Directed by J. A. Bayona
Produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Belen Atienza
Screenplay by Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, B. D. Wong, Jeff Goldblum
What The Last Jedi did with Star Wars, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom does with the Jurassic Park
franchise (just a little less controversially). By literally eviscerating the tropical vestiges of the first four films, and transporting the story onto the mainland, this fifth installment in the series guarantees there
is no looking back for characters, dinosaurs, and fans alike.
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard make amiable returns as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, while newcomers Justice Smith and Daniella Pineda as systems analyst Frank Webb and paleovet Zia
Rodriguez, respectively, are welcome—if not under-utilized—additions to the cast. Rafe Spall’s Eli Mills,
Ted Levine’s mercenary Ken Wheatley, and Toby Jones’s Gunnar Eversol, on the other hand, are far from memorable as villains, perhaps mainly due to their conflicting motivations. J. A. Bayona, who directed the dark coming-of-age film A Monster Calls, displays his deftness at turning a sci-fi franchise into a gothic thriller, especially during the climax scenes set in what may very well be a haunted mansion.
Special mention goes to Claire and Frank’s escape out of the Gyrosphere—a much-teased set piece in
the trailer—which features an exhilarating, claustrophobic “oner” that may prove to be a hallmark for
this reinvigorated franchise.
Overall, while this movie is definitely not a step-up from the original Spielberg films, it is a lot more fun than its 2015 predecessor, and a refreshing take on a series that, one may surmise, would have teetered closer to extinction if the filmmakers opted to set it on one of the old Islas.
Score: 7.5/10
About the Reviewer
Charles SanCheese is an avid reader, student of literature, and pop-culture vulture. He works as a copy editor in Mandaue City and has lived in Cebu his whole life.
He has authored several essays, short stories, and lengthier works of fiction, all of which can be found in the grand annals of his personal hard drive. Follow him on Twitter at @charlesancheese.
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