Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom…just what the world needed, eh…another Jurassic Park film?  One could say that yes Jurassic World came with little new to offer longtime fans of the franchise and left us in a very familiar fashion as well.  One could also say the only thing it really did right was left us with two bankable stars, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and one hell of a likable Velociraptor, Blue.  Regardless of how you felt about it I was still a fan of the fourth entry and I can honestly say after four viewings I still have fun with it.  And for what it’s worth you can see how I personally rank the previous four films in this franchise here in my 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of the collection.  So getting back to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, hell yes I was excited to see where they were going to take this one.  I purposely read no reviews prior to my first watch of this and all I knew before going in was the trailers pretty much only showed Acts 1 and 2 meaning they saved the good stuff for inside the theater…the way it should be.  Count me in.  I am all about that!

Film 

While Colin Trevorrow directed the last entry in the series the torch was past to J. A. Bayona here.  It’s the second installment in what is unofficially known as the Jurassic World trilogy.  Trevorrow returns as a writer here with Derek Connolly’s help.  In addition to Pratt and Howard we also see B. D. Wong and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles from the previous films in the franchise.  Respectively Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon and Geraldine Chaplin all join the cast here as net new.  So now that we got all the proverbial housekeeping out of the way what do you say we talk about the real meat and potatoes of things here.  Do we save the dinosaurs or let them die?  That is the question of the hour is it not?  Finally, are you ready for the same old or do you want to try something new?  Thankfully Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has a little something for everyone.  Let’s chat about that!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is set three years after the disastrous events that happened within the Jurassic World theme park in the previous film.  It sees our two stars, Pratt and Howard, reuniting and returning to the fictional island of Isla Nublar in an attempt to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that’s getting ready to blow any minute (think of Hawaii in 2018).  Now granted the first half of this film pretty much played out like the first two sequels in the franchise.  I can understand viewers frustrations there.  I kind of sighed and said oh boy here we go again.  It feels like a familiar DNA strand, but then something happens.  And boom!  Surprise!  The fight goes elsewhere and I’m loving it all over again.  Let’s be honest though who doesn’t just like going to an island with dinosaurs roaming around freely?  That’s a rhetorical question folks because the answer is we all do!

I’m of course not going to tell you the how, when, where and why I feel this is so different than the first four films that came before other than that little tidbit I already spilt.  It feels of very similar DNA.  That’s all!  What happens next is an absolute Godsend of a treat.  However, lesson learned the hard way here folks.  Have your facial tissues handy when watching this one.  It’s definitely not all puppies and rainbows.  I know you know to expect a few dead dinosaurs here or there along the way.  The ugly truth of the matter is if really you want a direct comparison to what I’m talking about, think the dismal treatment of the apes in War For The Planet of The Apes.  So truth be told other than the first half I have no idea where critics really get off by saying this screenplay added nothing new to the franchise.  Look at the new world it created.  The hell with them I say.  Look no further than the box office numbers to see that the film has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2018 and the 12th highest grossing ever at the time of this writing.  Hell yeah!

I already mentioned the emotions of it all, but it’s the new world here that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom creates and what’s promised yet to come that truly excites.  Yes there are some ethical issues at hand here such as detainee treatment (think about what’s going on with immigrations nowadays in the US) or ways in which technology is either being used or developed for.  However, for me it’s how they took something out of nothing with the last film and put you in unfamiliar territory actually managing to build something.  Instead of spending millions of VFX dollars to thrill you Bayona and crew came up with suspenseful ways to terrify you outside the normal jungle locale we’re used to in these features.  Now yes there are some moments that are cliche, dumbed down and have you saying really, but it’s the emotional charge of what’s right and what’s wrong in the darker moments that make this hands down my favorite sequel of the series.  For the first time ever I truly am excited to see where they go next in the sixth installment.  Oh please God let it be set where we leave things after the credits.  I’ll die a happy man.  You can’t even begin to understand how personally satisfied I am with the after credits scene here.  You just have to know me.  Bam!  And that’s how you do it!

