JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM: MORE DINOSAURS, LESS HUMANS PLEASE
I wanted to love this movie. I wanted it to be the perfect summer blockbuster- action packed and exciting and thrilling down to the last scene. And it could have been. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had the bones for a great movie but in the end something about it didn't add up.
The premise is simple- what happens to the dinosaurs, and humanity, after the fall of Jurassic World? It is a strength of the film that it tries to answer this question realistically and for a sequel it initially does a good job of building off of the events and consequences of the first film. However, what could have been a great story about the human struggle for power becomes too big too fast, setting itself up for a ridiculous final act that is essentially a montage of one near miss after another-none of them particularly enjoyable. When the characters finally get themselves out of the corner they are backed into it is rather anticlimactic and left me feeling unsure of what had even happened.
The problem of this film really lies with the characters and specifically with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Both actors were stand outs in the first Jurassic World. Howard's Claire Dearing had brains and wit and was pretty fearless. In this new film she's always either crying over a dinosaur or trembling in fear. It's a bit ridiculous considering what a boss her character was when we first meet her. Pratt is no better. Maybe it is because we have been in the Chris Pratt's A Movie Star Era for too long, but the charm and presence he had in the first film now seems contrived and lackluster. It's as if his only direction is to smolder, make a witty comment, and smolder some more. I'm not sure how it's possible to enjoy watching a movie while being annoyed of the two main characters, but here we are!
At the end of the day, this movie is what it is: a summer blockbuster that ultimately serves as a bridge between the first film and the planned third movie. It isn't all bad-there is a lot of action and it's fast paced enough to be entertaining. The dinosaurs are the best part and it's fun to see a few new species. If only there had been more dinosaurs and less humans.