Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

After "Jurassic World" made $1,671,713,208 at the worldwide box office (which, to the uninformed, is a lot), a sequel was inevitable.

"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" is that expected continuation; it's loud, explosive and entertaining. The best way to describe "Fallen Kingdom" is that it's a stereotypical blockbuster. It features gigantic set-pieces, intense sequences and plenty of fantastic special effects.

The film is split into two sections: the destruction of Isla Nublar and the Haunted House with Dinos. I enjoyed and respected that "Fallen Kingdom" (mostly) strayed from the well-trodden tropes of the "Jurassic" franchise.

The volcanic action in the abandoned Jurassic World was exactly what you'd expect from an action/disaster movie. People run, scream and are thrown into various perilous situations. I enjoyed this section, the action was thrilling and the cinematography eye-widening.

These highly-charged sequences ended in a surprisingly heartbreaking fashion. I applaud the filmmakers for including such a somber moment into a blockbuster of this nature that felt earned and important. Burning the island to the ground was a bold and dramatic move that absolutely paid off, leaving "Fallen Kingdom" to pave the way for new and intriguing ideas.

The scenes set inside the Lockwood mansion were the highlights of the movie. The operatic direction provided possibly the most spine-chilling moments of the entire franchise. There were exciting twists and turns that I won't spoil here, terrifying moments and haunting imagery.

The horror-tinged sequences were clearly inspired by classic horror films, "Fallen Kingdom" seems far more invested in these smaller scale scenes than the explosive Isla Nublar sequences.

The problem with the divide between the blow-out action and the quieter terror of the Mansion scenes is that the movie feels disjointed. The first half of "Fallen Kingdom" is a completely different beast to the second half. I enjoyed both sections, but they didn't combine particularly well in my opinion.

The film raises an issue that I’ve had with blockbusters for a long time, that when a movie has so many sequences of prolonged suspense, the audience becomes numb to any tension.

There are only so many times I can see a dinosaur chasing screaming people or watch characters in sustained peril without becoming exhausted and indifferent towards the emotions of the movie. “Fallen Kingdom” never offers any break from the constant intensity; it lacks the fascinating dialogue of the original that offered as relief from the action. I believe that the movie had “jokes” in it, but I don’t recall laughing during any of them.

The cast of "Fallen Kingdom" are serviceable, no actor really stood out. Chris Pratt was as charismatic as ever, Bryce Dallas Howard was ok. I was very disappointed that Jeff Goldblum was given next to nothing to do, all he does is sit in a boardroom and give two monologues. This was a huge letdown for someone who couldn't wait to see the best character in the series return (the writers were so convinced that they could bring back Ian Malcolm, they didn't stop to ask whether they should.)

It is a shame that the film's marketing spoilt nearly all of it's runtime, most of the beats of the plot and jaw-dropping shots would have been far more effective if I hadn't already seen them in every trailer, TV spot, poster or on the side of a bus.

It continues to amaze me that the "Jurassic" franchise is marketed towards children (buy your child a pair of "Fallen Kingdom" glasses at Specsavers or gift them with some "Jurassic World" Duplo this Christmas!) I'm obviously not a parent, but I think that letting a young child watch "Fallen Kingdom" is irresponsible, unless you believe that sleeping is overrated.

I think the best film to compare "Fallen Kingdom" with is "Star Wars: The Last Jedi",(this can be taken as positive or negative depending on your opinions of that film.)

This is because both movies take their billon dollar franchises in new and surprising directions that may divide fans ("The Last Jedi" certainly did.) The ideas that "Fallen Kingdom" sets up for it's sequel are intriguing, which excites me for the upcoming follow-up.

Overall, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" is an entertaining action/adventure movie that had enough thrills and chills to keep me enthralled. It's certainly better than the forgettable "The Lost World" and the abysmal "Jurassic Park 3" but leaps and bounds behind the outstanding original. Whilst "Jurassic World" was more enjoyable, "Fallen Kingdom" was far more creative, unique and unexpected!