WRITER'S NOTE: The following is a collection of reviews posted on my Instagram account @film_freeq. They’ve been organized chronologically, based on initial release dates, and have been slightly edited.
Here's a look back at the ever-popular dinosaur-disaster franchise, including this weekend's Jurassic World: Dominion.
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The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
This 1997 sequel sure had a lot going for it. For starters, it was Steven Spielberg's first time in the director's chair after a four-year sabbatical. There was also the return of composer John Williams and actor Jeff Goldblum (killing it again as Dr. Ian Malcolm). And considering its predecessor was the highest-grossing film of all-time then, its addition of more digital dinosaurs, including the eponymous T-Rex, and a few aforementioned players added to its anticipated release.
Alas, "more" doesn't always mean "better". The prehistoric animals in the original were cutting-edge and thoroughly believable, despite having a limited amount of screen time. The beasts in The Lost World have more screen time, but ironically lose that same level of believability, as well as wonder and awe. The plot, meanwhile, centers on a secret island where the former dinos were bred and many more roam free, while a group of scientists (including Vince Vaughan and Julianne Moore) and hunters investigate and eventually capture several of the giant critters for profit.
While exciting to a degree, it's a rather forgettable affair, one that Spielberg reportedly became "disillusioned" with. It does have, on the other hand, moments of action to spare, including a trailer escape ("Mommy's very angry"), a raptor field chase, and a climactic King Kong-style rampage through San Diego. (6/2/2022)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
As was the case with the last film, just because original cast members are brought back in future sequels doesn't always guarantee our money's worth. This third outing in the Jurassic Park series (produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Joe Johnson) proves that point.
Original cast members Sam Neill and Laura Dern are back as Alan Grant and Ellie Satler, respectively, as the former is hired by a married couple in search of their son on a mysterious island. Not even high-caliber actors like William H. Macy and Tea Leoni could make up for this chapter's pale CGI, poor bluescreen effects, and its mediocre and absurd plot. (Or how about that awkward raptor fantasy?)
Jurassic Park III is agreeably the weakest entry in this franchise, which, by this point, became unnecessary and repetitive. One of the series' best lines, however, stems from here, and sums up the recurring theme of tampering with creation. ("Is this how you make dinosaurs?" "This is how you play God.") (6/4/2022)
Jurassic World (2015)
For some, this third sequel in the prehistoric-meets-present-day series brought back nostalgia of Steven Spielberg's 1993 original, in which modern scientists resurrect dinosaurs from extinction via genetics. That initial concept comes true in a fully-functioning theme park, with Bryce Dallas Howard as CEO and Chris Pratt (fresh off of Guardians of the Galaxy one year before) as the everyman "raptor trainer," while a newly-created hybrid dino breaks out of containment and runs amok.
There was criticism directed at Howard's character (one of which came from Joss Whedon on social media) regarding a supposed anti-feminist message, considering she spends the whole movie wearing high-heels. On the other hand, it's one of the film's many elements that illustrates a contrast and transition from a corporate mindset to a realistic one--no different than what the original film illustrated. Some of the violence and perilous situations, however, shouldn't be taken lightly in terms of "entertainment."
It may not be an instant classic as the first Park. But Jurassic World is nevertheless visually and viscerally thrilling, and one roller-coaster ride of a movie.
FUN FACT #1: The previous year's highest grossing film, Transformers: Age of Extinction (directed by Michael Bay), featured robotic dinosaurs. The year Jurassic World was released, it made the most money in theaters worldwide, alongside other Universal-released hits like the fast car sequel Furious 7 and the animated prequel Minions.
FUN FACT #2: Back in 2011, Bay's third Transformers installment, Dark of the Moon, was one of the year's most successful, only to be outranked the following year by Marvel's The Avengers. Furthermore, Avengers was only Whedon's second film as director (following 2005's Serenity), while Jurassic World was also Colin Trevorrow's second directorial feature (following 2012's indie favorite Safety Not Guaranteed). (8/31/2015)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Essentially a sequel that replays elements of The Lost World, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom concerns the mysterious Isla Nublar on the brink of volcanic destruction, all while surviving dinos are captured and sold for profit.
While only the second weakest entry in the series (under 2001's Jurassic Park III), considering some of its cookie-cutter antagonists, this inevitable box-office hit does have a few spectacular action sequences, including a mountain-fleeing stampede and a scary climactic showdown. It also benefits from impressive animatronic effects, the presence of returning leads Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard (a more proactive role than her debut in this franchise) and young newcomer Isabella Sermon, and a tone that takes the series back to the eponymous island and in other unexpectedly dark--though not as original--directions. (Director J.A. Bayona began his feature-film career working with fellow aeteur Guillermo del Toro.)
Thought-provoking themes related to creation and DNA cloning are jaw-dropping in more ways than one, while a massive cliffhanger suggests bigger things to come. Perhaps it's a better installment with the passage of time? Or maybe just when viewing these recent films back-to-back. Either way, welcome . . . to Jurassic World. (6/8/2022)
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
Trilogy closers can be a hit-or-miss affair. Rarely are there the kind that elevate a franchise, culminating what came before and ending on a high note. Most others start out promising with several potential elements that actually work, but the end result falls short, one way or another. The third entry in the Jurassic World series--advertised as "the epic conclusion of the Jurassic era"--falls in the latter.
Returning director Colin Trevorrow (who helmed the 2015 blockbuster, but only co-produced and co-wrote the 2018 sequel, Fallen Kingdom) gets right into action, as Dominion picks up four years later, when genetic dinosaurs have been released into and around the globe. A curious and convoluted subplot involving locusts and mysterious DNA solutions drive this thrilling story, heightened by gripping action set pieces (including a heart-pounding raptor chase in Malta) and regulars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard (both on a mission to find a baby raptor), and Isabella Sermon (on a mission to find out more about her mysterious past). But the real crowd-pleaser is seeing original JP trio Sam Neill (as Alan Grant), Laura Dern (Ellie Satler), and Jeff Goldblum (Ian Malcolm), reunited for the first time since that 1993 landmark.
And while their presence and camaraderie with the younger cast is great to watch (see the film in IMAX, if you can), it doesn't quite make up for the many loose ends this film doesn't tie up. Elements involving black market dealers, DNA solutions, and the challenge in humans and dinos co-existing seem, at times, passive, to say the least. In other words, Dominion (despite its impressive teaser poster in ember) is a bit of a letdown and a missed opportunity. On the other hand, it gives Neill and Dern arguably a better franchise conclusion than Jurassic Park III, and possibly an opportunity for Trevorrow to do what he didn't get to with Star Wars: Episode IX (which he was originally attached to). Only my theory, but far from chaotic, as Malcolm would put it. (6/10/2022)
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