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Universal’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.  If interested, the 1080p Blu-ray version’s video is reviewed by our own Aaron Neuwirth over here.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• HDR: Yes
• Size: BD-100
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Clarity/Detail: Despite the many dark and dimly lit scenes throughout the detail is still amazing here.  The Blu-ray looks reference for the most part, but this 4K UHD presentation is a rather nice uptick in both textures and details in the shadows.   Every nuance is captured in this presentation like stray individual hairs on James Cromwell, freckles on the fair white skin under Bryce’s makeup, dirt and scratches in walls and metals and my favorite chiseled textures such as those easily seen in bricks and fabrics.   One final shoutout from me goes out to the VFX team as the dinosaurs look great and authentic like they actually coexist with the environment.
• Depth: Because of the outstanding clarity and the three-dimensional pop of the characters and objects in the foreground, the depth of field here is quite remarkable and instantly noticeable in brief city environments, the jungle and of course within the “haunted mansion” the bulk of the second half story takes place in Lockwood Estates.  Perhaps one of my favorite shots is the California staged roadways looking down from above at the majestic tall trees that seem to go on forever.
• Black Levels: The black levels are deep, dark and natural throughout.  Mark my word, the majority of this movie is dark so it’s great that things look so spectacular here.  Nothing really ever gets lost in the many shadows here.
• Color Reproduction: The colors are all natural and lifelike throughout the 4K presentation.  I loved the majestic blue skies and the green vegetation within the island’s jungle.  Also, the bright orange lava and many volcanic blasts really played nice in contrast against the authentic color palette here.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones all look natural, accurate and authentic throughout the dark presentation.  There’s never a moment really where the colors or complexions are extremely jacked up.
• Noise/Artifacts: Things look outstanding here with no nasty artifacts to ruin your viewing enjoyment of the presentation here.  I have absolutely zero qualms here!

Audio 

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Universal’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.  I do want you to know that both the  4K UHD Disc and 1080p Blu-ray one come armed with a roaring DTS: X Master Audio surround track.  This surround track was originally reviewed on the Blu-ray Disc by our staff writer Aaron Neuwirth over here.

• Audio Format(s): English DTS:X Master Audio, English Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Dynamics: I kinda like what Aaron wrote in his review of this surround track.  “Yeah, this movie is loud.  The roar of the dinosaurs and the explosions of the volcano do a number on the sound system.  That all goes well with the big score, jungle sounds, and quieter moments later on to increase intensity.”  That’s just it.  This one is monstrously loud.  I remember watching this and thinking should I turn this down my ears are bleeding.  However, it’s remarkable, screen accurate and well balanced throughout.  You wouldn’t want your dinosaur chaos any other way now would you?
• Height: Did I ever tell you how much I love DTS: X surround tracks?  Well, I do!  Things sound fantastic here in the height channel with many examples to write about such as rain, helicopters, alarms when gates are closing, pterodactyls flying overhead, volcanic explosions and fireballs, lava pouring down and so much more.
• Low Frequency Extension: Aaron’s comment on his review for the LFE is funny too.  It’s funny like ha ha.  “The LFE channel gets plenty to work with thanks to what I’ve already mentioned.  No worries about how your woofer will be utilized.”  Now let’s talk about some examples of why he probably felt that way.  There’s an overall weight in the score.  That much is noticeable right from the get, but quite honestly things get very heavy right away with the big Jurassic Park doors opening underwater.  You could literally feel the heft of these massive doors in the LFE channel here.  Other examples include the dinosaurs stomping and roaring, volcanic explosions, mayhem and chaos and more.  Any way you slice it the LFE is a deep, heavy hitter here.
• Surround Sound Presentation: Like the subwoofer moments I mentioned up above the rear channels are equally engaged throughout providing a sense of immersion and directionality.  Rear speaker moments include the score, helicopter blades swirling, rain, wind, dinosaurs behind trees, mayhem, chaos, destruction, action moments, etc.
• Dialogue Reproduction: While there is a lot of monstrous, dinosaur chaos going on here left and right I’m please to report the dialogue is always clear, intelligible and prioritized throughout the presentation.

Extras 

Aaron Neuwirth said this in his Blu-ray review of the extras.  “It may seem like a lot, but most of these features barely skim the surface.  A commentary would have been quite welcome to hear more about the ideas for the story and plans for the franchise.  That said, there are many features that emphasize the practical effects work, which is quite welcome.”  I’ll add to that fact while I’m disappointed there’s no commentary I am glad to see a wealth of extras here, albeit short ones.  What’s even more impressive is that Universal houses all the below extras on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc too (in SDR).  Of course you also get the Digital Copy of the film redeemable 4K via Movies Anywhere to watch wherever you want.  So with all that being said let’s take a closer look at everything you’ll find here on either the enclosed 1080p Blu-ray or 4K UHD discs.

