Jurassic World is Frightening in the Dark

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By Tom Pacak

Growing up as a kid, I was a huge dinosaur buff. I would read books about them and learn about their survivals. My favorite dinosaur was the Trooden, the smallest dinosaur with a unique sense of intelligence.  I favorite movie growing up was Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." In fact, it was the first movie I remember watching that got me hooked on exploring the art of cinema. "Jurassic Park" is a landmark film in the Sci-Fi genre and the effects are better than most films out today. The toilet scene with the lawyer (Martin Ferrero) gets me every time! 





 Above is a picture of the Trooden. 

So having a huge bias for dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park series, I knew I was going to enjoy “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” I’m completely well aware that the sequels to Jurassic Park have lots of plot holes that are hard to ignore. Going into Fallen Kingdom, I knew exactly what I was getting into. Just a bunch of people getting chased and eaten by dinosaurs. “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is more of the same and mostly a good time. 

Set three years after the incident at Jurassic World, Isla Nublar has been abandoned. A volcanic eruption is set to wipe out the whole island and all of the dinosaurs located on it. The film plays politics and lets the audience decide if it’s smart to let these once extinct creatures die or save them. Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum, waste of a cameo) warns the Senate to shut down any rescue so society can stop playing God. Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) is now in charge of an animal advocacy group that believes the animals should be saved. Claire and her old partner Owen (Chris Pratt) get recruited by Ben Lockwood (James Cromwell) and Eli Millis (Rafe Spall).  They press on the two that the main objective is to get Blue (you’re my boy), the only velociraptor who survived the Jurassic World incident.

 The stupid factor goes up when Owen and Claire discover that Eli has sinister motivations for capturing these dinosaurs. I’ll give you a hint: think “Jurassic Park: Lost World.” Eli wants to sell these bad boys on the black market so foreign governments can use them in war and for personal gain. After a good first act getting the dinos off the island, the remainder is shown on US soil at Lockwood’s estate. Along the way, the duo has to avoid Eli and his mercenaries and protect Maisie (Isabella Sermon) Lockwood’s granddaughter.

Overall, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is a very fun time at the movies. The movie is just a dumb monster movie that will make you remember why you watch these movies, for the dinosaurs. Just try your best not to think about the plot and you’ll be fine. The film is, however, darker than previous installments.  The film features its first murder and also there’s a poignant scene where the crew leaves the island that features a lone cry from a Brachiosaurus who wasn’t lucky enough to get captured. I was surprisingly moved by it.

Director J.A. Bayona has achieved something great with this movie, by the end he’s managed to throw away the blueprint plots the other sequels had. It may not bring back memories of your love for the original but it’s enough for a hot summer night of buttery popcorn and mayhem! Ian Malcolm suggests at the end of the film that, “society will have to coexist with these dinosaurs.” This leaves an open door for another sequel that proves that maybe this franchise isn’t going extinct yet. Let’s pray it doesn't.



Rating: 3 stars out of 4


Note: Now Playing in Theaters

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