Three years ago, we were gifted with the new franchise entry Jurassic World, a film that broke records and stole my heart. It was a beautiful love letter to the original films, deeply rooted in nostalgia, but it also amped up the action and gave us a new set of characters to fall in love with. I loved every minute of it, and never wanted it to end.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a completely new monster. This carries the basic DNA of what we expect from a Jurassic movie, but takes it to crazy new heights, relying very little on nostalgia or setup from earlier installments. New director J.A. Bayona brings a new perspective to the sweeping action set pieces and a dark, riveting tone that isn't present in any of the other franchise entries. The ensemble cast, including Chris Pratt's charismatic Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing, and (my personal favorite) newcomer Isabella Sermon's Maisie Lockwood, all bring something to the table that fits together in a nice cohesive way thanks to a lot of onscreen chemistry. Maisie is the anchor of film's twisty story, and she is just downright adorable unlike some of the annoying children this series is known for. Depending on how you look at it, the real stars are the dinosaurs and special effects, which are the best they've ever been. This one feels like a love letter to the dinosaurs themselves in more than one respect. Best of all, though: this might be my favorite sequel since the original Jurassic Park.
The opening sequence alone made me fall in love with the film almost immediately, already setting up the scarier tone and feel. This movie has such a large scope that it dwarfs any other Jurassic film in that way. It just feels bigger, and of course it's extremely entertaining. The action pace is nonstop, but Bayona also gifts us with beautiful and tender shots (there's one in particular that broke my heart) and great character beats. The claustrophobic setting of the film's second half is atmospheric gothic horror meets creature feature. It's something I never thought I would say about any Jurassic film, but it felt exciting and new and certainly nothing like what we've seen previously.
Fallen Kingdom is a dark, explosive blockbuster that takes the series in an exciting new direction and I absolutely loved it. It expands the scope of the series in such a way that it feels like there is so much more story left to tell here. I can't wait to see it again, and I can't wait to see where this series will go next.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a completely new monster. This carries the basic DNA of what we expect from a Jurassic movie, but takes it to crazy new heights, relying very little on nostalgia or setup from earlier installments. New director J.A. Bayona brings a new perspective to the sweeping action set pieces and a dark, riveting tone that isn't present in any of the other franchise entries. The ensemble cast, including Chris Pratt's charismatic Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing, and (my personal favorite) newcomer Isabella Sermon's Maisie Lockwood, all bring something to the table that fits together in a nice cohesive way thanks to a lot of onscreen chemistry. Maisie is the anchor of film's twisty story, and she is just downright adorable unlike some of the annoying children this series is known for. Depending on how you look at it, the real stars are the dinosaurs and special effects, which are the best they've ever been. This one feels like a love letter to the dinosaurs themselves in more than one respect. Best of all, though: this might be my favorite sequel since the original Jurassic Park.
The opening sequence alone made me fall in love with the film almost immediately, already setting up the scarier tone and feel. This movie has such a large scope that it dwarfs any other Jurassic film in that way. It just feels bigger, and of course it's extremely entertaining. The action pace is nonstop, but Bayona also gifts us with beautiful and tender shots (there's one in particular that broke my heart) and great character beats. The claustrophobic setting of the film's second half is atmospheric gothic horror meets creature feature. It's something I never thought I would say about any Jurassic film, but it felt exciting and new and certainly nothing like what we've seen previously.
Fallen Kingdom is a dark, explosive blockbuster that takes the series in an exciting new direction and I absolutely loved it. It expands the scope of the series in such a way that it feels like there is so much more story left to tell here. I can't wait to see it again, and I can't wait to see where this series will go next.