explosions. Everyone is injured, some severely and others in minor ways. Bloody fights between the dinosaurs, who slash, hunt, and eat one another.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Products & Purchases
a lot
Many real-world products featured in the fictional Jurassic World park: Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Apple (iPhone, MacBooks), Mercedes, Verizon, Jeep, Margaritaville, Beats, Nissan Quest, ViewMaster toy. Also lots of tie-in merchandise available in real life.
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Language
some
Infrequent use of "s--t," "bulls--t," "damn."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
See AlsoThe Last-Minute Decision That Gave Us ’Jurassic Park’s Iconic Ending ShotDie Welt der Drehorte: Jurassic ParkAMERICA Journal - Magazin für Reisen, Lifestyle und Kultur in NordamerikaJurassic World und Jurassic Park: Die Dinos der Reihe im Schreckens-RankingA couple of kisses and references to mating, as well as innuendos related to what Owen and Claire could do alone together. Zach stares at and flirts with various teen girls.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
Cameo of Jimmy Buffett fleeing with a margarita in each hand. An employee makes a joke about a dinosaur that's been sedated being "stoned."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Positive Messages
some
Science and nature can't be controlled, and animals shouldn't be treated as predictable, passive attractions. Teamwork, bravery, determination, and smarts are valued.
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Positive Role Models
some
Owen is protective, wise, and courageous, as is his assistant. Claire initially doesn't seem like she cares about anything besides her job, but she quickly goes into mother-bear mode to rescue her nephews. Zach has to step up and take care of his little brother, Gray. Despite his age, Gray is quick-witted and intelligent and helps the boys get themselves out of dangerous situations. The park owner and other secondary characters all rise to the occasion to save others. On the downside, there aren't many female characters (unless you count the dinosaurs...).
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Jurassic World is more violent and terrifying than the original Jurassic Park. Since the titular theme park is actually open and filled with visitors, the ensuing body count when the dinos run amok is much higher than in the previous films (including some major supporting characters), and there are many intense scenes of sustained terror, suspense, and peril (including kids in danger). People are eaten, torn to shreds, trampled, and severely injured. Language is infrequent (occasional use of "s--t" and "damn"), and there are a couple of kisses and suggestive remarks. And you can expect a lot of overt product placement -- from Coca-Cola, Apple, and Mercedes to Jeep, Beats, Verizon, and more. Mature tweens and teens who are fans of suspense/action (and still fond of dinosaurs) will be thrilled -- just make sure they can handle the truly jump-worthy scares. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
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1:05
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Jurassic World
age 11+
Based on 91 parent reviews
lets try this again Adult
July 18, 2022
age 5+
I showed my kid this at 5 years old. He LOVED it! He was not even scared of it! He didn't even care about the blood and gore
green girl april Parent of 4 and 8-year-old
February 4, 2023
age 8+
Actions builds up - strong characters & storyline.
Watched with my 8.5 year old son, have previously watched Jurassic Park 1-3 & were wary of watching this due to some reviews - but it is REALLY GOOD & we would watch it again! My son really liked the character Owen who has a respect for the dinosaurs, & I liked how the relationship between the two brothers developed. Also liked how it maintained the theme from the original film - don’t mess with nature ‘nature always finds a way!’ We didn’t dislike anything - there are definitely more onscreen deaths than in 1-3 (& one kiss) but this didn’t effect our enjoyment of the film ;)
What's the Story?
At the start of JURASSIC WORLD, a mom (Judy Greer) sends her two sons -- teen Zach (Nick Robinson) and tween Gray (Ty Simpkins) -- to visit their Aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), an executive at JURASSIC WORLD, the exclusive dinosaur theme park off the coast of Costa Rica. As the boys enjoy their VIP experience, Claire deals with an escalating set of emergencies surrounding the park's newest "asset," a huge hybrid dino dubbed Indominus Rex. Jurassic World owner Masrani (Irrfan Khan) asks Claire to bring in security consultant/velociraptor wrangler Owen (Chris Pratt) to inspect the Indominus; things suddenly spiral out of control when the angry, isolated beast breaks loose and wreaks havoc, killing every dinosaur and person in its way. Owen and Claire must team up to rescue her nephews and take down the Indominus as quickly as possible.
Is It Any Good?
Jurassic World may not meet the expectations set by Steven Spielberg's original, but it does surpass the underwhelming sequels. And it has enough visual thrills, humor, and memorable performances to make for a fun (if occasionally terrifying) franchise reboot. Director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) smartly doesn't try to mimic Spielberg, but he does stay true to the master's ability to make the movie's moments of suspense even more terrifying than the actual people-eating. Pratt plays Owen like Star Lord mixed with a Navy SEAL -- funny, clever, courageous. His chemistry with Howard's Claire is breezy and full of banter (and not nearly as sexist as some critics were worried about).
This is definitely a big-budget blockbuster: It's loud, thrilling, and full of intense sequences that will make viewers jump -- or possibly cower, depending on their age. Indominus is a mean, scary, killing machine, and the devastation she leaves in her wake makes the original movie's death toll look positively tame by comparison. The boys are both accomplished young actors, and they poignantly and realistically portray kids who are alternately impulsive, courageous, and frightened out of their minds. It's not groundbreaking in the same way Jurassic Park was, but if you're looking for heart-quickening fun, Jurassic World clearly delivers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the amount of violence in Jurassic World. How does it compare to what you expected? Did some of the scenes of violence affect you more than others? Why? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What makes Jurassic World scary? What's the difference between horror and suspense? Which has more impact on you, and why? When are kids ready for horror movies?
How does Jurassic World compare to the other films in the Jurassic Park franchise? Do you think it's a good franchise reboot? Have movies become more violent over the years?
Do you think there should be a sequel? What elements of the story were left open-ended?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 12, 2015
- On DVD or streaming: October 20, 2015
- Cast: Chris Pratt , Judy Greer , Bryce Dallas Howard
- Director: Colin Trevorrow
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Dinosaurs
- Run time: 124 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril
- Last updated: May 22, 2024
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Jurassic World
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