By Nadia Ranaputri
Director: J.A. Bayona
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones.
The very first Jurassic Park has a very special place in my heart. Back in kindergarten, I used to come over to my friend's house and watch it repeatedly with him. Somehow, we never got bored of it. The magic was always there, no matter how much we've seen each sequence. It's a timeless piece of film, and remains as one of my fondest childhood trinkets. Now, it has become a franchise of its own, with the second and the third following closely after the first one. Then 2015 brought us Jurassic World, in the hopes of giving the franchise a fresh concept and a new cast. Fast forward to 2018, and we have its long awaited sequel, Fallen Kingdom.
Three years after the fall of Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom begins with the ruined Isla Nublar and the remains of the abandoned park, whilst the predecessor's two leads, Owen and Claire; both have different occupations and duties. This of course, is intervened by the sudden active volcano of Isla Nublar that threatens to destroy the island and its remaining dinosaurs; leaving the world to question the safety of the dinosaurs and their right to live. Claire, now an active activist for the protection of the dinosaurs; is enlisted for a rescue mission to evacuate the dinosaurs from the island. This leads her to pursue her former co-worker Owen, an expert on raptor behavior. But what they didn't know was the real sinister reason behind the rescue mission, which they discover once they're on the island.
If it's one thing that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has spectacularly delivered, it's the roars. Fallen Kingdom is fully aware that the dinosaurs are what we're here for, and the tension is raised here. There's more of the familiar scares, and there are some pretty damn good scares here than in the first Jurassic World. Once the dinosaurs are out, the film really gets going and relishes its dino-filled fiesta with tension-filled sequences that are genuinely thrilling and boisterous. Fallen Kingdom has much more of the tension-filled sequences that are brilliantly executed, and nearly succeeding in creating the same kind of tension that the first Jurassic Park is well known for, like a scene where Claire and Owen attempt to hide from a dinosaur that plays out like the kitchen scene with the raptors in the first Jurassic Park. Then they would also throw in some fun sequences like our two leads attempting to draw the blood of a sleeping T-Rex.
And the visuals are spectacular. Despite being an action packed dino ride, Fallen Kingdom presents some of the best cinematography it has to offer. There are a couple of beautiful shots that the film lingers upon, like the shadow of a dinosaur looming over a wooden horse toy, or a shot of a brachiosaurus being consumed by the ashes of the island's active volcano, and that's just some of them. Given that the film's director, J.A Bayona has some experience with horror, Fallen Kingdom has some appealingly horrific imagery that takes the tension and visual spectacle of the action adventure to another level. This makes the sequences far more enjoyable as it adds a visual spectacle in what could have been only a fun and edge-off-your-seat romp.
Our two leading protagonists, Owen and Claire, have a mature progression in this installment, having different occupations since the fall of Jurassic World. Claire is the head of the Dinosaur Protection Group, fighting for the evacuation and safety of Isla Nublar's breed of surviving dinosaurs, while Owen is busy building his own shack far from the bustling roads and city. There's some good chemistry between the two actors, but that doesn't mean it eventually transcends fully to the characters and the arc that they go through together, particularly if it's meant to be romantic. But fear not, there are more interesting supporting characters this time around (not including its antagonists though), with the appearance of two members from Claire's Dinosaur Protection Group, one being a doctor as well as an expert in dino biology (or paleoveterinarian as she calls it) and a software analyst. The two supporting characters add some much needed variation to the story, providing their skill set and their roles in driving the story alongside our leads.
When the first Jurassic World focuses on the fun of the park, Fallen Kingdom focuses on the much more dire things like whether or not dinosaurs should have the same rights to live as any other living creature on earth. Fallen Kingdom attempts to emphasize on the more sympathetic and human part of the dinosaurs rather than them being used for the entertainment of others. The active volcano on Isla Nublar is only one, if not half, of the two main arcs in the film. As Owen and Claire assist the others on their dino rescue mission, there's a much more sinister intention behind the rescue mission. Think of it as the saying, "out of the frying pan and into the fire." That's essentially what these dinos are getting into. Perhaps though, this is also one of the film's weaknesses in some ways, its execution of the more serious and darker elements of the story. Jurassic World was simply a ride, but Fallen Kingdom dismisses that this time around for a more deeper story.
However, of course the execution isn't all that satisfying, despite its efforts. In some ways, it looks as if it could fall to the same pit as Jurassic Park II and III in failing to execute its more serious aspects and what could have been a different and unique kind of concept. Not to mention some obvious twists that perhaps one may have already seen from a mile away, especially with the reveal of its big bad. The antagonist of the film, unsurprisingly not limited to only a dinosaur, is the equally unsurprising reveal of an evil military cooperation that seeks to use the dinosaurs as a weapon of destruction. Wonder where we've seen that before...oh wait, that was the same formula given to the antagonist of the first Jurassic World film. The human antagonists have literally learnt nothing from its predecessor, which makes it repetitive and pretty boring to see.
Overall verdict: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom still excels in creating some damn good scares and compelling tension. When the roars start, that's when the film truly gets going. The supporting characters are much more appealing this time around, playing as equally vital of a role as our leads, but its execution of its serious elements is not as compelling as its other aspects. The big bads of the film really feel like a copy of Vincent D'Onofrio's character and his motivations in the first Jurassic World film, except that this time, the villains are slightly one step ahead of D'Onofrio; and the execution of a darker element to the film is not as satisfying as hoped. But simply put, however bland or unsatisfying the execution of the much more concerning message that the film is trying to convey, Fallen Kingdom still has a much more compelling way of creating tension and at least still an appreciated attempt at actually adding some depth to the franchise.
