Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review

Good afternoon! I promised to give you a review for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. It was a highly anticipated film for many people. Does Fallen Kingdom live up to Jurassic Park’s reputation? Read my review and decide for yourself.
 
I’m going to start with a short plot synopsis. Fallen Kingdom takes place some time after the previous film ended. A live volcano threatens the lives of the dinosaurs who reside on Isla Nublar near Costa Rica. It will be an extinction level event for the dinosaurs unless human beings intervene and relocate them. A rescue team brings some of the dinosaurs back to the United States, but their problems aren’t finished yet. Profiteers auction the dinosaurs to international terrorists. Furthermore, a new hybrid called the Indoraptor was genetically engineered to be a biological weapon. Be prepared to see a lot of mayhem.
 
This film goes both ways for me. I definitely enjoy several elements. It has great entertainment value and fits really well in the Jurassic Park franchise. Fallen Kingdom is fun and exciting with cool action scenes. Periodically, it’s also quite suspenseful. I don’t like boring movies and this one certainly kept my attention. It has a decent mixture of storytelling and action. The films makers did a really good job with the dinosaurs. They’re legitimate characters in this movie. In fact, some of the dinosaurs almost had more substance than most of the human characters. There’s a big variety of dinosaurs, including a few that we didn’t see in earlier Jurassic Park films. Fallen Kingdom is definitely a creature feature.
 
I think the tone works really well. Sometimes it focuses more on suspense and scares. Other times, it includes some humor to break up the tension. I actually like the combination of humor versus suspense. It helps the pacing and makes the film seem less one dimensional. Besides, we’re talking about a movie with dinosaurs that are rampaging everywhere. I find it unrealistic to expect a completely serious tone from this type of movie.  
 
A couple things help the action scenes and more frightening moments. I believe the musical score, composed by Michael Giacchino, helps create a suspenseful atmosphere. It’s not the best overall composition, but the music is very appropriate for this particular film. The score also pushes the momentum forward in the action scenes. I'm also impressed with the sound mixing and editing. It's a great contribution to the excitement. Audiences don’t always think about music and sound mixing, but they’re very important elements for blockbuster movies.
 
I have to point out some negative elements. Fallen Kingdom has a lot of flaws, including some major plot holes. I can’t go into much detail because it will spoil the movie, but certain parts of the story weren’t very good. There’s always a big emphasis on genetic engineering in the Jurassic Park films, but many components don't make a lot of sense. I don’t usually have the highest standards for storytelling in action films, but the screen writer needed to fill in more elements.
 
Sometimes the movie is a bit over the top. I appreciate the periodic humor, but it becomes rather silly in certain scenes. There was a time when Jurassic Park was a scary franchise, but now it seems to be heading in a different direction. Fallen Kingdom rides on the cusp for me. It's not silly enough to be stupid. However, I still think it goes a little overboard.
 
The human characters need more development. They have enough screen time, but I don't feel particularly attached to anyone. It reminds me of Kong: Skull Island. The creatures are great and the people are simply average without any complexity or interesting elements. Owen Grady and Claire Dearing returned from the previous Jurassic World movie and they're fine, but not exceptional. Chris Pratt (Owen Grady) is always a terrific action star, but his character was probably more interesting in the previous film. Rafe Spall plays Eli Mills, a major antagonist in Fallen Kingdom. He’s quite bland, generic, and unthreatening.
 
It also has a really weird twist in the third act that seems out of place in the franchise. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but you’ll probably notice it when viewing the movie. Perhaps, Universal Studios is running out of ideas, so they might be adding new elements to the Jurassic Park films. The twist comes out of left field and I don’t understand the significance. Maybe it will have more context if they make another sequel.
 
Despite its flaws, I feel pretty forgiving to Fallen Kingdom. I thought it was a delightful experience and fans of fast paced blockbusters will probably like this film. There aren’t many films coming out this month, so I would recommend it. Fallen Kingdom might be too scary for young children. Viewers can probably be under thirteen years old, but just keep the scares in mind if you’re planning to take children to see this movie. I saw it on a deluxe screen and that probably enhanced the experience somewhat.
 
Thanks for visiting my blog. Have any of you guys seen Fallen Kingdom yet? Tell me what you thought about the experience in the comment section. I appreciate your support and watch out for next week’s post. Enjoy your night at the movies and try not to get eaten by any dinosaurs along the way.