"JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" (2018) Review

"JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" (2018) Review

Following the release of "JURASSIC PARK III" in 2001, I had figured that was it for the JURASSIC PARK movie franchise. Boy, was I proven wrong. Fourteen years after the release of that third film, Universal Pictures and producer Frank Marshall presented a fourth movie for the franchise, "JURASSIC WORLD" in 2015, that proved to be a major hit. Following the success of that film, it was only natural that a fifth movie would be made. 

Set three years after the events of the 2015 movie, "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" began with the United States Senate debating over whether to save the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar from an impending volcanic eruption from the island's volcano Mt. Sibo. Mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm testifies that the dinosaurs should be allowed to die in order to correct John Hammond's mistake of cloning them. Meanwhile, Jurassic World's former operations manager, Claire Dearing, has established the Dinosaur Protection Group to save the animals. When the Senate decides not to rescue the dinosaurs, Hammond's former partner, Benjamin Lockwood, summons Claire to his Northern California estate, where he and his aide Eli Mills reveal a plan to relocate the dinosaurs to a new island sanctuary. They need Claire to help reactivate the park's dinosaur tracking system in order to locate the animals - especially Blue, the last surviving Velociraptor. Despite being estranged from him, Claire recruits Jurassic World's former Velociraptor trainer and Blue's alpha, Owen Grady, to help capture her. Accompanying them would be the park's former technician Franklin Webb and paleo-veterinarian Zia Rodriguez.

Upon their arrival on Isla Nublar at the now defunct Jurassic World amusement part, Claire and Franklin work to reactivate the park's online tracking system. Meanwhile, Owe, Zia and a mercenary team led by Ken Wheatley search for Blue. When they find the velociraptor, one of Wheatley's men shoots Blue and Wheatley tranquilizes Owen. The mercenaries take Zia with them to treat Blue's injury. The mercenary ship, loaded with the captured dinosaurs, departs for the U.S. mainland, while the dinosaurs left behind die in the eruption. Meanwhile; Claire, Franklin, and Owen manage to escape the dying island and sneak aboard in time and assist Zia in transfusing Blue with Tyrannosaurus blood. The group now realizes that the captured dinosaurs were never being transported to a new island and have been captured for another purpose. And the latter has to do with a financial scheme being involving Eli Mills and Dr. Henry Wu, behind Lockwood's back.

Despite earning over a billion dollars at the box office, "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" received very little positive reviews upon its release. In fact, it is regarded by some as a failure. Many critics and some film goers certainly regard it as inferior to the 2015 movie. How do I feel about "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM"? I had a few problems with it. Well . . . to be perfectly honest, I had two major problems with it. My first problem centered around Benjamin Lockwood's estate serving as the setting for the film's second half. I found this rather limiting and claustrophobic. And I found myself wondering if the film's budget was responsible for this decision to limit the setting to a California country estate. The longer the film remained on that estate - especially inside that house - the more I became frustrated. 

And I have a second complaint about "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" - namely the fate of Benjamin Lockwood's granddaughter, Maisie. Why did Owen Grady and Claire Dearing end up as her guardians at the end of the movie? What happened to Maisie's nanny, Iris, who had been with the family for years? I do not recall her being killed by a dinosaur. So what happened to her? Why did she not take care of Maisie, following the death of the latter's grandfather?

Despite my complaints, I enjoyed "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM". In fact, I enjoyed it very much. Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow created a first-rate tale filled with tension, drama and especially comedy. I remember when the film first hit the theaters, many had complained about the movie's finale. They found it . . . illogical. Messy. I still find this complaint rather hard to swallow. The premise behind the JURASSIC PARKfranchise can be considered illogical. Frankly, considering what happened in a period of twenty-five years and five movies, I thought it was only a matter of time that the franchise would reach this point. It almost did in 1997's "JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD". However, this film took it a step further with the release of several dinosaurs into the modern world. It was bound to happen. InGen and John Hammond had opened Pandora's Box a quarter of a century ago with the creation of dinosaurs, thousands of years after they naturally went extinct. I would almost equate the creations of these animals with that of nuclear energy and weaponry. Considering the occasional misuse and mishandling of nuclear energy throughout the years, I found it appropriate that a more disastrous scenario would finally befall in the JURASSIC PARK franchise than what happened in the previous films.

"JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" is also a popcorn summer film that depends upon a great deal of action. And it had its share of some first-rate action sequences. If I must be great, I enjoyed most of the action in the film's first half. I especially enjoyed the sequence featuring the natural destruction of Isla Nublar and Owen Grady, Claire Dearing and Franklin Webb's efforts to escape from the island after being abandoned by Ken Wheatley's team. For me, it was a breathtaking sequence as the trio raced to reach the boat conveying Wheatley's team and Zia Rodriguez (kidnapped and forced to treat the wounded Blue) to the United States. But there was an action sequence in the film's last hour that also impressed me. It featured the protagonists being hunted throughout the Lockwood mansion by Dr. Henry Wu's latest creation, the Indoraptor, a creation from the DNA of Indominus rex from the last film and Velociraptor - namely Blue. For me, those two sequences featured the best of some pretty damn good action scenes throughout the film.

The movie did not feature as many breathtaking visual scenes as "JURASSIC WORLD". But there were a few that caught my eye, including scenes of those dinosaurs roaming the Earth:



But the one scene that produced a knot in my throat featured that last shot of Isla Nublar . . . and the death of the very brachiosaurus that Dr. Alan Grant first saw in 1993's "JURASSIC PARK". Director J.A. Bayona, cinematographer Óscar Faura and the visual effects team really knocked it out of the ballpark by capturing both the grandeur and the pathos of the scene:



If there is one thing I can guarantee from a JURASSIC PARK/WORLD movie, it is a first-rate cast featuring excellent performances. Jeff Goldblum returned to give a short, yet solid performance as Dr. Malcolm Campbell, one of the original visitors to Isla Nublar. "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" featured the acting debut of Isabella Sermon, who gave an excellent performance as the young Maisie Lockwood. Trust this franchise to always hire naturally talented child actors. Ted Levine's performance as mercenary Ken Wheatley struck me as a gleeful portrayal of toxic masculinity. B.D. Wong's return as Dr. Henry Wu was somewhat briefer than it was in the 2015 movie. Yet, once again, the actor conveyed the convoluted egoism of Dr. Wu with great skill. I hope he will have a bigger role in the next film. 

Toby Jones gave an entertaining, yet slightly theatrical performance as the weasely auctioneer hired by Eli Mills to help sell those dinosaurs taken from Isla Nublar to potential buyers. James Cromwell struck me as emotional, yet dignified as Hammond's former partner, Benjamin Lockwood. Geraldine Chaplin gave a skillful performance as the Lockwoods' reliable employee Iris. Daniella Pineda was brash and entertaining as the sharp-tongued Dr. Zia Rodriguez. Justice Smith proved to be equally entertaining and quite hilarious as anxiety-ridden systems analyst Franklin Webb. Rafe Spall skillfully portrayed one of the most subtle and corrupt villains in the franchise, Eli Morrow.

Chris Pratt returned as former Navy SEAL-turned-dinosaur trainer Owen Grady. I realized that many might not agree, but I enjoyed Pratt's first-rate portrayal of the no-nonsense Grady more than I did in the 2015 movie. I thought Pratt's performance was more subtle and best of all, his Grady seemed to have dropped that sanctimonious I had found slightly irritating in the previous film. Bryce Dallas Howard managed to skillfully take her character, former operations manager of Jurassic World, to the next level. In "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM", Claire's previous encounters with the dinosaurs had led her to develop an appreciation of them as sentient beings. This new Claire is a passionate animal rights activist who has dropped her arrogant disregard of the park's inhabitants. It is possible that this new passion may have slightly affected her common sense, especially during the film's last 10-15 minutes. But thanks to Howard's excellent performance, she managed to convey a sense of plausibility in the slight changes in Claire's personality.

As I had earlier pointed out, the critics did not like "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM". In fact, some moviegoers had expressed dismay at the film's ending. I had at least two quibbles with the movie. But if I must be frank, I enjoyed it very much. More importantly, I found its ending very believable for a science-fiction tale. For once, the franchise was willing to face a consequence that its previous films managed to elude so far. The movie featured first-rate direction by J.A. Bayona; a well-written screenplay by Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow; and an excellent cast led by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Good work guys!

"JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" (2018) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM", the fifth installment in the JURASSIC PARK franchise and the sequel to the 2015 movie, "JURASSIC WORLD". Directed by J.A. Bayona, the movie starred Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard: 



"JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM" (2018) Photo Gallery

"JURASSIC WORLD" (2015) Review

"JURASSIC WORLD" (2015) Review

Being Southern California resident and native, I have made numerous visits to the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. And for the past decade, a guide for the Backlot Tour attraction has announced to visitors about the studio's intention to produce and release a fourth film for the JURASSIC PARK movie franchise. After five years, I stopped taking these announcements seriously. 

