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.
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