REVIEW: ‘Jurassic Thunder’ is a Unique Premise With Hilarious Moments

Could you picture a world in which wars are fought with weaponized dinosaurs? What would it look like and how would they actually be used in wars? Jurassic Thunder, a film directed by Milko Davis and Thomas Martwick, aims to answer these questions in by far the most ingenious manner that I’ve ever seen. Besides The Velocipastor, no other film has ever brought up these kinds of questions in my mind but I’m very happy that it did.

Jurassic Park opens with a group of soldiers in the wilderness as they attempt to fight off what can only be described as a dinosaur that’s been equipped with automatic weapons. The film transitions to a group of teens at a comic book shop as they admire a statue of a popular solider. It’s revealed that the soldier is a character from a popular comic book series called Jurassic Thunder. One of the store clerks begins to tell the group about the series, which focuses on a covert base during World War Three. The base is trying to fend off a formidable adversary with weaponized dinosaurs and a group of commandos. However, the commandos aren’t aware of just how dangerous this situation will truly be.

I was completely blown away by the trailer and the premise of Jurassic Thunder. Normally, this would be one of those films that would’ve just gone under my radar, only to find out about it during the winter holidays. Its premise, however simple it may be to follow, found a way to make it unique. I would have never pictured that dinosaurs would be equipped with automatic weapons. The trailer showed me just how wacky and action-packed the film would be and it did not disappoint. Jurassic Thunder above and beyond in how it would portray this made-up world and  I don’t think I could’ve ever not watched this film.

One particular moment of the film that blew my expectations away was the opening scene. Several soldiers were walking through the wilderness and being hunted down by dinosaurs. Not only did this scene tell me what sort of movie Jurassic Thunder would be, but it also told me that no one is safe. It’s hard to imagine simple weapons doing any real damage against dinosaurs, proving just how unprepared the soldiers really were. It also had the right amount of gore that didn’t feel too excessive just for the sake of adding more to it.

Aside from the action, Jurassic Thunder had its more humorous moments. One of the more comedic characters was The President (Heath C. Heine), who was meant to be a parody of our current president. Given that it’s a parody, the character was meant to be overly-exaggerated, which made him even more hilarious. There’s a scene where he and the leader of the opposing side, General Shoke (Leon Mayfield), were attempting to fight one another even though they were both hologram projections. They’re both throwing insults at one another while trying to land a punch. The scene may not be that funny in writing but it’s something that just has to be seen.

My only major complaint about Jurassic Thunder was the scene in the comic book shop. Neither the trailer or the premise made the impression that this scene would be included. While it made sense that the film would establish certain events as being possible only in a comic book, it takes away the creativity of the overall premise. The characters in the comic shop are never mentioned again, which begs the question as to whether that scene had any real purpose. There was also a joke told by one of the group members that didn’t sit well with me. It stereotypes the kind of people that go into comic shops, which felt completely unnecessary.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching Jurassic Thunder. It will forever hold a special place on a list of films that I will continue to watch at least once a year. Its unique premise and hilarious moments carry this film to new heights that I did not expect from just watching the trailer or reading the film’s premise. It’s a fun film that I’m sure fans of dinosaurs, horror films, and action scenes will truly enjoy.

Jurassic Thunder is available for purchase on DVD and Digital.