Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom: Does Life Find a Way?

It's been a little over a year since I started this review site. It sure doesn't feel that way. There's something poetic about the fact that the review to mark this anniversary is Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely adore Jurassic Park. I'll never forget the time my mom picked me up from daycare and handed me the VHS case. There was something that intrigued me about the logo being stuck in the jaws of a T-Rex. When I went to watch it for the first time I got terrified. It wasn't until my dad made me watch the behind the scenes featurette that I finally watched the film. The rest is prehistory. Most of my toys growing up were related to Jurassic Park. Some of the fondest memories I had with my father were related to Jurassic Park. Most of my young life I was waiting for two things: a fourth Jurassic and a second Incredibles. Luckily, we got both. Sadly my Dad wouldn't be around to see any of them. Rewind to 2015 and Jurassic World was coming out. Everyone else was excited for Force Awakens, but I was excited for Jurassic. It's a good thing I loved the movie. By no means was it perfect, but it reminded me of the movies my Dad and I would watch. That's why I'm so protective of these movies. Not only is the first Jurassic Park a piece of phenomenal filmmaking, but it kind of defined me. Boy that was a lot, now let's talk about the movie!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is directed by J.A. Bayona and stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, and Isabella Sermon. It's been a few years since the park closed down and a volcano threatens every dinosaur on the island. Claire (Howard) and Owen (Pratt) must now save every dinosaur that's still alive while the threat of the volcano looms overhead. With all of that out of the way, let's dive into the review!

There are a lot of things to love in Fallen Kingdom. One of them is the opening. I don't want to give too much away, but it's one of the best in the series. Another thing I really liked was Owen, who has now put the park behind him and is living on his own. I thought his character in the last movie was interesting because I really liked the idea of someone trying to studying and trying to train Velociraptors. That idea could've been garbage, but the way it was executed was really well done. The raptors trust Owen, but they're not pets. Pratt did a great job (again) of playing this character. He has a dry sense of humor and is very intelligent. He's able to think on the fly. I also really liked his relationship with Claire. It shows through the performances of Pratt and Howard that they are friends. Claire knows how to deal with Owen's bs. She has also grown as a character. In the last movie she only saw the dinosaurs as things, not as living, breathing animals. In this one, she really cares for their well-being. The relationship I liked the most was between Owen and Blue, the last remaining member of the raptor pack from the last movie. This film really shows how he cared for her and how the relationship developed. J.A. Bayona said that Steven Spielberg told him that these films would really explore the bond between Blue and Owen. It was very well done. If that relationship didn't come across as genuine, a good portion of this movie wouldn't work. Another great thing about this movie is the dinosaurs. A lot of fan-favorites come back, like the T-Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Brachiosaurus. There are also a few new additions too. They all look and sound great. I watched the movie in IMAX and I wanted to reach out to pet their scaly skin. It was as if I was transported to this island. Once the second half of the movie starts, a new hybrid dinosaur is introduced: the Indoraptor. It's very intelligent and highly deadly. What I loved about this movie is how Bayona built tension. When the Indoraptor shows up, the movie turns into a kind of horror film. I was tensed up several times during the movie. Bayona has to be applauded for this. It added something new to the Jurassic films. Another thing Bayona needs to be applauded for is how gorgeous this movie looks. I want a lot the scenes framed in my room. These movies are about dinosaurs, yes, but they also have deeper themes. There's a very important one that's explored here. This movie shows just how greedy humans can be, and how we'll do anything to attain that wealth. That's what I really dug about the movie.

Even though I really dug this movie, there are a few negatives. Many critics say that they liked the first half, but not the second. I was confused because I liked the second half a lot more. The first part isn't bad, it just took a little while to get going. I wanted them to spend some more time on the island too. Some scenes are very unrealistic (Pratt outrunning pyroclastic flow), but it never gets to Fast and The Furious levels of ridiculous. Some characters do some pretty stupid things too. I won't spoil it for you guys though. For all of the Jeff Goldblum fans out there, I have some bad news. He's barely in the movie. I was disappointed with this because I loved Ian Malcolm and I was excited to see him again. Going in, I knew he wouldn't be in it much, but it's still a bummer. The next criticism doesn't have to do with the movie but the marketing. The trailers and commercials showed way too much. Bayona would expertly build the tension in a scene, but I would realize that someone would be ok because it was already shown. I absolutely hate when movies do this.

To sum everything up, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was a helluva ride. It had a kick-ass opening, interesting characters like Owen and Claire, an interesting bond between Owen and Blue, and the dinosaurs were awesome. The second half of the movie is where the film really shines because of how well Bayona builds tension with the Indoraptor. There are also several gorgeous shots in this movie. The film also shows how dangerous humans can be when it comes to greed. Sadly, the movie takes a little bit to get going, not a lot of time is spent on the island, some scenes aren't very realistic, and there's a lack of Jeff Goldblum. The commercials also showed a lot of the movie, but that isn't the film's fault. I really dug this movie and if I were to rate it, I'd give Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom an 8.5/10. There's also a post-credits scene, but it isn't like Marvel where it's absolutely vital that you see it. It's still pretty cool though. I can't wait to see where the third one goes!