Review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) by Enrique F — 22 Jun 2018

Back in 2015, I stepped into an AMC theatre so excited to finally be able to watch the movie I'd been waiting so long for... Jurassic World! For years, I and the really cool Jurassic Park fan community knew it as "Jurassic Park IV" and had many theories and ideas about what it could be and grasped for any and all news regarding it. We all were elated when Spielberg announced the movie finally entering production around 2012, then later choosing a director, and then getting Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver who both wrote "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" on board to write the film. But then it went a step further with the films plot revealed to be centered around a fully functional theme park. I as a Jurassic fan had been so worried because, I didn't want to have a Jurassic story where it veered into being just about science fiction and where the dinosaurs were turned into just movie monsters. Colin Trevorrow (thank God) shared this view and made a movie that loved and respected Jurassic Park and the franchise as a whole.

I loooooved seeing the fully functioning Jurassic World theme park with dinosaurs roaming again. And I was glad that the science fiction tale went the smart route of being true to Crichton's novel and taking the next step that makes the most sense in the form of the Indominus rex. The movie felt like both Jurassic Park but also Frankenstein, with I.rex being an amalgam of T.rex, raptor, Carnotaurus, Therizinosaurus, and more and being a deadly animal really just reacting and going on a rampage but also being tragic because it was bred and meant to be exploited by the real villains, the humans. But the movie impressed as it took the dinosaurs based on actual species that saved the day along with the underrated Claire Dearing and we got the best scenes of the franchise - the T.rex and Blue the raptor vs. the Indominus rex. After watching Jurassic World in 2015, I stepped out with my new favorite film of the Jurassic franchise and eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the Jurassic Saga...

In 2018, yesterday actually on the opening day in the United States, I finally got to sit down in the theatre to watch the sequel, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom", excited because of how impressed I was with Jurassic World, that the director was Spanish horror film director J.A. Bayona, that Colin Trevorrow was still heavily involved as a producer and writer, and that Universal allowed and gave the fans things we wanted from the franchise that were necessary and made the franchise better. Such as more practical effects and animatronic dinosaurs, incorporating more themes and ideas from the novels, and having more dinosaur action and scenes take the forefront. But how was the film overall? Well, in short...

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom... is perfect. I am surprised to say that even though I am a huge fan of the Jurassic franchise, even though I know that both Colin Trevorrow and J.A. Bayona are master filmmakers, and even though My favorite film in the series, Jurassic World (followed closely by Jurassic Park), is still a film where I acknowledge and do see flaws here and there, though not enough to ruin the film for me. But Fallen Kingdom is actually perfect and without any flaw - excellently paced, expertly shot scenes not just involving dinosaurs, special effects top notch with everything looking like reality, and a beautiful score and great action. It is a lot like Indiana Jones actually in its approach to great action set pieces and really captures Spielberg's flair in how the action is shot. The characters are also improved upon and fleshed out more with Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt becoming even more likeable and interesting. Rounded out with Justice Smith as Franklin Webb and Daniella Paneda as Zia who are both hilarious and relevant to the story you have the best group of characters in a Jurassic film - almost a "dinosaur A-Team". Oh and Isabella Sermon's character Maisey Lockwood is now the best kid in all of the Jurassic movies. She felt necessary and honestly works well as a character and ally to our adult characters, you care about her and root for her alongside our action stars.

The movie has two major settings but unlike what most say, it's not actually disconnected at all as each location change makes sense. The first half of the movie is the science fiction, jungle adventure film set on the island, and the second half is more like a Spanish thriller / horror film set in a gothic like location with a truly terrifying antagonist in the Indoraptor. What I loved the most however was that the dinosaurs were properly treated as protagonists as Jurassic really is about them as much as our human characters. And as addressed, JURASSIC WORLD is more than just a title but essentially is the world that the movies inhabit - a world where dinosaurs and modern creatures and humans share the planet. So it makes sense that many dinosaurs including Blue the velociraptor play significant roles not just as animals or movie monsters but players in this epic saga. Rexy, Blue, and the Indoraptor in particular rise up and become like iconic characters / monsters King Kong and Godzilla in their relevance in the story.

If I had to nitpick and reallly, reaaaaaally grasp at straws I might saw the only issues would be... I wish more characters returned? Jeff Golblum reprises his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm at the start and ending of the film but I felt that we got enough of him in the movie as at the end of the day he is just a Chaotician, not a soldier, not a paleontologist, or animal guy. I do think however characters like Ty Simpkin's Gray (Claire's nephew and autistic character), Jake Johnson's Lowery, and Omar Sy's Barry should have returned, at the very least in small roles. I could have seen Gray appearing as a member of the Dinosaur Protection Group but not going to the island because Claire would never want to put her nephew through that. And Barry had a rather small role in the last movie but could have been fleshed out as an action hero alongside Owen. And there is a reveal in the film that is cool but when I think on it didn't need to be there, but does have a unique impact and meaning on the film that I found to be beautiful.

Fallen Kingdom is the film that has been long time coming that fans of Jurassic have wanted - much like the first Jurassic World film, but - where it is an impressive blockbuster film that is also very true to the themes and commentary put forward by Michael Crichton in his original novels. I should also add that actual people - not critics - can say a lot about how good a movie is over critics and wannabe critics opinions on film. On opening day, Fallen Kingdom was so good that at several scenes in the movie, the audience erupted in joyous applause. This started at the end of the very first chilling scene which acts as the movie opener and continued into the second and third acts even before the movie was over. And it has only ever been in Jurassic movies where I've witnessed this kind of reaction and where audiences' applause more than twice.

For me I have to be totally honest... Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom surpassed my expectations and highly impressed me as a fan of film and a regular person who loves stories and who loves dinosaurs. It is Awesometacular and an A+ film and worth watching in the theatres NOW and worth buying on Blu-ray. To not watch Fallen Kingdom is to do yourself a disservice and to ignore truly great movies. Go watch it.