Amph Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom, Dominion & Camp Cretaceous

I love you.

 

I don't know if its out everywhere yet so I'll add spoiler tags where necessary.

I saw this last night and I can't make up my mind if the direction they took the film was a genius idea or just utter madness and if the film completely falls apart after the halfway point or not. It certainly slows down and from then on as we don't get as many huge setpieces that we'd associate with a JP film, it becomes more atmospheric to a degree in its setting and tone. I can imagine them sitting in the writing meetings and someone suggests taking the film in the direction of a

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gothic horror dinosaur stalking haunted mansion thriller

....... I wonder if they intially laughed at the suggestion? But in the end they did it and whether you think the film is good or bad at least they tried a different setting which I didn't really expect to form such a huge part of the movie.

As with the previous film I liked the 2 leads. Chris Pratt is Chris Pratt. Hes easy to watch and likeable as usal. The comedy relief sidekick they take with them to the island is an horrendously unecessary character. The villains were cartoon enough for me not to care too much about them. Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs is the equivalent of The Lost Worlds Pete Postelthwaite hunter. But not in it enough for me.

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I quite liked the twist of the guy working for the Lockwood estate having an alterior motive of wanting to sell the dinosaurs on, even though he takes a sort of pantomine villain approach with him, but I wasn't a fan of the weaponisation angle. But at least it gave the makers the chance to bring in a truck load of Bond style villains to dispose of.

And where did the Lockwood character come from? Has he ever been mentioned at all in the previous films? That seemed a huge retcon there, that Hammond had someone else with him on the project. Also how come didn't he know about the huge complex beneath the mansion where they were cloning dinosaurs and had huge holding pens. I mean the dumb waiter the young girl escapes in to get to the basement complex connected straight to his room so surely he would have heard something? I guessed the grand daughter twist too and as with earlier in the film it raises questions about the morals of cloning and them having the same rights as others but never really explores it enough. But then again its supposed to be a fun dinosaur movie so what else should I expect?

There are some fantastic visuals on show here. The effects are top notch as you'd expect. In particular on the island as the volcano erupts. In amongst all the great visuals and expansive scenes there were a couple of smaller ones that I liked too, like the scene with the dinsosaur in the service tunnel as it approaches our heroes from behind and as the lights flash the dinsosaur is slowly getting closer in to frame. I loved that. Also later in the movie as the grand daughter is slowly backing up to a cage and out of the darkness comes a clawed hand to try and grab her.

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Theres also some great stuff in the mansion too as the dinosaur is stalking the girl, some really atmospheric scenes, all aided by it being night time with a storm raging. TBH I'm a sucker for old films set in dark mansions with secret passages and stuff and so I think I actually quite liked that aspect of the story.

Overall its one of those films to switch your brain off to and watch some dinosaurs run around. The potential deeper messages are touched on and not explored. It did something I didn't expect and was ludicrous at the same time. It also sets up another sequel too. There are some blatant homages to the the previous films too, some virtually beat for beat I think. Overall its ok, I'd give it a 6 out of 10 I think.

edit: At someones suggestion I watched the final trailer just. They pretty much give the whole film away right there in that trailer.

 

I didn't watch the final trailer before seeing Fallen Kingdom, and watched the final trailer afterwards and I totally agree that it does give away the entire film. I'm so thankful I did not watch that trailer before hand.

I found Fallen Kingdom much like a Michael Bay Transformers film; where the human leads are passable but the supporting characters and villains are paper thin.

Here's my copy and paste review that I posted from the "What was the last movie you saw? (Ver. 2)" thread:

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom


In a word (or so): a circus

To me, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom reminded me of a three ring circus, where the audience is brought into a big tent and the lights go off and there's just a bunch of spectacles and animals paraded around for enjoyment.

The first act of the film was the part of the movie and it's all down hill from there as the it losses it gravitas and credibility in favor of thrills and action sequences. In that way, in reminded me of Michael Bay's Transformers. I mean, right off the bat, we're introduced to two of the supporting characters that come off as the stereotypical archetypes of the snarky and sarcastic character and the over-the-top reactionary character; both were very much caricatures. I found the villain also much of a "mustache twirling" caricature as is written and performed in that manner of doing evil for the sake of being evil. I mean there's a scene where...

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the captured dinosaurs are being auctioned off, and the villain is scene watching he money grow in this darken room with only the glare of the computer screen displaying his misgotten fortune to illuminate his face as he grinds evilly. And this is repeated several times. And to make sure his totally evil, he snuffs out his very ill bedridden boss will a pillow when his plan is discovered.

