Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
After 25 years of sequel after sequel, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that nothing is capable of bringing back the magic the 1993’s “Jurassic Park” had, and nowhere is that made any clearer than with 2014’s “Jurassic World.” It was at that point that I knew the franchise was heading in a new direction, and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” cemented that direction, in some ways fun and in other ways not so much.
Set 3 years after the events of 2015’s “Jurassic World,” the dinosaurs have conquered the island of Isla Nublar. However, their way of life is once again threatened by the sudden eruption of a large volcano on the island. In the middle of it all, humanity begins to question whether these creatures share the same rights as other endangered species or if nature should take its course. As a result, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), now a dinosaur rights activist, must reunite with Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to rescue the dinosaurs off the island while also facing new threats that include a new breed of dinosaur as well as conspiracy that could bring chaos to the world.
J.A. Bayona is a talented director in his own right, with 2016’s “A Monster Calls” being one of the more underappreciated gems of that year. From the very beginning alone, Bayona clearly has a sense of style, and that style works through and through all the way to the very end. The opening scene alone is by far one of the best moments in any “Jurassic Park” film. The tension, lighting, camerawork, and cinematography are extremely reminiscent of the original 1993 film, bringing back that horror element that made the original as terrifying as it was. The use of light, color, and angles help bring back that sense of danger and anxiety that was sorely lacking in previous entries.
I also greatly appreciate how much detail Bayona put into the film in terms of the numerous references, easter eggs, and callbacks to the original 1993 “Jurassic Park.” If you’re a die-hard Jurassic Park fan, there are certain shots, sequences, and bits of dialogue that are incredibly reminiscent to the original film. What makes them especially resonating is the fact that they are subtly interwoven into the overall narrative and not exaggerated to the point of annoyance.
That style can be seen throughout the film as well, with Bayona displaying some of the more creative, expertly designed shots and uses of the camera I’ve seen in any film from the franchise. Most of the shots seen in the film are definitely worthy of being hung up on your wall. There’s especially one shot in particular close to the middle that just completely broke my heart into a million pieces. The visuals also help bolster the impressive direction Bayona displays. The use of CGI and practical effects are handled much better than in the previous film and does bring back a tiny bit of that magic.
However, while the style is certainly there, the substance is sorely lacking. The first act revolves entirely around the rescue mission on the island, and that itself was engaging and entertaining for the most part. I wish the film focused on that for its entirety. But when the second half begins, it’s just a nosedive towards incompetence. At this point, the film begins to take on a sort of cartoonish tone and completely strays away from what was happening in the first half. The themes and ideas that were being presented in the first half were well-suited for the film and can get you think. But by the second half they are suddenly gone and the film shifts focus to completely different storyline altogether. Unlike before, these storylines lack any depth to justify its supposed “importance” and it felt like a dynamic shift from what the beginning was going for. There’s even a big twist towards the end that has to be one of the stupidest, most unnecessary, most out-of-place twists I have seen in the past few years.
It’s a good thing then that Pratt and Howard are there to help at least make it tolerable. While in the previous film both characters were more like caricatures, albeit likable caricatures, than actual characters, they are greatly improved upon in this entry as their relationship is much more believable and they are given more room to expand their roles a bit. While Bryce Dallas Howard is much less incompetent and narrow minded and more engaging and motivated, Chris Pratt’s relationship with Blue the velociraptor is given more context and it’s given more thought, making it a worthwhile storyline to explore.
In regards to the supporting cast, however, it’s not as hopeful. On the good side, Daniella Pineda portrays a veterinarian named Zia Rodriguez and is portrayed and performed in a likable manner, making her an enjoyable character to watch. Much credit should also be given to Isabella Sermon, who portrays Maisie Lockwood, the daughter of Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), John Hammond’s former partner, who doesn’t get a lot of screen-time. But he has more screen-time than Jeff Goldblum, which is a disappointment as his appearances in the trailer are the only times you will see him throughout the entire film.
However, Zia’s tech-wiz sidekick Franklin Webb, played by Justice Smith, isn’t as likable. He practically only has two purposes throughout the film: hack into things and constantly remind us how much of a wimp he is and how loud his scream is. But nothing will be worse than the villains of the film. The villains, consisting of auctioneer Gunnar Eversol (Toby Jones), corporate business owner Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), and mercenary Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine), are atrociously one-dimensional and are your typical moustache-twirling villainous stereotypes: The incompetent military leader, the greedy corporate overlord, and the impatient greedy boss. The villains alone are one of the reasons as to why the second half fails to match the first half.
Much of the action and set pieces also go back and forth. There are moments that are genuinely thrilling and exciting to watch, such as the opening scene and the volcano erupting. There are also some great horror set-pieces towards the end that lift the third act a bit. But there are also moments that feel straight out of a comedy. In the trailer, you see Blue jump through a window to escape an explosion. When that moment occurs, the audience and myself all couldn’t help but laugh at the stupidity.
Overall, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” relies a lot on stupidity and absurdity to justify its runtime. The lunacy of the second act as well as the atrocious villains and lack of enough substance are certainly a thorn on one’s side. Nonetheless, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” offers plenty of visuals, action, scares, and style to satisfy plenty of fans of the series and make it a worthwhile trip to the theater.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJD7jZqZEk&t=1s&w=585