Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom manages to be a passable summer popcorn ride. I’m only giving it a marginal recommendation instead of a ringing endorsement mainly because it doesn’t prove to be a very memorable experience.
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are back as they’re once again confronted by those terrifying creatures from 65 million years ago and this time they’re dragged back to Isla Nublar, home of both the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World theme parks. It’s being threatened by an active volcano that will erupt at any moment and it’s up Pratt and Howard to get the dinos off the island and moved to safety. I wonder if they will exit the island in an orderly fashion.
It isn’t long before they get on the island and discover that the whole expedition was a trap as a mercenary team has been sent in to capture the dinosaurs and extract their DNA in order to sell it off to the highest bidders. Didn’t we already see this in the original film? I wonder what makes these guys think the plan will work this time around.
There aren’t very many memorable set pieces in this sequel, but what we do get is occasionally thrilling as in the scene when the volcano finally does erupt and another scene toward the end of the film when the dinos’ DNA is up for auction.
Like Solo, this is another example of a picture that I liked while I was watching it. However, I think within a couple of days it will evaporate from memory. The plot on the other hand? It doesn’t really add anything new or exciting to the franchise.
I can’t deny that there are some terrific set pieces and the dinos remain just as convincing and believable as ever. Plus, it does set up a conclusion that may give us more interesting ideas for the inevitable sequel.
The dinosaurs aren’t extinct, but I’m hoping the next film gives us something more memorable and not so routine.
Grade: B
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril.)