Then lo and behold, these announcements turned out to be true. Universal finally made it official last year that a fourth movie would be made and it was to star Chris Pratt. Despite this announcement, I did not make such a big deal over the matter. One . . . I simply did not care. Mind you, I am a big fan of the other three films. But fourteen years had passed between the third film and this fourth one. For me, that was ten to eleven years too long. And two, I could not see Chris Pratt in an action film in which he would have to somewhat curtail on the jokes. But when I learned about the reactions to the film overseas, I finally began to look forward to seeing it.

Set twenty-odd years after "JURASSIC PARK" and less than a decade after "JURASSIC PARK III", "JURASSIC WORLD" takes place on Isla Nublar, the same setting as the 1993 film. There, a fully functioning dinosaur theme park called Jurassic World has operated for ten years under the ownership of Simon Masrani, CEO of the Masrani Corporation. A pair of brothers named Zach and Gray Mitchell are sent there during the winter holidays to visit their aunt Claire Dearing, the park's operations manager. Due to Claire's busy schedule with recruiting corporate sponsors for a new attraction - a genetically modified dinosaur called Indominus rex, her assistant is tasked to act as the boys' guide. Slightly leery about this new attraction, Masrani orders Claire to recruit the park's Velociraptor trainer, a former U.S. Navy SEAL named Owen Grady, to assess the Indominus rex. Unfortunately, the dinosaur manages to escape his/her compound by tricking Grady and two staff members that it had made an earlier escape. And Masrani discovers from the dinosaur's creator, Dr. Henry Wu, that the Indominus rex has the DNA of several predatory dinosaurs and modern-day animals. While Masrani orders Security Chief Vic Hoskins and the Asset Containment Unit to capture the dinosaur, Claire tries to organize the evacuation of the park and recruits Owen to help her find her nephews.

"JURASSIC WORLD" had a few problems. Actually, I had three problems with the movie. One, I wish the movie had taken its time to set up the reason behind the Mitchell brothers' visit to the theme park. Audiences never really learn the reason behind their visit - namely an opportunity for their parents to organize their upcoming divorce - until a brief conversation between the two brothers in the middle of the film. Apparently, director Colin Trevorrow; who also co-wrote the film with Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Derek Connolly; wanted to get the brothers to Isla Nubar as soon as possible. Another aspect of the script that I found slightly troubling was the vague and confusing situation regarding Masrani Corporation, The InGen Corporation and the Dr. Henry Wu and Vic Hoskins characters. Was there an executive or two within InGen plotting with the two men to regain the company from Masrani? What roles did the Grady trained Velociraptors play in this possible scheme? Perhaps the matter will be clear once I see the DVD version. Also, the Owen Grady character spent most of the film reacting negatively to Hoskins' idea of training and using Velociraptors on behalf of the U.S. military. I could understand his feelings. What I failed to understand was his reasoning for training the dinosaurs to obey his commands in the first place. Why did he engage in this profession? The movie never really explained.

Otherwise, I had no problems with "JURASSIC WORLD". Wait . . . I take that back. My reaction to the movie was a lot more that mere tolerance. I really enjoyed the film. A lot more than I had expected. In fact, it has become one of my top favorite films for the Summer 2015 movie season. Aside from the hiccups I had mentioned above, I really enjoyed the movie's story. The previous three movies merely gave hints - although bloody ones - that the idea of introducing the general public to genetically created dinosaurs is a major mistake. Actually, the second film, 1997's "JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD", was really the first time that featured a confrontation between the public (citizens of San Diego) and lethal dinosaurs (a Tyrannosaurus rex and its infant child). But that incident was nothing in compare to what happened in "JURASSIC WORLD". When I watched Jurassic World's guests and staff members encounter the deadly Indominus rex, flocks of flying Pteranodon and Dimorphodon, and the Mosasaurus; I found myself remembering what the Ian Malcolm character first said in the first movie - "There is a problem with that island. It is an accident waiting to happen." I could also imagine his reaction to the media reports of what happened in the theme park.

