Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2015) is directed by J.A. Bayona and written by Colin Trevorrow & Derek Connolly. It stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon, BD Wong, Geraldine Chaplin, and Jeff Goldblum. The story is set 3 years after the events of Jurassic World (2015), and sees Claire (Howard) once again enlist the aid of Owen (Pratt) in an effort to rescue the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar from being killed by an erupting volcano. Their mission eventually reunites them with Owen’s raptor buddy, Blue, who they discover is the key to a conspiracy involving the black market dinosaur trade. To stop those responsible, Owen & Claire’s team is forced to infiltrate and attempt to stop a secret auction that could seal a dark future for both humans and dinosaurs alike. 

Pratt and Howard do their best with such boring material, but fail to develop their characters in any significant way. Claire could’ve been more likable this time around, but the script does a complete 180 with her character, turning her into an obsessive animal rights activist. This isn’t an inherently bad direction to take the character, but it goes too far, making her come across as blindly obsessive, risking countless human lives to save a handful of dinosaurs. 

The supporting cast likewise falls completely flat. New additions, such as Justice Smith’s Franklin Webb, the designated comedic relief, are unoriginal and awkward. This includes Daniella Pineda’s character, who is unlikable and forgettable. The only two additions who are somewhat interesting are Rafe Spall and Ted Levine, but they play archetypes we’ve seen in the franchise previously. It’s a strong cast, but there isn’t a single interesting character. Even Jeff Goldblum’s return as Ian Malcom is disappointing. He’s painfully underutilized, but also framed as an opposing force to the protagonists. It’s an odd choice that needlessly makes the viewer pick sides in a moral dilemma that’s not as grey as the film wants you to believe. The parallels to real-world discussions about animal rights/conservation aren’t convincing. If animals tried to eat us on a mass scale and destroy infrastructure beyond repair, we wouldn’t think twice about responding violently. It’s great that the movie views all life as precious, but that idea falls flat when the characters prioritize the lives of the dinosaurs over those of their fellow human beings. At times, the film almost comes across as anti-human. Our species may not be perfect, but I struggle to accept the idea that we’re lesser than (or even equal to) literal ancient lizards. The logic is just insane; the more these dinosaurs kill people, the more the characters want to help and protect them.

Whereas the previous film pushed its sci-fi elements as far as possible without crossing the line, this installment takes things to a point of eye-roll-worthy absurdity. Granted, the story feels like a natural continuation, but it’s a direction most fans never wanted this series to go. Why would we ever want to see a franchise so heavily reliant on its dinosaurs go in a direction that focuses on the possibilities of bioengineering in humans? These movies should be free to explore new ideas, but not if they come at the expense of the necessary dinosaur mayhem.  

The whole thing feels tonally disjointed, awkwardly transitioning from profound to comedic at the most inopportune times. It’s also horribly paced, coming to a complete halt by the halfway point, only picking up slightly in the second half, which is essentially one extended, drawn-out climax. Furthermore, the action is disappointing because the dinosaurs appear more like horror movie monsters than actual, existing beings, completely disregarding the laws of physics and exhibiting behavior that suggests cartoonish intelligence. It all feels like a generic Marvel movie, including its CGI-heavy visuals and lack of genuine stakes. 

The script seems terrified of actually killing anyone who isn’t established multiple times as being cartoonishly evil, causing most characters to feel annoyingly safe. There are numerous instances where immediate danger surrounds a character, and for some reason, they seemingly have time to stand completely still and take in all the mayhem as if they’re surrounded in some kind of force field. This makes the heavy use of green screen incredibly obvious, which undermines even the best of its CGI. 

Overall, this is a highly disappointing and generic addition to the Jurassic franchise that, in its attempt to deliver something original, only undermines most of what fans love about these films. Just because it’s new/original, doesn’t mean it’s compelling. The directions it takes push the series further into fantasy, which for me is a nail in the coffin. Also, it implies that humans are often worse than monstrous creatures that crave flesh. Humans aren’t great, but are we worse than predatory dinosaurs? What kind of lesson does that teach people, especially the kids who will undoubtedly be drawn to it? It’s not an unbearable experience, but it is the first entry in the franchise I actively dislike. C-