(Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Whenever we talk about “Dinosaur” theme movies, there would be images in our heads, where you would see frantic human beings, screaming, shrieking as they run for their lives away from these once-extinct creatures, some prey hunting by the dinosaurs, and how some victims or baddies would end up as their meals in the most unsurprising, but primitive ways.
If you were a 80s or 90s kid, your favourite dinosaur movie has got to be JURASSIC PARK. The one very distinctive scene that you would remember vividly of Jurassic Park, would be the one where you watch how that vibrating cup of water in the car instilled fear in the main characters. That was when the T-Rex was nearby the car where they were seeking refuge on.
Decades passed and we had the Jurassic World back in 2015.
We have never forgotten how Jurassic Park used to thrill us, even when we are all adults now and re-watching the 1997 version would send cringes down your spine, as to how silly we all were.
As if to satisfy the curiosity of the “kid” in us that never grew up , to seek contentment and more excitement with the awesome CGI effects we have in this IT generation, you would be awed with the difference it makes with these visual effects, that created the visually astounding impact.
We wouldn’t expect too much of the story line from such movies, but it needs to run its course in a way to keep the audience engaged, not just by keeping them glued to their chairs due to the “horror” effects, but also how the story would flow.
It’s good to see Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallads Howard reprising their roles in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I was hoping to see a little more on their love line since they parted ways where Jurassic World ended. However, there wasn’t really much time or development on the love line. We know they parted ways due to different ideals and thinking, but they still feel for each other. Does anyone else really care about the love line, other than me? They would brave dangers together once again in this seemingly “darker” theme “Fallen Kingdom”.
It was akin to a Kingdom, or a very majestic zoo / Safari, back in the 1st part of this trilogy. Now, all we see are ruins and chaos as all the surviving dinosaurs fending for themselves on a deserted island.
There were so many different species roaming about the park, bonding with the dinosaurs & more “storyline” in the 1st part. In times of vulnerability, how family members would sacrifice or become brave for their loved ones.
This sequel is a little “darker” not just in its literal terms that the dinosaurs were jailed in dungeons, how the park looks like after being abandoned and how the dinosaurs had to die or to be sold before the volcano erupt, but also how it made you feel.
Most importantly, it’s about the co-existence between human beings and dinosaurs.
Humans seem to be the “monsters” as compared to these once-extinct creatures, with their evil agendas.
– Was it the fault of these natural predators that such irreversible impact was caused?
– Or the mankind who tried to revive them, by cloning them and genetically altering them?
– So now that they have caused harm to mankind, should we leave them to die or have them protected in a sanctuary?
– Is there a way to co-exist or the best way is for human beings to just leave them alone?
– Who are the real “monsters”?
These are probably some of the questions or issue that the director, script writers might wish that you would ponder about.
It feels even more “heavy hearted” as you watch this movie. Other than the ruins, it’s kinda sad to see these magnificent and majestic creatures that roam the earth way before mankind, to be locked up in cages, shackled, wounded, removed of their teeth, etc. Just like endangered animals that poachers hunt down, for re-selling purposes.
They are supposed to be the main “characters” in this 2nd franchise, but it didn’t seem to feel that way.
You watched with a literally heavy heart, with this darker theme about what some evil people would want to do with the remaining dinosaurs.
It was mankind who re-created them, brought them to life, yet now it is also mankind, who leave them to die.
Bond between Owen and Blue
The more heart-warming treat of this deal is, the special bond between Owen and “Blue”. I have never liked the raptor or T-Rex series, except for Blue. I only love the brontosaurs for they are such peace-loving creatures.
Blue is a velociraptor which would tear her prey up, except that she recognises Owen, her trainer and would save him in times of danger and protect him. There’s trust between them. They know that each of them would not hurt the other.
(When Blue was a little “kid” in Jurassic World)
(When Owen and Blue met again when Blue is grown up)
It reminds us of the bonding that most pet owners would have with their pets, especially those cute doggies. They would turn ferocious to protect their masters but would be like a little kid when they wanted to seek some affection.
We actually view the dinosaurs as animals that could bond with human beings, not just purely cold-blooded human-ripping monsters.
If a cold-dinosaur could be more empathetic and feeling than human beings, what does it make us out to be?
One of the saddest moments was to see how the dinosaurs, particularly the absolutely harmless, Brachiosaurs, were left to die when the volcanic eruption engulfed the entire island.
The groans that came when it was engulfed in smoke, flame and lava, were heartbreaking.
Even in the world of dinosaurs, there is segregation by “classes” – those that are worth more would be saved, while the rest would be left to die on their own.
Isn’t it so apt to this term that we always hear about “Survival of the Fittest”?
It is not so much of whether the brontosaurus or Brachiosaurs are the harmless herbivores, but they are not in demand. Thus, they had to die.
