First we had the T-Rex stomping its way through Jurassic Park. Then two sequels followed to varying degrees of success. With Jurassic World, director Colin Trevorrow takes the helm. Closely following Steven Spielberg's playbook, he concocts a lavish resort built on top of the original park. Like SeaWorld or the local zoo, there are “attractions” which run, climb and swim.

Admittedly, there's a huge lapse in logic. The Jurassic Park incident hasn't dissuaded entrepreneurs from setting up shop on Isla Nublar. In fact, around 20,000 visitors have arrived to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, when a hybrid dinosaur breaks free there's more at stake than cold, hard cash.

Interestingly, Trevorrow takes the rare step of including an animal trainer for the Velociraptors. Apparently, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) has developed a system where he is the “Alpha.” He feeds these dangerous creatures and they follow his commands.

Four writers including Trevorrow worked on this storyline. Bear in mind that such a grand opportunity does lead to the occasional blooper. During the first hour, pacing undergoes a start/stop/start flow. Therefore, some sight-seeing coverage could be trimmed.

Now for the nitty gritty, Jurassic World features sublime visual storytelling. These images aren't just pretty or well-lit. They are ground-breaking, stretching the medium in order to transport us to a universe of fantasy and heart-stopping suspense. When a dinosaur claws its way through a building, the special effects carry an in-your-face quality. Although some casualties do feel a little harsh, these are brief skirmishes.

For creating an awesome finale, editor Kevin Stitt deserves an Oscar nomination. He probably spent a long time in the screening room, studying how Michael Kahn shaped similar moments for Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Both men understand that rhythm only goes so far because emotion matters more.

As for the actors, Bryce Dallas Howard achieves a happy medium between corporate responsibility and projecting a motherly attitude regarding family. Her character Claire Dearing can be hard to like at first, yet when the chips are down we make the leap with her. Meanwhile, Chris Pratt finally wins my confidence. I believe his light-hearted approach for Guardians of the Galaxy felt inappropriate. Yet it works in Jurassic World. Watching him interact with the Raptors – they all have names – contributes greatly to the film's charm and elegance. More importantly, his sensitive scene opposite an ailing brontosaurus nearly reduced me to tears.

By bringing together a dedicated cast and crew for Jurassic World, Trevorrow ignites the summer season with gusto.

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated "PG-13" for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril.)