Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) Review

 

After watching the previous films in this franchise I have come to watch the newest Jurassic Film - Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees the island being destroyed by a volcano which causes Claire and Owen to return and try and save the dinosaurs. 

Main Character

Chris Pratt is back as Owen Grady for this film and he is fine here, he mostly has the charm and charisma that he usually has and it makes him likeable enough. It's just hos character has no development over this film after the last film, his motivations at first are pretty poor and you wonder why he really goes on the journey. 

Supporting Characters

Bryce Dallas Howard is back as Claire and the one thing I can say is that her character actually had some development here, she is a more loving person for the dinosaurs then the previous film. But she does spend plenty of this film just screaming and I just don't feel her and Pratt have any real on screen chemistry and that continued in this film. Rafe Spall plays a really generic character here and you really won't care at all, you know what his motivations are and you know where is character is going. Also if you are watching this film because you saw the trailer and saw Jeff Goldblum back as Dr Ian Malcolm then don't because he is literally in two scenes that are both in the trailer which was hugely disappointing.

Story

The story is where the film really falls down, the characters motivations for going to save the dinosaurs is really mixed and you find it hard to believe. All the characters who seem like villains are and they all have really poor motivations and basic performances. There is also this story involving this young girl that feels really tacked on and there is a twist involving it that is absurd and even worst it literally plays no part in the story at all. The ending sets up an interesting idea for future films but it also feels silly and over the top and after watching the plot you have checked out by then. 

Script

The script is really poor too, the romance between the two main characters is really poorly written and it feels like we wasted our time dealing with it in the previous film. Plus characters are written to do really stupid things and the humour doesn't work especially with a couple of characters that are literally in there to try and be funny but they just fail.

Style

The style of the film is where the film kind of improves, the dinosaurs look great here and there are some fun action sequences. Plus this film maybe does the best job in the franchise at building tension and focusing on the more horror elements which is a nice thing to see. But also this film is pretty slow and its pacing holds it back, the slower parts of the films aren't interesting and it holds the film back. 

Overall

Overall, I was really disappointed by this film, it is much slower then its predecesor and the film isn't as exciting. It is a poor film and not worth a watch even if you are a big fan of this franchise.

Rating - 3/10

Jurassic World (2015) Review

Before watching this film's sequel I have decided to rewatch Jurassic World and here is my review for the film. The premise sees in 2015, Jurassic World has been opened on Isla Nubla, when a new genetically modified Dinoasur escapes it causes chaos.

Main Character

Chris Pratt plays the lead in this film and he is good in the role. He is very charming and charismatic like you would expect from him but he actually has a pretty interesting character. You can see he feels about the dinosaurs in a different way to previous lead characters that he does care about them and doesn't just want to see them all destroyed.

Supporting Characters

Bryce Dallas Howard plays a large role in the film and I thought she was fine. She has an arc here and does change throughout giving some decent emphasis here but it wasn't perfect by any means. Her chemistry with Pratt wasn't great and seeing her run through the park with high heels was laughable. Vincent D'onofrio plays a bad guy here and he is usually a great actor but I thought his character was silly here. He is very campy and over the top with an absolutley absolutley ridiculous plan that feels like a stupid part of the film. Like Jurassic Park there are two kids who need rescuing but it worked there and doesn't here, the two kids are annoying, the older one is a creep and the younger one spends most of the film crying and I didn't care about them at all during the film.

Story

The best part of the story is easily seeing John Hammond's vision come to life by seeing a Jurassic theme park even though after the events of the other film it makes no sense for it to open but it is great to see. Seeing this new Dinosaur go through the park is fun to watch and enjoyable as it does feel like something new and fresh. But there are some absurd side plots mainly including D'onofrio's character's idea which is beyond believeable, plus this film does follow the trend of Jurassic Park 3 a bit with a very long chase scene taking up plenty of the plot but it doesn't go to those lengths. 