It is like the natural cyclical relationship between predators and their prey. The fittest survive.
This pretty much resonates with how animal poachers kill or sell endangered animals for their skin or body parts that are consistently in pretty high demand in a “black market”.
Here, we are talking about “Dinosaurs Trafficking”. How much would that be worth? You would be an instant millionaire, if not, Billionaire.
Was it out of human greed, monetary gains, fame, or the fact that mankind wishes to revive a group of creatures that existed long before our time?
While there are people who wish to harness monetary profits from “selling” these more special breeds, there are those who genuinely care like the “dinosaur protection group”, that desperately wish to protect them from extinction, once again.
You may think that the world of dinosaurs is just far-fetched fantasy, but what the director and scriptwriter are trying to send across to us, is way more in-depth.
However, the question comes in, are audience prepared to be set thinking about the deeper implications that such acts would ensue, or are they more likely to engage in a visually enjoyable and intense “dinosaur” chasing movie?
It was more exciting in the 1st franchise, not just because of the variety of breeds of dinosaurs, but also that iconic scene of Owen being the Alpha, leading a pack of raptors.
This 2nd part of the trilogy, already sets its pave to what might come in the 3rd franchise.
There was much direction thrown towards the moral implications of genetic cloning – should we or should we not protect the endangered species created by human, due to cloning?
There is already a human clone in this franchise, which in my opinion, would pretty much pave the way in its 3rd franchise.
There were Claire’s nephews in the 1st part of the franchise, and we have Isabella Sermon as Maisie Lockwood in “The Fallen Kingdom”. It is always the best to bring out the innocence, yet bravery of such pure-hearted kids, who are curious about the dinosaurs but at the same time helpless. However, they know what is ethically right and wrong.
Maisie turned out to be a human clone but she felt that the cloned dinosaurs have the right to live, like she is still alive right now.
It sets you thinking, though mankind is responsible for cloning them, does it give you a right to take away their lives, even if they were not created by “nature”?
These kids represent a subconscious, hidden part of us even as we grew up. There were so many things we wanted to explore and we were braver back then to take a step towards the unknown. Now as adults, are we still who we used to be.
We also had an Indoraptor here, the new hybrid dinosaur using the Indominus Rex (that T Rex which killed the other 3 raptors, leaving Blue as the only surviving one) and Velociraptor’s DNA.
This hybrid dinosaur here looks as hideous, sinister and evil as you can imagine as all T Rexes, but it is such a “clever” breed, that it can out fool its’ prey.
Nonetheless, the director, J.A. Bayona and script writers, Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, tried to move things out of the theme park and now you see dinosaurs ramping in the dungeons and corridors of Lockwood’s castle-like home. I would say, that is a daring move and good effort, though the attempt had somewhat caused a little downside for this movie.
While you may not be exactly satisfied with the script or story line, you can’t but help applaud Bayona for instilling the fear factor and super intense moments of suspense and horror at the same time. You probably would recall the breath-taking moments when Indoraptor was tapping its claw, while playing “hide and seek” with its victims.
It seems that the fools of this movie, is still mankind after all.
Human beings are intelligent enough to bring these extinct dinosaurs back to life, harness their potential due to their greed, yet is still nothing but a helpless prey when left face to face with the dinosaurs.
They accuse the dinosaurs of causing harm to mankind, but if, human beings could just leave them alone, they would probably lead their undisturbed life on the deserted island of Isla Nublar, in the most “natural” habitat manner.
In the final scenes, we saw some dinosaur swimming underwater with the surfers riding on waves, a dinosaur “roaring” opposite a lion and Blue roaming about the mountains near cities.
It sets us to imagine, how these dinosaurs could co-exist with mankind, and how would things get to stay “amicable”? Would that even be possible?
While there are several issues that may set you thinking, the generic fear factor that we have for these majestic creatures are still instilled with us, in all the very intense, terrifying and seat-gripping, heart-pounding scenes, something just seems to be lacking in a manner.
Perhaps, we can have lesser of the sinister “agenda” behind all these genetic engineering, but to have a more functional way that we all enjoy of the “Jurassic Park” installments that we used to love.
It’s good to move with the times, and also try to take a twist away from the functional state of such movies, but it probably needs more consideration on how to keep the audience leaving the cinema, with some very iconic or heartfelt scenes, that we would remember, for a longer time.
The final part of the franchise will be screened in 2021.
Other than thought provoking, it needs to revise more of the emotionally gripping and visually awing aspects.
Let us have a good closure to our favourite dinosaur movie of our time.
All in all, I would say, if you always have been a Jurassic Park or Jurassic World fan, then yes of course, you should watch this.
If you are not but are gamed for some excitement, it is still thrilling in its ways, just that don’t keep up too many hopes on it to bring you too many out of the extra-ordinary moments.
