JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM REVIEWED
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” does what I’ve been hoping for a Jurassic Park sequel to do since the original. Get weird with the science and burn the extraneous dinosaurs to death. Director J.A. Bayona flexes the muscles he’s allowed by Universal to create something that will only irritate traditional fans. Hell, the volcano attack and dinosaurs escaping only makes him half of the movie. The other half is a semi-Gothic horror tale about genetic engineering and a child learning too much about her origins. Geraldine Chaplin gets a bit role to hammer out the character work.
The fact that this film is so evenly two different stories will only bother the nerds that can’t handle their culture becoming super mainstream. But, it’s also going to inspire a lot of bigger franchises to roll the dice on what they can do with their sequels. After all, how many times can we keep setting up parks to fail and hoping nostalgia paves the way for the rest? Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom tries something new and I can’t wait to see if the Box Office punishes them for it.
I’ve been tip-toeing around the big spoiler, as it will only alter your perception of the film. But, I will say to get ready. The longer I have thought about that dramatic reveal, the more I realize it changes everything for this world. What happens when giant dinosaurs stop being relevant when you have this nagging little development in the back? Hell, it dominated my thinking for the last thirty minutes of the movie. While talking to people that have seen the film already, about half let it pass them by.
But, the people who get the significance of this science breakthrough are obsessed. I’m stoked to see where a sequel goes from here. What has InGen been doing for the last 25 years? What can be explored in that wake? Hell, am I excited about Jurassic Park again? You betcha.
FILM STATS
- 2 hrs and 8 mins
- PG-13
- Universal