There’s something about movie franchises that extend way beyond the usual three-part installment formula. Some feels too stretched, diluted. They seem to get lost along the way. Some movies will feel like a lost kid, trying to find his way home.
That’s exactly my concern coming into the cinema for “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”.
Luckily, there was no reason to be worried about that. J.A. Bayona has helmed a movie that captures almost the same awe-inspiring mood I experienced when I first saw the brachiosaurus in the first “Jurassic Park” movie in 1993.
There were plenty of encounters with the ginormous reptiles, which meant plenty of action. The first few minutes of the film offered one of the many shriek-inducing scenes in the 128-minute film: a classic, formulaic sequence that sets the tone for the entire movie.
Obviously, the special effects were on point. The dinosaurs were realistic-looking and that volcanic eruption scene had me holding my breath for quite a while.
That scene with Owen (Chris Pratt), Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Franklin (Justice Smith) trying to escape the disintegrating Isla Nubar was one of the edge-of-your-seat sequences that got us blurting out muffled gasps. And that’s good.
What I enjoyed about the action scenes in this movie is they put the characters in jeopardizing situations but they are not given convenient solutions to squeeze their way out of the trouble they’re in.
That meant Colin Trevorrow and Derek Conolly did a good job in penning the screenplay. The plot was well-paced and infused with enough action and, of course, drama. There were funny moments courtesy of Pratt. The good thing about it is they’re a lot more toned down, which gave Owen a more commanding presence, intimidating, even.
Dallas-Howard, on the other hand, provided the much-needed tenderness in this testoterone-filled movie. There’s so much running, explosion, and shooting, it’s important to scale back a little and remember that this movie is more than romping dinosaurs.
Claire leads a group of pro-dinosaurs and embarks on a dangerous mission to save the last of the species by taking them out of Isla Nubar, which is ten minutes away from total destruction thanks to its volcano.
This is where the movie’s heart is. There is one scene involving the brachiosaurus that is totally heart-breaking.
Claire and the rest of the gang soon realizes what they’ve gotten into. And that realization is costly. They now have to figure out a way to save themselves and the dinosaurs. But they are playing against massive forces.
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” doesn’t falter. It continuously revs up the experience and switch to a higher gear each time. By the end of the movie, you’ll feel like you’re in a wild, fast car ride and you’ve just taken a quick pit stop so you can catch your breath but you know that any minute from now, the car is ready to rev up once again.
Photo credits: Universal Pictures
