Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Kicks Off the Summer Season - by Moataz - 8/10

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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the sequel to 2015’s huge blockbuster Jurassic World and the second installment in the planned Jurassic World trilogy. It is directed J. A. Bayona, better known for smaller budget critical hits like The Orphanage, The Impossible, and A Monster Calls. The film starts off with a very exciting and thrilling first act filled with high stakes only to take a step back and go into a more confined horror-ish film. Which is certainly a new direction for the movie to take, and that could work for some but not for everyone. Particularly when the story progresses in a way that doesn’t feel as interesting or awe-inspiring as its beginning. However, the dinosaurs in the movie prove to be a key strength for it as there is an astonishing amount of practical effects shown. This isn’t to say that there isn’t any CGI, but instead a rather healthy mix of practical effects and CGI to help bring these dinosaurs to life. This works very well for the movie as it helps in intensifying the scary moments or bringing us closer to them in the emotional and dramatic scenes that unfold. Two stars of said instances are Rexy the T-Rex and Blue the Velociraptor whom both take a shining role. The humans in the movie also make a return with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their roles as navy veteran Owen Grady, and former Jurassic World manager Claire Dearing respectively. I did feel like Bryce’s character was more fleshed out in this movie and given more depth. Unfortunately, the relationship between those two is still present, and yes it’s still not working. It really says a lot when the relationship between Owen, a human, and Blue, a dinosaur, is far more interesting and more believable than the human relationship. The supporting cast features some pretty awesome additions as well as some uninspiring ones. On one hand, you have the wonderful and cool Dr. Zia Rodriguez played by Daniella Pinada, in addition to the quirky and funny Franklin Webb played by Justice Smith. On the other hand, you have the generic villain types Eli Mills and Gunner Eversoll played by Rafe Spall and Toby Jones. Unlike Jurassic World, the sequel ends leaving us wondering just where it will go for in its final entry in the trilogy. With that being said, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is still an enjoyable popcorn movie to watch and enjoy in cinemas. It’s a gorgeous and for the most part enjoyable movie that had its flaws. I would personally recommend checking it out in IMAX or 4DX theaters to truly enjoy everything it has to offer.

By Moataz Al Mousawi