Script

The script has some decent dialogue, it actually has some cheesy moments that I think peppered in actually worked here. Some of the humour took away from the drama and I could have done with being a bit less, but it was nice to see a return to the nature vs nurture debate that was part of the original film. 

Style

The style for the film is great to be honest, yes the dinosaurs are all CGI here but they look great. In this modern era CGI is so good that it was the natural choice here and it makes the Dinosaurs feel larger and more scary then they have in previous films. As I said it is nice to see a Jurassic Park and I could have done with seeing even more of the park as it really is an interesting idea.

Overall

Overall, this is a good film, it doesn't hit the iconic nature of the original film but it is a fun film that brings in a new audience and is a worthy addition to the Jurassic franchise.

Rating - 7/10

Jurassic Park 3 (2001) Review

Next in my Jurassic Park films is the one everybody regrets watching Jurassic Park 3 and here is my review for the film. Years after first going Jurassic Park, Dr Alan Grant goes to Isla Sorna, where Ian Malcolm went in The Lost World to show a couple around but they have alterior motives. 

Main Character

Sam Neill is back as Alan Grant in this film and he really tries here. He brings his charm and gruff to the role like he did before and he is good in the role. But the issue here is just his character's motivations, there is absolutley no reason for him to logically go to the island and it goes against his character but the film does it anyway. Also you can see that he lacks a quality supporting cast to work off like he did in the original Jurassic Park film. 

Supporting Characters 

William H Macy and Tea Leoni play the couple and they are really bad in this film, they are annoying to watch and over the top to add to it. Plus this film tries to make you care about them even though they are clearly the villains here as they manipulate Alan Grant for there own needs making it hard for you to care abou them. There is also this character called Billy who is possibly the biggest idiot in the film, he is meant to be Dr Grant's assistant but he does everything against him and literally acts like an idiot even though he is meant to be an expert on dinosaurs. Just like the last film there are characters here who are clearly there to be cannon fodder for the dinosaurs and it is so obvious.

Story

As mentioned the story for Grant's motivation is awful, he literally says at the beginning of the movie he would never go back to the island and then 5 minutes later he is on his way to the island. Also making you try and care about the other characters fails and you really just don't, the intrigue from the first film is completley gone and this film feels like a prolonged chase scene with one of the most idiotic endings any film will ever have.

Script

The script is really bland here, gone is the whitt and clever dialogue and the drama and added is screams and pointless family drama. It feels like the screenwriters all changed for this film, oh wait they did, they got a new writing team who just did not understand how to write a script for a Jurassic Park film. 

Style

The style of the film has some entertaining action sequences, the dinosaurs mostly look good but you can see here they are pretty much all CGI instead of the more practical methods of the past and it is clear to see. But the most crazy part of the film is that it barely clocks in at 90 minutes, it feels incredibly short for a Jurassic film and omits any interest and intrigue to make it a boring monster chasing movie.

Overall

Overall, this film is an insult to be called a Jurassic Park film and should be avoided at all cost. If you want to watch the franchise then you can ignore this one as it mostly feels like a standalone film in it's own right.

Rating - 2/10

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Review

Next in the Jurrassic Films to watch for me is the second one the Lost World and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Ian Malcolm forced to return to an island filled with dinosaurs to rescue his girlfriend. 

Main Character

As mentioned Jeff Goldblum is back as Dr Ian Malcolm and this time he is our main hero here and he is great in the film. The character of Malcolm oozes charisma and is so likeable, similar to the previous film it seems like he is the character with the most logic and that he is always right. His motivations for going to the island is well founded and you actually understand why he does it and why he cares about going back there.

