‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Gives The Dinosaurs A Fighting Chance (Movie 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!
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!
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. Bring your tissues to 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 already grossed over $711 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2018. Take that Black Panther! Come on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom let’s get the second global position in 2018.
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 was with the after credits scene here. You just have to know me. Bam! And that’s how you do it!
Brian White
Owner/Writer/Reviewer/Editor, Dreamer, Producer, Agent of Love, Film Lover, Writer of Screenplays and a Devoted Apostle to all things Ford Mustangs (the real ones with V8's!). Some of my favorite films include FIGHT CLUB, MOULIN ROUGE, THE DARK KNIGHT, STAR WARS alongside television shows such as SEINFELD, 24, SANFORD & SON and even the often loathed in the geek community BIG BANG THEORY. Outside of my three lives I live I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our three girls (of the furry kind).
