Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Blu-ray Review

Movie
The Jurrassic Park/World films are the epitome of big dumb action flicks. Michael Crichton’s original novel was one of sheer terror and almost mature horror, but Steven Spielberg made cinematic magic back in the 1990s with Jurassic Park. The original 2 sequels didn’t fare nearly as well as the original, but I had a decent time with them. Back in 2015 Universal decided it was time to continue the franchise with new blood, and they created a film that really didn’t NEED to exist, but one that was fun enough to enjoy as a good monster popcorn movie. I have to admit, even though I understand that Jurassic World wasn’t needed in the franchise at all, it was a ton of big goofy CGI fun that had me grinning from ear to ear. However, I also was a bit underwhelmed by the marketing for it’s sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Something didn’t “feel” right and there was some definite hesitation among the fanbase. Unfortunately we were proven right, as Fallen Kingdom is a mishmash of previous scenarios from the series crushed into one giant setup for the third movie in the new trilogy (it seems film makers can’t make any blockbuster these days without INTENDING it to be a trilogy). Playing out as a sort of “best hits of Jurassic Park”, Fallen Kingdom commits the cardinal sin of a blockbuster film. Being boring.

After the devastation of the Indominous Rex in the last film, Jurassic World has been shut down for good and the Isla Nublar has been on lock down for years. Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) has moved on from being a successful businesswoman to being an advocate for the remaining dinosaurs, lobbying for them to be saved from the abandoned island before they go extinct forever. When Hammond’s old partner (played by James Cromwell) comes to Claire with an opportunity to sneak the dinosaur’s off Isla Nublar behind the government’s back the humanitarian leaps at the chance to do some good. With the help of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Claire heads over to the island only to find out that it’s a double cross. The business liaison who hired her for Hammond’s partner Benjamin Lockwood has much more nefarious plans of his own. Plans that involve lots and lots of money on his end.

Barely escaping the island with their life, Claire and Owen sneak aboard the mercenary vessel that is transporting the dinosaur’s back to the States, only to find out that there is more to this venture than just pure money. It seems the twisted Dr. Wu (BD Wong) has been working in secret, creating a NEW super weapon dinosaur that can be used for military applications (yes, yes, I know. More super soldier dinosaurs. When will they learn) and it’s up to Owen and Claire to stop them before they unleash a new breed of monster on the world once more.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a strange film for sure. It tries to be fresh and new with the final act twist, but really it’s just a “greatest hits” conglomeration that steals previous plot points from the other 4 films. Yup, we’re heading back to the island to check things out (and of course get a few people eaten). Then there’s poachers….errrr….dinosaur traffickers, coming to steal the poor dinosaurs and sell them for profit. Then some of them get loose and cause havoc (where have we seen that before?). And finally we have the classic face off between a genetically mutated super raptor (holy cow! The raptors again?), only for the velociraptors to come in and help Owen save the day once more. Even the action sequences are all things we’ve seen before from the previous films. I hate to say it, but this was the first Jurassic Park film that I actually started get officially bored with by the 45 minute mark.

The final act is really where things started to get interesting, as the tone of the movie changes dramatically. The first 45 minutes is your classic Jurassic film, but the last 45 minutes or so really amps things up and shifts directly into the horror genre. The mutated super raptor’s escape was inevitable, but it brought back the fear and tension from the first movie’s final conflict instead of just fizzling out. While this is neat and all, it’s the movie’s main premise and “twist” ending that got to me. I won’t tell you what the twist is, but needless to see there’s a “moral conundrum” that happens in the final minutes of the movie that has you screaming at the screen “who with half a brain cell DOES that!?”, leaving a sort of sour taste in your mouth when you realize that the whole film has been nothing but a filler episode to set up the final movie and it’s world changing events (which IS going to happen considering the movie made almost 8 times it’s budget).




