Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
2.5/4
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Rafe Spall, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Geraldine Chaplin, BD Wong, Jeff Goldblum
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Science-Fiction Violence and Peril
Had this movie not had "Jurassic Park" or "Jurassic World" in the title, I might have liked it better. As a dumb, special effects extravaganza, it has some entertainment value. It has the requisite dino action, scares and special effects (which are inconsistent). But as the new installment in the beloved franchise started 25 years ago, I can't deny that this is a step down in quality.
After the catastrophe that closed the doors of "Jurassic World" for good, humanity has taken a hands-off approach to the new residents of Isla Nublar. The trouble is that the island has a volcano, and an eruption that will wipe out everything on it is imminent. Humanity has decided to let things play out naturally and allow the dinosaurs to rejoin the dodo and megalodon as species that are no longer on this planet. James Lockwood (Cromwell), a reclusive billionaire and John Hammond's former partner, has instructed Eli Mills (Spall), who is the caretaker of Lockwood's finances, not to let that happen. Mills hires the park's former operations manager Claire Dearing (Howard) and raptor wrangler Owen Grady to get as many animals off the island as possible. Of course, things aren't what they seem...
"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" is really two movies in one, and the way they are tied together isn't exactly elegant. The first half is exciting and fresh, albeit a little contrived. But when things shit back to the mainland (for reasons I won't divulge), it becomes a derivative monster movie. One reason is that the second half feels cobbled together from other, better movies, including previous installments of the franchise. Another is that director J.A. Bayona has made the mistake of turning the dinosaurs into characters. By giving them personalities and motivation, he robs them of their mystique and threat. This was true to an extent of "Jurassic World," but that was only one raptor, and it was handled well. But in general, the dinosaurs in previous films were wild animals, not trained seals with an understanding of concepts such as humor and revenge. There are also instances where supposedly smart characters undergo brain cramps to stretch out the running time.
But the biggest problem is that "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" lacks a sense of awe. Roger Ebert lobbed that criticism on the original (making me wonder what movie he actually saw), but it applies here. Bayona has no respect for why dinosaurs have fascinated mankind since its dawn. He just sees them as run-of-the-mill monsters. There is one exception to this: a brachiosaur stands on the pier moaning in fear as the volcano engulfs her. Bayona holds on that shot as the pyroclastic crowd slowly envelops her. It's a beautiful shot, both harrowing and heartbreaking.
The cast does what they can with the meager material that they can. Chris Pratt is better here than he was in the first installment, and Bryce Dallas Howard finds that a devoted Claire is more interesting than the heartless bitch she played in the original. They've got a supporting cast backing them up, of course. They're adequate, although as the scaredy pants techie, Justice Smith is so annoying that I kept praying that a dinosaur would squash him or eat him. Whichever is more painful, I suppose. The two villains, greedy Rafe Spall and sociopathic hunter Ken Wheatley (Levine), are perfectly detestable. Each in their own way is an outstanding antagonist, easily earning our dislike.
The bottom line is that while Bayona knows how to create a monster movie, he doesn't understand why the "Jurassic Park" franchise is so beloved. He doesn't find the heart and soul of these movies. His ending leaves room for an audacious sequel (and its box office receipts assure there will be one), but I thought it a perfect way to end the franchise. Some stories are better off left to the imagination.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Rafe Spall, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Geraldine Chaplin, BD Wong, Jeff Goldblum
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Science-Fiction Violence and Peril
Had this movie not had "Jurassic Park" or "Jurassic World" in the title, I might have liked it better. As a dumb, special effects extravaganza, it has some entertainment value. It has the requisite dino action, scares and special effects (which are inconsistent). But as the new installment in the beloved franchise started 25 years ago, I can't deny that this is a step down in quality.
After the catastrophe that closed the doors of "Jurassic World" for good, humanity has taken a hands-off approach to the new residents of Isla Nublar. The trouble is that the island has a volcano, and an eruption that will wipe out everything on it is imminent. Humanity has decided to let things play out naturally and allow the dinosaurs to rejoin the dodo and megalodon as species that are no longer on this planet. James Lockwood (Cromwell), a reclusive billionaire and John Hammond's former partner, has instructed Eli Mills (Spall), who is the caretaker of Lockwood's finances, not to let that happen. Mills hires the park's former operations manager Claire Dearing (Howard) and raptor wrangler Owen Grady to get as many animals off the island as possible. Of course, things aren't what they seem...
"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" is really two movies in one, and the way they are tied together isn't exactly elegant. The first half is exciting and fresh, albeit a little contrived. But when things shit back to the mainland (for reasons I won't divulge), it becomes a derivative monster movie. One reason is that the second half feels cobbled together from other, better movies, including previous installments of the franchise. Another is that director J.A. Bayona has made the mistake of turning the dinosaurs into characters. By giving them personalities and motivation, he robs them of their mystique and threat. This was true to an extent of "Jurassic World," but that was only one raptor, and it was handled well. But in general, the dinosaurs in previous films were wild animals, not trained seals with an understanding of concepts such as humor and revenge. There are also instances where supposedly smart characters undergo brain cramps to stretch out the running time.
But the biggest problem is that "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" lacks a sense of awe. Roger Ebert lobbed that criticism on the original (making me wonder what movie he actually saw), but it applies here. Bayona has no respect for why dinosaurs have fascinated mankind since its dawn. He just sees them as run-of-the-mill monsters. There is one exception to this: a brachiosaur stands on the pier moaning in fear as the volcano engulfs her. Bayona holds on that shot as the pyroclastic crowd slowly envelops her. It's a beautiful shot, both harrowing and heartbreaking.
The cast does what they can with the meager material that they can. Chris Pratt is better here than he was in the first installment, and Bryce Dallas Howard finds that a devoted Claire is more interesting than the heartless bitch she played in the original. They've got a supporting cast backing them up, of course. They're adequate, although as the scaredy pants techie, Justice Smith is so annoying that I kept praying that a dinosaur would squash him or eat him. Whichever is more painful, I suppose. The two villains, greedy Rafe Spall and sociopathic hunter Ken Wheatley (Levine), are perfectly detestable. Each in their own way is an outstanding antagonist, easily earning our dislike.
The bottom line is that while Bayona knows how to create a monster movie, he doesn't understand why the "Jurassic Park" franchise is so beloved. He doesn't find the heart and soul of these movies. His ending leaves room for an audacious sequel (and its box office receipts assure there will be one), but I thought it a perfect way to end the franchise. Some stories are better off left to the imagination.
Comments
Post a Comment