Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Movie Review

Michael Crichton is my favorite author of all time. I have read the majority of his books and have not been disappointed with anything he has written. Even the more recent posthumous books that didn't seem to get as warm a reception as his earlier works. Some readers might rank Jurrasic Park as Crichton's best novel, with Lost World not far behind. I really enjoyed those books, but probably liked Eaters of the Dead (The 13th Warrior) better. Crichton's legacy is much greater than the Jurassic novels, but those seem to be the ones film producers want to keep making. Maybe because the story lends itself to new iterations. However, every story has a limit. You can only squeeze so many sequels out before you begin to lose quality. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom falls into that category. I don't know if they have quite jumped the shark but this film is coming awfully close.

With things going off-track at Jurassic Park, the public seems to have lost their infatuation for dinosaurs. The now abandoned island was built atop an active volcano threatening the de-extinct species with a second extinction level event. The public doesn't care much to save the dinosaurs, outside a small group of activists lobbying Congress to intervene. Congress ultimately side-steps the issue by claiming they are not responsible for events on a private island involving a privately funded science experiment.

Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) leads the charge to save the dinosaurs. Her intimate connection with them remains intact. When Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) calls with an offer to help save the dinosaurs, Claire jumps at the opportunity. Eli asks Claire to enlist the aid of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to capture Blue, a raptor with exceptional intelligence. When the team arrives at the staging area, they are met by (Ken Wheatley) Ted Levine, who runs the security aspects of the operation. As the excursion sets underway, the team is faced with a battle on two fronts. A trembling volcano that seems ready to erupt at any moment, and a security team that appears to have an ulterior motive. Survival of the dinosaurs is not the only survival at stake.

This script was created by Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow based on the original novels by Crichton. The pair worked together with the team of writers who created Lost World. The rest of their work is unknown or forgettable. I'm a bit surprised that they are being tapped to write yet another sequel in this series. The writing was hackneyed at best. The characters were one-dimensional, the script was predictable and the story was all over the place. While there are some solid action sequences, the story felt contrived and ridiculous. I wanted to like this film, but there wasn't much for me to like beyond the great CGI.

Aside from being a fan of Michael Crichton's work, I am also a fan of Chris Pratt's. He has come a long way from Parks and Recreation. He infused the film with his personality, which helped. Howard comes from great stock. Her father, Ron Howard, would never have touched this film. I like her as well, and felt that the chemistry between her and Pratt worked. The film also featured Isabella Sermon as Maisie Lockwood, granddaughter of Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) who set the whole Jurassic project in motion. She was excellent in her debut role. I think we will see more of her in the future. The casting was solid.

It is hard to discuss Jurassic World without addressing the CGI. With a budget of 170 million (and reported as high as 250 million by some outlets), the film did not suffer from any budget restrictions. I have to scratch my head when I see films like this shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars on special effects while ignoring the fundamentals. A good script will trump great special effects every time. At least for true movie fans. I wish they would have spent a little more time putting together a good story. This one felt half-baked. Maybe they felt like they had a deadline and rushed things. They already have another film slated for 2019, this should have gotten this one right first. Having said that, the CGI was pure eye candy. It was seamlessly constructed so that the action scenes blended CGI and real action into tense visual experiences. I watched in 2D on a regular screen and still felt pulled into the action. In IMax, it is likely a visual treat. If you care more about effects than plot, you will enjoy this film immensely.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is rated PG-13 by the MPAA. The film had a few rather graphic depictions of death. It is a violent film that includes the death of dinosaurs as well as humans. That is the nature of this series. In some respects, it is the natural cycle of life in a world where humans are challenged for the top spot in the food chain. There was also a sadistic character who liked to abuse animals. While it was not excessive, and it was obviously simulated, it may disturb some younger viewers. The film has some solid action scenes that absorb viewers and may be intense for some viewers. I thought the film found the right balance with the violence and wouldn't worry much about kids watching this film.

I was disappointed by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. There was a lot of potential here. While I enjoyed the tense moments of this film, it felt like a lot of time was spent on the set up, which was pretty weak at best. The writing seemed more a vehicle for the special effects rather than having effects support great writing. That's not the best recipe for a film. It is lazy. It is what we expect when Hollywood is simply trying to cash in on a franchise. This film is crushing the box office right now and has likely already broken even. So I guess lazy writing pays off. Unfortunately, this film is an insult to Crichton's legacy. If I took that into consideration, I would probably give this film a non-recommendation. But I will base the film on its cinematic value alone. 6/10. Wait for video.

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