Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

I've been a fan of Jurassic Park since I first saw it years ago, so I took the return of the giant lizards in the form of a new trilogy as a great and fresh idea. I loved the first Jurassic World! The second didn't win me as much sympathy as its predecessor on first viewing, but after the second screening I found myself liking the film more. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS!) Technically, it is a work of craftsmanship and quality, which is expected for this brand. I was intrigued by the moral level of the film, dealing with whether artificially created dinosaurs have the right to live, or whether they should go extinct for a second time. While the first half of the film takes you back to the park, where I liked the idea of the erupting island (the scene with the dinosaurs and actors fleeing the erupting volcano was excellent, and I take the shot of the moaning brachiosaurus left on the dying island as one of the most powerful moments in the entire franchise), the second half relies heavily on the cramped confines of a big house, which turns into a slaughterhouse in one awkward moment. The first Jurassic World had the Indominus Rex, the second installment introduced the Indoraptor, whose presence made for some atmospherically creepy moments (the scene in Maisie's room is one that no horror film should be ashamed of, and I felt a whiff of the director's previous film, The Orphanage). Overall, I liked the sequences with the dinosaurs arriving on the scene, like the opening with the mosasaur and the T-Rex. I also enjoyed the small cameo by Jeff Goldblum, who had that moralising function in the film. As I mentioned, I had mixed feelings about Fallen Kingdom after the first screening, but after a second viewing I give the film a weaker four stars. (12/23/2018)

It was fun. Though the film is not so effective as a work that is supposed to somehow fundamentally develop the potential and values of its universe ("Life Finds a Way" just doesn't cut it any more), at least it’s perfect as an ultra-expensive fanmade product of Spielberg's legacy. The way it throws you into the plot is downright orgasmic, the story doesn't falter in the space of two hours, and Bayona proves in every scene with the toothy beauties how great a visual expert he is, turning even otherwise routine moments into unadulteratedly powerful (the brontosaurus on the pier) or suspenseful filmmaking (the final half-hour doesn't let up). And I really enjoyed uncovering all the respectful nods towards the first two episodes, which are sometimes obvious (the little girl snapping the hatch in front of the raptor at the last minute), sometimes more subtle on the level of similar shot angles or character positions, but never distracting or jarring. What bothered me, on the other hand, is the character work, which this time looks like from a B-movie, and the creators are lucky that at least the likeable cast can keep the audience's attention (both Pratt and Howard are excellent). And of course, the problem is the story itself – on the one hand, it’s well written in the sense of gradual escalation and, more importantly, in the sense of making the motifs more significant, using the initially hard-to-digest family element at a crucial moment in favour of a logically justifiable twist; but on the other hand, it feels much more contrived and artificial than the overly criticized The Lost World, and it involves genetic machinations of such a magnitude that we feel like we're in a Bradbury anti-utopia; and I personally found the aforementioned twist annoying. In sum, however, perhaps surprisingly, satisfaction prevails over a mature and atmospheric adventure, where every dollar invested is positively visible, and whose magnificent climax made me sincerely look forward to the trilogy's conclusion. 70% (06/26/2018)

Bayona filmed a kid’s nightmare. A dinosaur in the bedroom! I’m pleasantly surprised that this sequel wasn’t conceived just as a cash grab and that they cooked up a story that fairly original to the extent possible. Though it's full of illogical actions and human stupidity, it's also entertaining (both the opening with the volcano and the chase around the Victorian house). The ending offers an interesting promise for the future. I’m already looking forward to part 3. (09/07/2018)

When you write something so perfectly stupid, you do it either out of incompetence or with creative intent. I give precedence to the second option because Bayona knows where his horror roots lie and thus deftly guides the camera and the special effects, and the actors declaiming like hell and notching clichés into the seat in front of you will stop entertaining you after an hour. However, the slight genre detour with the slamming of the ferry doors works in its favor, and while there are no surprises, it is at times as suspenseful and bloody as its rating will allow. The rain ropes have been passé for a while now, and I would have left 20 minutes on the cutting room floor, but the feeling of a high-octane ride where both lava bombing and sneaking around in the dark work, and which still finishes decently enough a couple of hours after leaving the movie theater, eventually washes it away. (06/27/2018)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the summer, unfortunately it flopped and earned itself the biggest disappointment of the year. Colin Trevorrow delighted most of us with his 2015 debut, but the sequel has been taken on by veteran director J.A. Bayona, and ironically fared worse, which is a shame because his previous The Impossible and The Orphanage are very good genre films. Almost nothing works in this sequel. I'm not going to praise the visuals, because they are a given and I can't really praise anything else. Story-wise, the film is uninteresting, unnecessarily talky with uninteresting characters (Chris Pratt is no longer likeable, he’s annoying), the T-Rex shows up for a total of two minutes, and the finale, which should be scary, is rather laughable and annoying because of the little girl squealing constantly for about half an hour. The only scene worth mentioning is the volcano eruption and the dinosaurs escape, but I find that rather underwhelming from a film that cost 170m to make. The final seconds nicely tease a third installment, which Trevorrow will take on again, so hopefully it will turn out better. A better average for the return of the dinosaurs although they don't have that much space here. Tired, tedious, lacking pace, adrenaline and suspense, I didn't expect such a blow. 60% (06/12/2018)