I found myself wondering about that theme park. After the incident of the first film, the John Hammond character had the good sense to ditch his plans for a theme park and realize it would be wise to keep the two islands and the dinosaurs isolated from the public. Yet, according to "JURASSIC WORLD", Simon Masrani had been encouraged to re-institute the idea of a theme park by Hammond before the latter's death. What made Hammond change his mind? Had Masrani managed to convince the latter that he would be able to keep that park under control? Someone had pointed out that"JURASSIC WORLD" was more about the negative effects of high finance and greed, instead of bad science. I believe it was a cautionary tale regarding both . . . along with defense contracting. I had not forgotten the clash between Owen and Hoskins over the use of the Velociraptors. 

One controversy managed to spring up following the movie's release. It had to do with the Claire Dearing character and her high-heeled shoes. There have been complaints about Claire - her uptight character and the lack of respect she seemed to generate from characters like Owen, her two nephews (who had witnessed her save Owen's life from a Dimorphodon) and Hoskins. Only Masrani seemed to have any real respect for her. A good number of critics . . . especially male critics, seemed to have a low regard for Claire. They saw her as a regression of female characters in an action-oriented film. What was the one thing that led them to harbor this low regard for Claire? Her unwillingness to shed her high-heeled shoes once the situation on the island became dicey. Perhaps they saw her shoes as this symbol of femininity that needed to be shed, once the action started. However, actress Bryce Dallas Howard thought otherwise and insisted that she continue to wear high heels throughout the movie. This decision caused a firestorm when the movie came out and still continues to do so. Personally, I am glad Howard made this decision. I do get tired of fans, the media and the entertainment industry insisting that in order for women to be considered worthy or superior, she has to shed any signs of outward femininity. Besides, she was not the only female character I have seen run for her life in high heels. Stephanie Zimbalist did it on "REMINGTON STEELE".

One cannot talk about a JURASSIC PARK movie without the mention of visual effects. Personally, I found the creation of the movie's dinosaurs - especially the Indominus rex and the Mosasaurus outstanding. I could also say the same about Ed Verreaux's production designs for the film. I admire his creation of the theme park's shopping area - which slightly reminded me of Universal Studios Hollywood - and the way he utilized the old sets of the 1993 movie as abandoned structures. I wish I could comment on Michael Giacchino's score for the film. But honestly . . . I simply do not remember it. Kevin Stitt did an excellent job with his editing for the film. I was especially impressed by his handling of the Pteranodons and Dimorphodons' attack on the park's shopping area and the Owen-led expedition against the Indominus rex in the jungle. But I was really impressed by John Schwartzman's cinematography - especially in the scene below:



Amidst the crazy plot, the CGI dinosaurs and action, there is the matter of the performances featured in the movie. Personally, I had no problems with them. Perhaps I am being a bit too subtle. I really enjoyed the performances in the film. "JURASSIC WORLD" featured solid performances from Judy Greer, Omar Sy, Jake Johnson, Katie McGrath, Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins. The movie also featured a funny cameo by Jimmy Fallon as a video guide for the park's Gyrosphere tour. 

For me, the outstanding performances came from certain members of the cast. Vincent D'Onofrio gave an energetic, yet slightly sinister portrayal of the park's head of security operations, Vic Hoskins. Irrfan Khan was equally energetic, yet very charming as the park's owner, Simon Masrani. B.D. Wong made his second appearance in the movie franchise as Dr. Henry Wu, the geneticist behind the dinosaurs' creations. Wong made a decent appearance in the 1993 movie. But his performance in "JURASSIC WORLD" revealed the character's inability to question the consequences of his creations gave Dr. Wu more depth and complexity. Chris Pratt did an excellent job as the movie's leading man and Velociraptor trainer Owen Grady. Pratt effectively ditched his usual humor schtick to portray the no-nonsense Owen. But I believe that Bryce Dallas Howard gave the best performance in the movie as the park's operation manager, Claire Dearing. Howard did an exceptional job in portraying Claire's development from an emotionally reserved workaholic to a woman fiercely determined to keep her nephews safe at all costs . . . even if it meant wearing those much-discussed high heels throughout the entire movie.

What else can I say about "JURASSIC WORLD"? The movie's producers (including Steven Spielberg), director Colin Trevorrow and the three other screenwriters who worked with him on the script did an excellent in keeping the JURASSIC PARK franchise alive. They were ably assisted by a talented cast led by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and the behind-the-scenes crew that contributed to the movie's visual style. And if I must be honest, I never thought they could do it.

"JURASSIC WORLD" (2015) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "JURASSIC WORLD", the fourth entry in the "JURASSIC WORLD" film franchise. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the movie starred Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard:


"JURASSIC WORLD" (2015) Photo Gallery