Dinosaurs and Danger #Jurassic_World_Fallen_Kingdom #movie_reviews

The park is closed. The humans long gone and dinosaurs have run wild. But what happens when the island is about to blow? Government Hearings.
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Three years after the last Jurassic World movie, the dinos face extinction as the island’s once dormant volcano is erupting. Mr. Hammond is dead but his former partner would like to save the dinosaurs and has come up with a plan to move some of them, thirteen species to a new island. They need Claire’s (Bryce Howard) and Owen’s (Chris Pratt) help. However, things aren’t what they seem and the project goes haywire.

​Returning to its roots in the first Jurassic Park, Fallen Kingdom bridges the new characters with the old storyline of gene splicing and playing God. Dr. Wu returns and tries to pick up where he left off, creating a new dinosaur which can be taught and controlled. However, it’s the greed of Mr. Mills who sees the dinosaurs as a commodity for war and destruction, much like nuclear weapons which pits Claire and Owen against the bad guys in an effort to save the dinosaurs. 

​Claire and Owen share responsibility for the dinosaurs. They also share in the guilt that they might have done something wrong by allowing the park to be built and dinosaurs to be used as a tourist opportunity. Not alone in their effort to save the dinosaurs, they bring along an easily frightened IT guy and dinosaur doctor- yep, new jobs are being created every day.

​The dinosaurs steal the movie, from their sweeping majesty to their silent tears. They are even the stars of the bonus end credit scene. We see them as more human than the humans. They only seek to survive, not dabble with creation. Blue is grown now and because of her intelligence, is highly sought after. She becomes the hero of the story, saving Owen more than once. In fact, for someone who has lived with dinosaurs, Owen gets very lucky. But it’s the new Indoraptor is crazy mean. He can scent someone and track them through the rain over roofs. He’s trained with a red laser beam to set a target and not go off target until it’s dead. And his human-like hands recall images of Freddy Kruger’s knife fingers. Certainly the stuff of nightmares.

​While there are many plot holes, the fast-paced action keeps you jumping. The CGI brings the dinosaurs to life, in a way which makes you wish you could have one of your own. With one of the toughest scenes to watch since Me Before You. On the opposite side, Chris Pratt has a scene reminiscent of Jerry Lewis’ physical comedy which will have you belly-laughing. The message about gene tampering and playing God is heavy handed. Once we as humans have done this, can it be undone? Or since we have created the animals, should we strive to protect them. Jeff Goldbulm’s character starts and ends the movie with that question and leaves the audience questioning it as well. 

​Leaving the door wide open for the final Jurassic World movie, Fallen Kingdom. Please keep in mind this is a PG-13 movie. There were young kids in attendance when we saw it and tears, screaming could be heard.