Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

Jess’ Review

A little-known fact about me is that I love Jurassic Park! (And dinosaurs in general, in truth.) I actually count it as my first real introduction to practical effects - which I’d later go on to study at university. The sequels can’t compare to the 1993 classic, yet they’re all exciting in their own right and hold a special place in my heart. The same can’t quite be said for today’s installation in the franchise, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, or it’s 2015 predecessor; yet I can’t shake the nostalgia.

Set in the aftermath of the pseudo-theme park’s catastrophic closure, the film reunites Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) on a dinosaur rescue mission. The two leads are decent and anchor the film well with glitzy exuberance. The support is less memorable. However, a surprise cameo from the iconic Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) wins a whole bag of brownie points from me.

Of course, the highlight of this film is it’s visuals. Whilst a lot of the practical, animatronic effects have been traded in for the latest developments of CGI, I can’t fault how it looks. The dinosaurs have a level of realism to them that can be quite arresting at times. I will never not be wowed by the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and still feel exhilarated by its roar. In short, the dinosaurs are sick. And let’s be honest, that’s what most of us are here for. The audience will leave Fallen Kingdom fully satiated in having spent two hours gorging themselves on non-stop action and plenty of dino fun-times. Who cares for the plot? (Other than Sam... Kidding!)

In all seriousness though, the plot is lacking. There are flaws, but it doesn’t stifle the appeal. I didn’t expect a detailed character study or intrinsically woven story of redemption. I expected to see some cool dinosaurs. Though I was quite surprised at some of the ethical questions raised in Fallen Kingdom. Amidst the chaos, there’s some substance exploring the dangers of genetic manipulation, mankind’s corruption and a species’ right to life. There was depth that was regrettably sidestepped in favour of more Chris Pratt trying to pet his raptor pal. It’s a shame, but I can at least admire the fleeting inclusion of difficult topics.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is, simply, fun. It’s a lazy, modern homage to a cinematic great, rehashing old ideas with new technology and big names. I don’t hate it though. I think it’s a bit hollow and superficial, but it satisfies the child in me that’s simply awed by the revival of the dinosaurs. I enjoyed it, but in truth, it only made me want to watch Jurassic Park that much more.

7/10

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Sam’s Review

These reviews are getting few and far between, and for those of you still interested, I apologise. In fact, I discussed with Jess making this our last, but the lacklustre nature of the film (I may have just rendered my review pointless...) made us think again. Chris Pratt has transformed from his days of Andy Dwyer, lovable goof, on Parks and Rec (2009-2020) into a bonafide superstar. Even more serendipitous, while shooting behind the scenes footage for Parks and Rec, he read a fake text from Spielberg about being the lead in Jurassic Park IV. So, to be cast as the lead in Jurassic World (the fourth film in the franchise) was clearly meant to be. However, his character is stunted. He reeks of machismo, with little intelligence, but still remains a lovable rogue. He's playing a stereotype, and not a good one at that. Bryce Dallas Howard's character, Claire, is little better. Though one movie ago she was exploiting the dinosaurs for profit, her swift change of heart has led her to become an activist for them. But she still pines over Owen (Pratt), even though she can clearly do better. Just my humble opinion.  The shallow, stereotypical characters are symbolic of the entire script. It makes you wonder if the film only got made because of its name. The story seems rehashed from the previous film, but in typical fashion they up the ante by making the creatures bigger. Very original... The will they/won't they between Owen and Claire had me regretting watching the film. We'd already been subjected to it in the prequel. This time it was far less interesting. But the dialogue... Oh, the dialogue. Full of dumbed down conversations (presumably so the audience didn't run the risk of thinking too much), cliché one-liners, and lines that no normal human would say. Why do these blockbusters insist on using dialogue that lacks any semblance of realism? Lines void of intricacy that only Hero McSavetheday would ever utter.  In case you're not picking up on it, I'm not quite sold on the film. The film is a distraction, as all entertainment is on some level. And some parts are done well. The VFX are truly stunning, and terrifyingly exciting, as the sheer potential is limitless. The textured skin crinkling as a dinosaur's foot hits the ground, or a raptor's neck quivering as it senses it's prey, are sights to behold. Though the wonder doesn't sustain for two hours. The admittedly stunning VFX take precedence, subduing any real substance. Sure, they throw in futile questions to pretend that they're grasping in the right direction. But of course, they never really answer them. With all the possibilities allowed to you with the potential to clone dinosaurs, to have two-dimensional characters rehash the same stories is not up to scratch. Though there is also a heart-wrenching moment as they leave the island behind. That alone has won it an extra point from me.

6/10