Ian Malcolm, Jeff Goldblum’s iconic character from the original series, is back (much older, but charismatic as ever, even if it is for three minutes... yay!) in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and is arguing for the dinosaurs to die their natural death.
Of course, Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Deering (nope, I still don’t like her) has no intention of heeding nature’s warning and embarks on a mission to create a Noah’s Ark for dinosaurs from Isla Nubar when a volcano erupts threatening the life of the dinosaurs roaming wild. What gets my goat (there are a few sacrificed to dinos in this one) is that her primary argument (and it appears to convince people in high places) seems to be that children will grow up in a world without dinosaurs. Well, we’ve survived millions of years without them. And more importantly, doesn’t she know that they could eat children for breakfast?!
The way the film begins — a very Spielbergian scenario with the perfect amount of suspense and incredibly tense, edge-of-the-seat dino action (even though I just knew when the mosasaurus would make an appearance) — is very promising. And every single man-versus-dino-followed-by-man-versus-bigger-dino sequence follows that trend. If only the same could be said for the story, most of the actors and the film in general.
There are three things that make the film worth it — the dinosaurs (though they somehow seem tamer and less threatening than before, but hey they are still dinosaurs!); gorgeous, jaw-dropping shots of Isla Nubar, yes, but particularly of the dinosaurs (especially that of the brachiosaurus with the burning island in the background); and Chris Pratt.
Pratt is in form as raptor-whisperer Owen Grady and the videos of him interacting with a baby Blue is one of the highlights of the film. Can’t say the same for Howard, who despite being spunkier, is still just not worth investing in. The lack of chemistry between Pratt and Howard makes many a joke fall flat. And the new characters Zia Rodriguez and Franklin Webb hardly make a ripple enough to care.
There are so many things about this film that makes no sense. So, Howard’s character is motivated to save the dinosaurs because of children (!), Maisie lets them loose because they had no choice in being brought alive and have a right to remain so, but what is Owen’s motivation? To save Blue? But where would he keep Blue? In a shed by his cabin? She is a velociraptor for heaven’s sake! Why does the T-Rex, who devours people indiscriminately, always end up saving Owen and his humans? How many times will we see Blue getting reacquainted with and then saying goodbye to Owen? Why isn’t there more of Ian Malcolm? His humour would have added a much-needed spark. Why is no one talking about how letting dinosaurs loose in the mainland will destroy the ecosystem (though that last scene of the T-rex breaking into a zoo and facing off with a lion gives us a hint)? I can just hear Ian saying, “Boy, I do hate being right all the time”.
I can’t deny the dinosaurs had me cringing (in a way that bodes well for the film), and Blue had me clapping (couldn’t have pictured that when I watched Jurassic Park as a child), and there are some good thrills and a few genuine laughs, but if they don’t think a little harder about the story for the next one, this franchise is going to go the way the dinosaurs have. To quote the original film — “Dinosaurs had their shot, and nature selected them for extinction”. But, then again, as Ian said in the original, “Life finds a way”, and he is usually right.
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