Supporting Characters

A young Vince Vaughan is in this film and he does a half decent role here, he is an entertaining character and it is nice to see him amongst the crew. The late Pete Postlethwaite is in this film as a kind of anatagonist but he is one of the best characters in the film, he actually has some intrigue and interest to him for sure. The rest of the cast aren't interesting, Julianne Moore plays Goldblum's girlfriend and I just found her quite annoying and actually felt they had little chemistry here and her character could have been played by pretty much anybody. I also didn't care much for the father - Daughter plotline which came down to not really caring much about the daughter in the film. Plus there are lots of characters here and you can tell the majority of people here are just cannon fodder to be eaten by dinosaurs.

Story

The story to get Goldblum to the island was well done here. You see his point of view and need to return, I also like how they basically introduced a third party with another group of people on the island which is well done. But as I mentioned I didn't care about both the girlfriend and daughter relationships with Goldblum and the last act feels like you are watching a different movie and that it feels really tacked on. 

Script

The script has some humour to it especially from Goldblum that made me laugh, but the script is weaker then the first film. The interest of nature vs nurture isn't really here, traded for a more generic monster like film. Plus the drama of the characters plots doesn't work enough for me.

Style

The style of the film really comes down to the Dinosaurs and they are fine but not as strong as the first film. When it uses the practical effects especially for the T-rex is still looks great and the action scenes are more dark and aggressive. But this film focuses too much on its CGI, they look more fake then before and it does take you out of the film. 

Overall

Overall, this film is a fine sequel to Jurassic Park but it is not as strong as it should be for this franchise and will be a let down if you are expecting a film as good as the original Jurassic Park.

Rating - 6/10

Jurassic Park (1993) Review

With Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom coming to Netflix on Friday I have decided to go back and rewatch the other films in the franchise starting with the legendary Jurassic Park and here is my review. The premise of the film sees a group of experts sent to an island where an excentric Billionaire has cloned Dinosaurs for an amusement park, but the obvious happens leading to the beasts escaping and causing chaos. 

Main Character

Sam Neil plays Dr Alan Grant and he is great in the film. He is basically the audience as he is mesmerised by the dinosaurs and as an expert in the field he gives us the lowdown on the different dinosaurs. He has a great mix of gruff and charm which makes him an interesting character, he also has an arc which fleshes his character out even more changing him up from where he starts the film.

Supporting Characters

We have one of the greatest supporting characters in any movie here, with Jeff Goldblum playing Dr Ian Malcolm. He is so charismatic and cool, he has one liners coming out of everywhere and it makes him the guy that you are drawn to when he is on screen even with huge dinosaurs here. Laura Dern plays Ellie and does a really good job, she is a strong female character and one you can root for really easily. One thing I noticed here more then before is just how good the late Richard Attenborough is as Hammond, he is such an interesting character who goes through a phylosophical journey through the film and sees his character have a fascinating arc. Samuel L Jackson, the kids and all the other smaller roles are good and help boost the film even more. 

Story

The story here is brilliant, for the first half of the plot you are wowed by the dinosaurs and the park itself. Also the characters are all really interesting and the debates they have about science and morales is really interesting and full of depth. Then the 2nd half of the film is where everything goes wrong and the film becomes a brilliant thriller, you care about the characters and the film builds the tension really well. Seeing the different dinoasurs and how they react to the people is great to see and it does a great job in it's ending not sequel baiting, even though we would get sequels.

Script

The script is great, as I have mentioned there are some really interesting debates about whether the idea of cloning Dinosaurs is right or wrong and the characters make it interesting. The humour is here, Goldblum brings so many laughs here and the drama is well handled too.

Style

This is where the film is at it's best, this film's style changed cinema in my opinion. Along with Terminator 2 this film is heavily credited with progressing CGI and animatronics, the dinoasurs look incredible, better then some things that come out now and this film came out in 1993 it is just incredible. Watch this film for the amazing effects alone and get a film that hits every level with it. Plus this film has one of the best scores ever by the legendary John Williams,

Overall

Overall, this is one of those epic and special films that have been made. The awe and wonder of the film is a real highlight and this is a must watch for people that haven't seen it.

Rating - 10/10