• On Set with Chris & Bryce (HD, 3:05) –Some brief fun with the stars, while filming.  Even Spielberg chimes in on their chemistry together.  Bryce admits she has loads of fun working with Pratt.
• The Kingdom Evolves (HD, 4:33) – Here we have a look at how the franchise has evolved from the first film regarding both special effects and the nature of these stories.  Furthermore, we explore how this film pushes the next installment of the franchise in a brand new, exciting direction.
• Return to Hawaii (HD, 2:41) –This extra features cast and crew and focuses on the locations used to film in Hawaii.
• Island Action (HD, 6:01) –Here’s a closer look at some of the dinosaur action sequences set on the island such as the escape in the gyrosphere for example.  It helps to see some of the practical effects work in action.
• Aboard the Arcadia (HD, 5:53) –This gives us a look at the fully practical animatronic design of Blue, the velociraptor, along with the T-Rex.  Again, it’s nice to see the use of practical effects for this movie.
• Birth of the Indoraptor (HD, 4:09) –With another new genetically designed dinosaur around this time out, it’s time to look behind the creation of it both conceptually and visually.  Once again, this includes the practical work done to bring it to life.
• Start the Bidding (HD, 3:18) –This is a look at the villain’s plot of the film involving a dinosaur auction.
• Death by Dino (HD, 1:33) – This one gives us a very brief look at a key dino-kill in the film.
• Monster in a Mansion (HD, 3:06) –This feature focuses on the haunted house section of the film.  What we mean by that is this extra shows Director J.A. Bayona discussing how Jurassic Park and Dracula (1979) influenced his approach to directing the monster in a mansion scene.
• Rooftop Showdown (HD, 3:48) – Here we have a look at one of the big end battles with a dinosaur on top of the Lockwood Mansion.
• Malcolm’s Return (HD, 3:07) –Jeff Goldblum returned for a scene, and everyone talks about it.  He filmed for a day, but it’s great to see him behind-the-scenes here nonetheless.
• VFX Evolved (HD, 7:08) –While there was plenty of practical work, this feature goes over the computer-generated effects that really can be stunning here in regards to creating the dinosaurs.
• Fallen Kingdom: The Conversation (HD, 10:16) – The cast and crew sit down for a casual conversation, which consists of both talk about the new film and kissing up to Jeff Goldblum.
• A Song for the Kingdom (HD, 1:26) –Star Justice Smith lays down a track for the cast and crew, while on set.
• Chris Pratt’s Jurassic Journals (HD, 12:09) –Chris Pratt’s series of spur of the moment interviews with various people working on set, including co-stars, makeup artists, drivers, stunt performers and more.  The list includes:
  • Vivian Baker, Makeup Artist
  • Mary Mastro, Hair Stylist
  • Chris Murphy, 1st Assistant Sound
  • Dean Bailey, Stunt Edge Car Driver
  • Peter Harcourt, Diver
  • Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith, Actors
  • Jody Wiltshire, Set PA
  • Kelly Krieg, Assistant Script Supervisor
  • J.A. Bayona, Director
  • James Cox, Stunt Performer
  • Rachelle Beinart, Stunt Double
  • Bryce Dallas Howard interviews Chris Pratt, Actor
• Jurassic Then and Now – Presented by Barbasol (HD, 3:06) – A montage of moments from the series presented by the shaving cream brand that ultimately tie into this feature film.

Summary 

There you have it folks.  If this were a Star Wars title, I would say something gimmicky like the “force” is strong with this one.  How about I do this instead.  The dinosaurs are triumphant in this one.  Like the Gloria Gaynor song, “I Will Survive,” the dinosaurs do much the same here in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.  And the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of this feature is a “force” to be reckoned with.  The endless dinosaurs roars, stomps and chaos are next to perfectly captured and rendered here speaking in terms of audio and video.  Also, with a healthy special features package Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a welcomed addition to your 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray home library on the shelf right next to Jurassic Park titles 1-4.  It’s one of my favorite sequels in the franchise and like I said up above it sets the series spinning a whole new, exciting direction.  I don’t foresee us going back to the jungle in the beginning of the next one, but who knows.  I am known to be wrong fro time-to-time.  Enjoy!

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.

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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Gets Even Darker on

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

September 18th

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