Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Detailed Review Notes

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review

Cast and Crew

• Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, James Cromwell
• Writers: Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow
• Director: J.A. Bayona

Initial Impressions

• One reviewer found the movie okay, with some fun action pieces, but not as good as previous installments.
• He appreciated the first Jurassic World movie more, finding it an exciting adventure.
• The sequel had good graphics and plenty of dinosaur action.
• If you like Chris Pratt, you'd probably like this movie.

Return to the VCR Repair Shop

• The reviewers are back in their familiar setting after exterminators dealt with a rat problem.

Overall Dislike and Bizarre Plot (Jay's Perspective)

• Jay did not like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
• He describes the film as bizarre, starting as a standard sequel and then abruptly changing direction.
• The movie shifts into a dinosaur-in-a-mansion story involving Texas oil moguls and a black market auction.
• He compares it to a dumb Roger Corman movie with a big budget.

Preference for the First Half (Mike's Perspective)

• Mike preferred the first half of the movie.
• Jay hated the first half, considering it a remake of The Lost World.
• The Lost World involved going back to Site B, with a character resembling a "great white hunter" replaced by a Buffalo Bill-like character.
• The plot of The Lost World included stealing dinosaurs, bringing out a T-Rex, and the T-Rex causing chaos, which is similar to this movie.

Problems with Retrofitting and Plot Convenience

• The aquatic dinosaur's location is changed for plot convenience.
• The reviewers criticize the film for events happening simply to drive the plot forward.

Bad Guys Want Dinosaurs

• The premise involves bad guys wanting dinosaurs.
• James Cromwell's character is introduced as a kindly old man similar to John Hammond.
• Cromwell's character states that John Hammond saw dinosaurs as beautiful creatures that should be left alone.
• This is ironic because Hammond operated a theme park and sold merchandise, implying he's the villain.

Jeff Goldblum's Role

• Jeff Goldblum's character appears briefly to reiterate his previous warnings about interfering with nature.
• "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

Tone and Visuals

• The movie feels like a Saturday morning cartoon show but is presented in an ultra-realistic, gloomy, dark style like a horror movie.
• Despite the dumb script, the movie is well-executed with cool shots and sequences, such as the gyrosphere scene.

Box Office Success and Spoilers

• The movie had already grossed over 700 million (nearing a billion) before its opening weekend in some markets, guaranteeing more sequels.

Over-Interference with Nature

• The script is unbelievably stupid, and the movie evokes the feeling of going into battle having known you've lost the war already.
• It raises the debate about how much to interfere with nature, which the first movie resolved.
• The sequels add this element but don't seem to care about the message.

Cartoonish Elements and Unexplained Aspects

• The film has cartoonish elements, such as a secret elevator to an underground genetics lab under James Cromwell's mansion.
• Cromwell is initially oblivious to the underground activities.

Corporate Villainy and Hybrid Dinosaurs

• A corporate white guy, once idealistic, sells out to exploit dinosaurs for profit.
• They plan to auction off dinosaurs to billionaires and create a new super hybrid dinosaur.
• BD Wong's character, a scientist from the original Jurassic Park, is now working for the bad guys to create a hybrid of a velociraptor.

Nebulous Plans and Lack of Solid Strategy

• The bad guys have nebulous plans for exploiting dinosaurs, but the plans lack concrete details.
• They auction off dinosaurs and create a super dinosaur called the Velociraptor hybrid.

Illogical Weaponization of Dinosaurs

• The villains want to weaponize the dinosaurs, but the plan is illogical.
• They suggest using a laser pointer and sonic frequency to control the dinosaur, which is less efficient than using a gun.
• The justification for using animals in combat is weak, referencing unrelated historical examples.

Indoraptor Contradictions

• The Indoraptor is introduced as highly intelligent, but its actions contradict this intelligence.
• It sets a trap by pretending to be passed out but then behaves like a crazed wild animal.
• In one scene, it smashes through a dinosaur skeleton, while in another, it quietly opens a door.
• This inconsistency undermines the portrayal of the Indoraptor's intelligence.

Unrelatable Protagonist and Chris Pratt's Character

• Chris Pratt's character lacks a relatable and likable quality.
• Bryce Dallas Howard's character is approached to rescue dinosaurs, despite their history of killing people.

Bryce Dallas Howard's Character

• The reviewers joke about the activists getting eaten by dinosaurs.
• Bryce Dallas Howard's character undergoes a character arc similar to the previous movie.
• The previous film had backlash for misogyny, so the filmmakers toned down her character in this sequel.

Introduction of Chris Pratt

• Chris Pratt's introduction lacks challenges or risk.
• His decision to join the mission is abrupt and unexplained.

Romantic Arc and Sexism

• The romantic arc between the characters mirrors the previous movie.
• There is a commentary on sexism when the veterinarian character stands up for herself against belittling remarks.
• The vet calls Chris Pratt a "beefcake", dehumanizing him.
• The writer may have included these elements as a commentary on the previous film's accusations of misogyny.

Meta Quality

• The filmmakers may be including meta-commentary, similar to the previous movie, in their approaches.
• The screenwriters add a close-up of Bryce Dallas Howard's character wearing boots to emphasize that she's not wearing high heels.

Story Issues and the Little Girl

• The film runs out of story and introduces the little girl.
• The little girl is revealed to be a clone of James Cromwell's daughter.
• The cloning plot point is never revisited.

The Ending Spoilers - Dinosaurs Released

• The ending involves dinosaurs being released into the world.
• Toxic gas fills the basement where the dinosaurs are held.
• Bryce Dallas Howard opens the cages, and the little girl hits the button to release all the dinosaurs.
• The little girl feels a connection to the dinosaurs because she is also a product of "tinkering with science."

Overlaid Dialougue and Accepting Dinosaurs

• The dialogue is overlaid with Jeff Goldblum's dialogue and everyone accepts living with dinosaurs.
• The ending is seen as stupid, with the little girl releasing the dinosaurs.
• The reviewers suggest an alternative ending where Mills hits the button as a last act of villainy.

Overall Recommendations

• One reviewer does not recommend the film, finding the second half bizarre and the first half terrible.
• The suggestion is made to leave after a certain point in the film.