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril




Video:

Shot using the Arri Alexa cameras with a mixture of 3.4K and 6.5K sources, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has all the earmarks for digital success on Blu-ray. Most online sources don’t say for sure, but a few contacts at Universal have mentioned that the movie was actually finished at 4K, and the Blu-ray really is a stunning looking result from that master. Digital eye candy at its fines, Fallen World is awash with amber reds of the volcano on Isla Nublar, as well as dusty earth tones from the mercenaries trying to steal the beasts. Lockwood’s estate is more dimly lit, with walls of stone contrasted with the sharp yellow and black tinges of the Endo Raptor. Blacks are deep and inky, with spot on perfect contrast, even with all of the black shots used throughout the film. The ONLY artifacting on the entire disc was some mild banding when the crew goes into the under water Isla Nublar area at the opening of the movie, otherwise this is pure and utter demo material right here.





Audio:

Were you expecting anything but sonic perfection from a Jurassic film? Universal brings Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom to both Blu-ray and 4K UHD with a highly impressive DTS:X track that really shakes the foundations of the world. Deep, powerful, and aggressive, the DTS:X mix opens up with an underwater sequence that fills the entire sound stage with a low end pulse that is frighteningly oppressive. Bass is non stop throughout the film, using the score to it’s full advantage, and adding some SERIOUS weight to the stomping and smashing dinosaurs. Surrounds are used judiciously, and wildly, with a highly kinetic sense of directionality that really makes this track one of the best I’ve heard in some time. The overheads get to be used a bit more than usual, with the throbbing sound of helo blades overhead, or the whoosh as a dinosaur falls to its death from a giant rooftop. Vocals are always crisp and clean despite the chaotic nature of the track, and the sense if immersion and dimensional shifting is simply superb. To put it simply, perfect perfect perfect.






Extras:

• On Set with Chris & Bryce – Go behind the scenes with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
• Birth of the Indoraptor – An inside look at the genetically designed monstrosity known as the Indoraptor.
• Death by Dino – Go behind the scenes as the Indoraptor faces off with a key character.
• Monster in a Mansion – Director J.A. Bayona discusses how Jurassic Park and Dracula (1979) influenced his approach to directing the monster in a mansion scene.
• Rooftop Showdown – A look at the terrifying showdown on the rooftop of the Lockwood Mansion.
• Malcolm's Return – Behind the scenes with the one & only Jeff Goldblum.
• VFX Evolved – The team at ILM discuss their cutting-edge approach to creating dinosaurs.
• FALLEN KINGDOM: The Conversation – Filmmakers and cast sit down for a candid and casual conversation about Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
• A Song for the KINGDOM – Justice Smith sings for the cast and crew of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
• Chris Pratt's Jurassic Journals
- Vivian Baker, Makeup Artist
- Mary Mastro, Hair Stylist
- Chris Murphy, 1st Assistant Sound
- Dean Bailey, Stunt Edge Car Driver
- Peter Harcourt, Diver
- Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith, Actors
- Jody Wiltshire, Set PA
- Kelly Krieg, Assistant Script Supervisor
- J.A. Bayona, Director
- James Cox, Stunt Performer
- Rachelle Beinart, Stunt Double
- Bryce Dallas Howard interviews Chris Pratt, Actor
• JURASSIC Then and Now - Presented by Barbasol® – Key moments from the Jurassic saga that tie into Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.










With all the criticism I’ve levied on the movie you might think I actually hate Fallen Kingdom. In reality that’s pretty far from the truth. The movie is a moderately entertaining blockbuster film with good CGI, some fun action sequences and an interesting premise going into the third film. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are as good as ever together, and James Cromwell (as limited as he is) is the perfect throwback to something John Hammond(ish) in nature. It’s just that director J.A. Bayona (who directed the fantastic Spanish horror film The Orphanage and A Monster Calls) has a hard time making something new and exciting with the franchise. Instead content to blend rehashed story lines together to make up an orgy of action sequences to fool the viewer into thinking they’re watching something more than simple filler for the final entry in the new trilogy. Universal's Blu-ray is pure demo material, with perfect video and sound, making it the best parts of the whole film. While Fallen Kingdom isn't a slam dunk success, it still makes for a decently fun watch.





Technical Specifications:

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall
Directed by: J.A. Bayona
Written by: Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, Michael Crichton (Novels)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS:X (DTS-HD MA 7.1 Core), French, Spanish DTS-HD HR 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 128 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: September 18th, 2018

Image

• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017