In short, the humans characters are paper thin in depth as they are poorly written only serve as stereotypical tropes. The dinosaurs pretty much treated the same way; spectacles to behold. However, the films does have some of the feels when it comes to the dinosaurs, which is done very well. My wife cried at least two times during the film, and actually came away liking the movie.

I felt the film was better than Jurassic Park III, but below Lost World.

Here's my ranking of the dino park flicks:

Jurassic Park
Jurassic World
Jurassic Park: The Lost World
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic Park III

 

just a quick couple of questions? are people who are not liking JW2 did you not like the original JW? I absolutely loved The first JW and thought it was right up there with the first 2 in the series and much better then the forgettable Jurassic Park 3, also for people not liking JW2 did you like the trailers for the film and get pumped for the film after watching the trailers? I loved every JW2 Trailer and based on the trailers alone I think JW2 Looks better then JW and again I loved the first JW! I find it hard to believe J.A. Bayona made a bad film every film he has made so far has been great! I am hopefully seeing JW2 when my sister gets back from Disney on Monday, we are supposedly going to the 3:45PM showing on Monday.

 

I think some of it is more the drastic tone change - it is a lot more horror then any other JP film. And the direction away from dinosaurs and more into

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Evil James Bond Villain pet shop - you wait for one to say lets take it back to my hollowed out volcano

.

I liked the film, but it did feel almost like a film from a different series, especially once everything was taken back to the mainland.

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the whole murder in a JP film? Dinosaurs doing the killing is fine, but not the human chracters

 

I always felt there was a huge horror aspect to these films Jaws as well where in the knife wielding maniac is an animal so I think I will quite like that aspect of the film. I got this sense from the trailers and liked it big time in the trailers like that scene in the girls bed such a horror moment and I love that. If that is what most of the film is like I say bring it on!

The Collider podcast on youtube they all loved it but said it was definitely wild and over the top but in a good way and it worked. would anyone agree with this?

 

I did not like Fallen Kingdom, but did I like the original Jurassic World film and ranked it right behind the Spielberg's original Jurassic Park film.

I only watched the initial trailer for Fallen Kingdom before actually seeing the film, and I thought it looked worth watching.

I felt the original Jurassic Park had that Jaws horror aspect to it for the obvious reason of both films being directed by Steven Spielberg. However, I felt Fallen Kingdom and the other sequels has more of a James Cameron Aliens film to it, as it more action horror than suspense horror.

I have yet to watch Collider's review on the film, but I will at some point, but I could see why the over the top instants worked for them, much like it did for my wife. For me, the over-the-top elements didn't work for me because I found that they took me out of the movie and reminded me of Michael Bay's Transformers.

I also did not like the retcon of Hammond having a secret partner. I spent a portion of Fallen Kingdom trying to recall if this was ever referenced in any of the earlier Jurassic Park/World flicks and as such, another instance where I was taken out of the film. I thought the addition of this character was lame writing.

 

What about the scene in the Kitchen in the first one or Elly Sattler and the scene with Mr. Arnold and the Raptors turning on the power but merely getting to the building with the power station all the while blood thirsty raptors trying to eat and kill you. or how about scenes with this guy in The Lost World,
Peter Ludlow Hammonds Nephew,

or the bad guy from the lost world,
the bald guy,

these movies were always B-Movie Horror Homage as was Jaws that is how Spielberg purposefully made them.

If I had to knock the First two movies in the JP Series it is that they did not follow the Michael Crichton books enough especially The Lost World. Michael Crichton was a great writer who did a lot research when he wrote, He was really smart a Harvard Graduate his Jurassic Park books were really good better then the movies!

also did you read the books? Hamond had a former partner/colleague who went behind his back I believe they name drop him in the first film Dodgson he created a rival company called Biosyn.

 

This is what I'll say about the Jaws horror elements in the first Jurassic Park film that was directed by Spielberg. There's a build towards the appearance of the T-Rex, where you don't see it until after certain elements, like the chained goat disappearing and the sounds and vibrations reflected in the cup of water.









As such, you're in suspense and frighten because of the effects of the dinosaur not actually seeing the dinosaur, as such as the case with Jaws.

The audience doesn't see the shark until the end of Jaws.










Seeing raptors jump out places and attacking is more like James Cameron's Aliens.



