Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – Film Review

For Jurassic Park, this franchise has had its problems with developing a great sequel after the first one in 1993. ‘Jurassic World’ was a great reimagination of what the vision was by John Hammond in that first movie come to life. The magic was definitely there with the wonder of a real life Theme Park with Dinosaurs. This sequel does have a few elements that are similar to ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ in that is a follow up to an abandoned park with dinosaurs with a mission to go to an island to then have the dinosaurs be taken back to main land.

Those elements are there but they are changed in a new way that is focused on the concept of if you created something should it be allowed to have a chance to live or die? That big philosophical question is brought up throughout the film but is never hammered home quite as strong as it could have been. I do appreciate the willingness to have such a complex blockbuster with a straightforward thrill ride. There is definitely fun to be had with in this film. I was surprised how much it moved and that it was fluid. It didn’t feel like two movies combined to one like Lost World did.

Do you remember the first time you saw a dinosaur? First time you see them, it’s like… a miracle. You read about them in books, you see the bones in museums but you don’t really… believe it. They’re like myths. And then you see… the first one alive.

With J.A. Bayona I felt that his direction really showed with this film. He had some great shots and great usage of shadows. It felt cooler and more gritty than the flashy first film by Colin Trevorrow. I do think that Trevorrow’s script was the problem of the film. There was too many clunky things that weren’t executed. I wish J.A. had the opportunity to have someone better script him a better movie because he did everything he could to make that work.

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard do a great job and build on their chemistry on the first one. Claire Deering (Howard) has more to do in this film and feels more like a well rounded character than a stereotype. There are some reveals in the film that are a bit clunky but to me — if there are living breathing dinosaurs made from a lab, anything can be. I did notice some more practical effects in this one with the dinos and some more elements of wonder compared to previous sequels.

I would say this is definitely a fun popcorn film that you can sit back and enjoy. You don’t need to see it in IMAX or 3D to appreciate it. You can see it on an afternoon matinee if you liked the last one but nothing new is gained in this entry. The next entry needs to have a better script for it to work with the new concept introduced at the end of the film.

7/10