Stars: 3/5
Trailer
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| Image source: The Indian Express |
Director: J.A. Bayona
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones.
The very first Jurassic Park has a very special place in my heart. Back in kindergarten, I used to come over to my friend's house and watch it repeatedly with him. Somehow, we never got bored of it. The magic was always there, no matter how much we've seen each sequence. It's a timeless piece of film, and remains as one of my fondest childhood trinkets. Now, it has become a franchise of its own, with the second and the third following closely after the first one. Then 2015 brought us Jurassic World, in the hopes of giving the franchise a fresh concept and a new cast. Fast forward to 2018, and we have its long awaited sequel, Fallen Kingdom.
Three years after the fall of Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom begins with the ruined Isla Nublar and the remains of the abandoned park, whilst the predecessor's two leads, Owen and Claire; both have different occupations and duties. This of course, is intervened by the sudden active volcano of Isla Nublar that threatens to destroy the island and its remaining dinosaurs; leaving the world to question the safety of the dinosaurs and their right to live. Claire, now an active activist for the protection of the dinosaurs; is enlisted for a rescue mission to evacuate the dinosaurs from the island. This leads her to pursue her former co-worker Owen, an expert on raptor behavior. But what they didn't know was the real sinister reason behind the rescue mission, which they discover once they're on the island.
If it's one thing that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has spectacularly delivered, it's the roars. Fallen Kingdom is fully aware that the dinosaurs are what we're here for, and the tension is raised here. There's more of the familiar scares, and there are some pretty damn good scares here than in the first Jurassic World. Once the dinosaurs are out, the film really gets going and relishes its dino-filled fiesta with tension-filled sequences that are genuinely thrilling and boisterous. Fallen Kingdom has much more of the tension-filled sequences that are brilliantly executed, and nearly succeeding in creating the same kind of tension that the first Jurassic Park is well known for, like a scene where Claire and Owen attempt to hide from a dinosaur that plays out like the kitchen scene with the raptors in the first Jurassic Park. Then they would also throw in some fun sequences like our two leads attempting to draw the blood of a sleeping T-Rex.
 |
| Image source: Universal Pictures, Variety |
Our two leading protagonists, Owen and Claire, have a mature progression in this installment, having different occupations since the fall of Jurassic World. Claire is the head of the Dinosaur Protection Group, fighting for the evacuation and safety of Isla Nublar's breed of surviving dinosaurs, while Owen is busy building his own shack far from the bustling roads and city. There's some good chemistry between the two actors, but that doesn't mean it eventually transcends fully to the characters and the arc that they go through together, particularly if it's meant to be romantic. But fear not, there are more interesting supporting characters this time around (not including its antagonists though), with the appearance of two members from Claire's Dinosaur Protection Group, one being a doctor as well as an expert in dino biology (or paleoveterinarian as she calls it) and a software analyst. The two supporting characters add some much needed variation to the story, providing their skill set and their roles in driving the story alongside our leads.
When the first Jurassic World focuses on the fun of the park, Fallen Kingdom focuses on the much more dire things like whether or not dinosaurs should have the same rights to live as any other living creature on earth. Fallen Kingdom attempts to emphasize on the more sympathetic and human part of the dinosaurs rather than them being used for the entertainment of others. The active volcano on Isla Nublar is only one, if not half, of the two main arcs in the film. As Owen and Claire assist the others on their dino rescue mission, there's a much more sinister intention behind the rescue mission. Think of it as the saying, "out of the frying pan and into the fire." That's essentially what these dinos are getting into. Perhaps though, this is also one of the film's weaknesses in some ways, its execution of the more serious and darker elements of the story. Jurassic World was simply a ride, but Fallen Kingdom dismisses that this time around for a more deeper story.
 |
| Image source: Comic Book Movie |
However, of course the execution isn't all that satisfying, despite its efforts. In some ways, it looks as if it could fall to the same pit as Jurassic Park II and III in failing to execute its more serious aspects and what could have been a different and unique kind of concept. Not to mention some obvious twists that perhaps one may have already seen from a mile away, especially with the reveal of its big bad. The antagonist of the film, unsurprisingly not limited to only a dinosaur, is the equally unsurprising reveal of an evil military cooperation that seeks to use the dinosaurs as a weapon of destruction. Wonder where we've seen that before...oh wait, that was the same formula given to the antagonist of the first Jurassic World film. The human antagonists have literally learnt nothing from its predecessor, which makes it repetitive and pretty boring to see.
Overall verdict: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom still excels in creating some damn good scares and compelling tension. When the roars start, that's when the film truly gets going. The supporting characters are much more appealing this time around, playing as equally vital of a role as our leads, but its execution of its serious elements is not as compelling as its other aspects. The big bads of the film really feel like a copy of Vincent D'Onofrio's character and his motivations in the first Jurassic World film, except that this time, the villains are slightly one step ahead of D'Onofrio; and the execution of a darker element to the film is not as satisfying as hoped. But simply put, however bland or unsatisfying the execution of the much more concerning message that the film is trying to convey, Fallen Kingdom still has a much more compelling way of creating tension and at least still an appreciated attempt at actually adding some depth to the franchise.
Stars: 3/5
Trailer
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