The Thematic Problem with the Jurassic Park Films

It feels like many of the big summer movies have already arrived this year. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was not one of the big blockbusters I was most excited to see, but I did have enough interest see check it out opening night. I guess it's primarily due to a strong nostalgic attachment I have to this franchise.

I loved dinosaurs growing up. Naturally, Jurassic Park being the first film to truly bring dinosaurs to life in a very realistic fashion solidified its place as one of my childhood favorites. I'm pretty sure I had a T-Rex action figure and a lunch box for awhile as well. Besides that though, even as a lover of movies in general I often feel the need to point out how truly good the original film was. Jurassic Park is another of Spielberg's films to revolutionize cinema (the first one was probably Jaws). Just in terms to visual technology alone, the combination of practical and digital effects was done amazingly and still has yet to truly rivaled by most films since. I still think Jurassic Park has some of the best special effects even twenty five years later.

In any case, Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films and I could go on much longer about it. Today I want to discuss one of the fundamental problems the sequels run into thematically. I've typically been able to look past them as the sequels just being excuses for more action. However, I can understand the varying quality of the films and the bigger issues that arise with each new movie. This was actually inspired by my personally knowing several people that don't enjoy these films due to this particular problem.

In regards to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the main characters are once again going back to the island in an attempt to rescue the dinosaurs from another extinction. This time its a major volcanic eruption. Yet again, another evil corporation has a plan to steal the dinosaurs for more nefarious purposes. These movies, but in particular the Jurassic World films, really seem to have this difficult time balancing two perspectives regarding the hypothetical idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life and then profiting from them. I wouldn't have a problem exploring this theme, as it's at the very core of the philosophical ideas of the original film. However, Jurassic World really can't seem to make up it's mind on whether we should love these dinosaurs as some new majestic endangered species... or as horrible monsters that are a danger to us all.

Chris Pratt's character seems to have some meta knowledge regarding these films, as he seems content letting the dinosaurs die off when he's offered to a chance to save them. Perhaps Jurassic World did a good enough job pushing those nerves of sentimentality I had for the first film, but with Fallen Kingdom I felt myself constantly asking why these characters were putting themselves in danger again. Every time they've tried this stuff before, it's never worked. We've had four movies going over how we shouldn't dabble in nature. Wasn't that the moral of the first film? Mankind's own arrogance may be it's downfall?

The idea of genetic tampering and the potential consequences of such power certainly could bring up some relevant debate. The film briefly dances around the ideas but never really gives them much time. There is one area in particular where I actually found it kind of annoying and frustrating. We'll be entering the one major spoiler I'll go over (just to give you a heads up).

It turns out the funding of the expedition was supported by on old friend of John Hammond. Apparently, this man used the technology that brought dinosaurs back to life to create a clone of his granddaughter. This could have potentially really upped the ante in terms of thematic discussion. However, the characters barely acknowledge this. Perhaps the filmmakers where afraid of this becoming a very different film, but that's  pretty big plot development essentially gloss over. What's even more frustrating is the film's solution to the fate of the dinosaurs. Towards the end of the final act, Bryce Dallas Howard's character is about to make the final decision to set the animals free into the world or let them die. This is no longer about an amusement park or an isolated resort. This is about letting many wild and potentially dangerous genetically modified animals out into the general populace. The potential ramifications could make our main characters out to be pretty questionable, even comparable to the villains. This was similar problem we ran into in the Lost World.  She decides to let the dinosaurs die, but this written off immediately when the young cloned girl sets them free instead. This was so annoying safe and not helped by the major idea not really being focused on at all. It's implied that the girl identifies with the dinosaurs since she was produced by the same means. This avoids the very dark turn the story could take. If the dinosaurs were made unnaturally and then allowed to die off, what would be done with the girl? It's obviously a route the movie didn't want to focus on. Even so, this whole interesting and thought provoking development is basically a side note despite the major ramifications it could hold. So the dinosaurs are let free and I guess mankind is just supposed to deal with it. What's worse, the main characters don't seem that bothered by it even though the dinosaurs have nearly killed them in two films!