There's a horror element, but it's done differently from Jaws.




I never read the books, but the Fallen Kingdom has definitely retconned the film franchise.

 

Here's my favorite YouTube film reviewer, Chris Stuckmann, who wonderfully reiterates my thoughts about Fallen Kingdom. FYI, Stuckmann was looking forward to this film as he a fan of J. A. Bayona and Collin Trevorrow, and he comments on how the final trailer for Fallen Kingdom is spoileriffic as exposes the 95% of the film.

Stuckmann gives a great breakdown on the characters, plot and the downturns of the film. And he perfectly ends the video with Jeff Goldblum, Dr. Ian Malcolm quote from the original film stating:

 

you know that The Lost World was directed by Spielberg as well?

I don't count JP3 it is as if it didn't exist. I would totally recommend the books it will change how you look at the movies forever.

 

I wonder if the movie features another kid with divorced/divorcing parents.

Someone once said that all JP movies are really all about the havoc caused by the dinosaurs being symbolism of the havoc a divorce puts a kid through, and how they cling to playing with dinosaurs as a way to escape while expressing their inner turmoil. Something like that. It just made all the movies sound awful in retrospect. But it would explain how the focus is always on the kid(s) with divorced parents, no matter how unnecessary it seems.

 

So it didn't all together suck but it was not as good as the first JW.

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I actually liked the Endoraptor. They sure presented it in over the top manner so you get over that it is smaller than T-Rex. Buffalo Bill's death was well delivered. I did not care for the coincidence of location so ti could be impaled on the horns of the dino skull.

Trope that needs to end: Well here we are. Oh no! Dino! Run! Then the dino has to trip and have trouble getting to them and the humans are all of a sudden super-sprinters who get to the door or ladder and the dino jaws barely miss them!. Really, no suspense with this at all.

I liked the cloned granddaughter idea.

So, 11 species of dinos got loose? But, like, they get loose and all of a sudden comes the Malcolm speech about how now we have to learn to live with them...there's just not that many that got away. They'd get caught or killed at some point.

Indian Jones and Bryce Howard are fun in all things. The volcanic island effects were great! But oh well, this one is not horrible but definitely a stumble.

 

I loved the first JP. It was a landmark summer spectacle. The second one TLW had some terrific action set pieces and vfx but was otherwise forgettable. The rest were terrible.

 

I see a trend people that liked the first two JP Films but think the rest of the films Stunk. I believe these people are the ones that really don't like JW and JW2 I liked them all except for JP3 I thought JW was back to basics back to what made the First two so good!

I liked your analogy Its as if JW was what If Hamond's dream was realized and we got Disney with Dinosaurs and JW2 Is what If they got all the Dinosaurs to the mainland. If this Is truly what we get with JW2 then I think on Monday when I see It I will be very happy. For people saying this took JP In a different Direction and that Is why you didn't like it but you liked JW what about trained Dinosaurs in JW didn't that take JP In a different direction that IMHO was handled well and worked because the Dinosaurs weren't wielding Machine Guns It was more like Dolphins trained to find un exploded WWII Mines or Like training Lions Tigers and Bears were you know even with good intentions to entertain something Is going to go really wrong.

 

Holy crap this was garbage.

 

Let's see, I liked JP, did not like JP2. I liked JP3. I liked JW.

 

I will admit to liking the aviary scene and the very short riverboat scene with the dinos on the shore in JP3. The rest was just terrible.

 

I liked JP. JP3 was... decent as a sort of cash-in. JW was about as good as JP3. To me, the first film was as about as much story as you can get out of the concept.

 

The only Jurassic movie I love is JP. I read the books as a kid and hugely preferred TLW book to the JP book, so maybe it was inevitable that I was disappointed with TLW movie. I still like all the movies but none of them hit that place of nostalgic love that JP does. We saw the latest one and it was fine. My daughter enjoyed the little girl’s story, and I do think she did a great job as far as kid actors go. I also think Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are both great. I enjoy them individually and together, so that’s enough for me to enjoy the film. This had enough fun dino action as well to be a good time. I think I’m incapable of taking it seriously, but it’s not meant to be taken seriously so that’s fine. That’s a bummer given that I still take JP seriously even now when I watch it, but oh well. The series is what it is now, and for what it is, I enjoyed this installment. I can’t rate it above JW just because I was really excited to see the park open to the public and that movie delivered on that for me, but I did like the

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creepy dino house stuff and all the volcano action.