Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

A seriously bizarre (and erratic) sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom follows Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing as they embark on a trip back to the series’ dinosaur-inhabited island to save several creatures from an impending volcano eruption. It’s worth noting that director J.A. Bayona, working from Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow’s screenplay, does an absolutely fantastic job of immediately capturing one’s interest, as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom kicks off with a riveting opening sequence that rivals the original film’s in terms of its impact and effectiveness. From there, the picture segues into a somewhat familiar yet fairly compelling narrative detailing the central characters’ perilous exploits on Isla Nublar – with the watchable vibe heightened by a continuing emphasis on admittedly engrossing sequences and set pieces (eg Claire and a scientist attempt to escape a vicious dino on an emergency ladder). It’s only as Connolly and Trevorrow begin suffusing the proceedings with decidedly tedious elements (eg tiresome human villains, a pervasive meanspiritedness towards the dinosaurs, etc) that Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom begins to lose its grip on the viewer, with the progressively less-than-engrossing feel exacerbated by a second half that doesn’t entirely work (ie it’s unpredictable, to be sure, but there’s not much here that wholeheartedly entertains). The overlong running time ensures that certain portions of the third act drag to an almost unconscionable degree (ie one can’t help but wish certain characters would receive their comeuppance, already), while the final stretch, intriguing as it undeniably is, seems to be paving the way for progressively oddball future installments – which ultimately cements Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom‘s place as a passable followup that’s lacking most of the awe and wonder (and fun) of Steven Spielberg’s superlative 1993 original.

**1/2 out of ****