Alright, I'm going to wrap this up. My point is, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom is a pretty fun continuation with many of the same beats  you'd expect. I guess the problem is, there were some pretty big oversights and frustratingly idiotic character decisions that seem to be writing this franchise into a corner. Even the plan of the villains seems less ambitious than before (a dinosaur auction?). I guess the next movie will be an all out war with the dinosaurs. Perhaps then the films will be able to decide who will survive, humanity or the dinosaurs. Or maybe we should just stop making new carnivores. Seriously, why do we care so much about reintroducing raptors? That has never worked out.  Then again, maybe I'm taking this silly monster movie too seriously.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY... THE END OF STAR WARS?

I don't really feel like doing a detailed review for Solo, since I'm sure there are plenty of videos and articles discussing it already. Even so, I still want to take the opportunity to discuss Star Wars in its current state.

My relationship with Star Wars is probably not that different from that of many people. I grew up watching the original trilogy and didn't have to wait too long for the prequels. However, it seems that since that time, Star Wars has continued to have a significantly larger presence in media, at least that I'm more aware of. The expanded universe of comics, novels and games gives us a near constant influx of  stories. This isn't a bad thing I suppose, but I've found myself getting less excited about Star Wars. Maybe that's just because there is rarely a break from it. With the release of the new trilogy backed by Disney, the franchise has probably never seemed more prevalent than it is now. Solo underperformed at the box office. This has caused many people to question if Star Wars still has staying power. This is kind of silly though. Of course it does. It's Star Wars.

Star Wars is a series that resonates with many people, The universal themes and character driven narratives, combined with a unique dash of space fantasy, have helped build the franchise up the behemoth it currently is. However, the primary films have been built up to such a legendary status due to the long waits and anticipation for each new release. These days, everyone is trying to tap into that nostalgic nerve and build a franchise off of it. I've talked about that on this site and on my channel many times before. Reflecting on  geek and pop culture stuff from childhood and examing my relationship with it has typically the focus of this blog . Star Wars is basically trying to copy Marvel.

I think we live in a wonderful time where many of the fantastic franchises we grew up with, not matter how popular or obscure, could potentially come to life on the big or small screen. This leads to many interesting possibilities from major studios or die hard fans with their own projects. In the case of Marvel or even Star Wars, too much of anything can be tiring. As with exposure to anything, sometimes you need a break to sit back and appreciate it. Despite my love of comic books, I do sometimes grow weary of Marvel's films. This is mostly due to them playing it safe and following the same formula, even though it's a formula that mostly works. The movies have all been pretty good. Even so, they're kind of predictable. Plus, we're now getting multiple super hero movies a year. Each year also continues to have more reboots, prequels, sequels and spin-offs. Many of these are harping on expanding or starting a new franchise. While part of me adores the fun aspect of each of these possibilities, this consistent leaning towards franchises seems to be stifling new and original concepts. I just feel like there was a greater variety of movies a decade or two ago. At least, a wider variety that people could gravitate to.

In any case, Star Wars may just be overdoing it a little bit. Solo was a decent movie, but it came in the wake of the very divisive and more canonically important Last Jedi. It also had to compete with the very popular Infinity War and Deadpool films.  In addition, interest in the side stories seemed pretty mixed based on the success and reception of Rogue One. That doesn't include the typical resistance to recasts and some behind the scenes issues.

I don't think these side stories are supposed to have the same impact as the main films. I suppose, if done well, they could potentially outdo the main trilogies. There are plenty of ways for the franchise to experiment. Then again, outside of the expanded universe,  the main franchise has generally provided the same expected beats. Star Wars does tackle more varied and interesting stories, but most audiences don't really seem to need that. I think Disney is still trying to figure out how far they can push things and still make big profits. The Force Awakens was generally liked, but stayed very close to the feel of the original trilogy. The Last Jedi attempted to subvert expectations, with a much more divisive reception. Either way, the films brought fans and casual viewers to theaters. They still made pretty large profits. With the most hardcore fans being the most vocal, it can be  harder to gauge the perception of some of these properties immediately. Disney has done a pretty good job at finding the best possible method to entertain while gaining a profit. Still, it will be interesting to see where the franchise will go. I just hope we can get a breather. After all, it's kind of hard to build up anticipation for something that's kind of always there.