The Jurassic Park series have always dealt with the possibility of dinosaur extinction and their genetIc creation, but seldom with their natural procreation. So Isla Nublar going volcanic in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom seems more of a neuter and spaying of the effects budget than a public service spot for responsible dinosaur population control. All those CGI beasties and digital greenery cost money.
Extinction is never final and good intentioned dinosaur preservationists will always be the unwitting dupes of corporate profit mongers are the two unwavering themes of this series. This means that Bryce Dallas Howard (wearing sensible boots instead of the much ridiculed high heels from the last installment) and Chris Pratt’s dinosaur wrangler get to return to be the dupes and saviors fighting against the suits (Rafe Spall and Toby Jones) who will be eventual T-Rex meals.
Screenwriters Colin Trevorrow (who will helm the next installment and got unjustly dumped from directing Star Wars IX once his critically mauled and fan trolled Book of Henry flopped) and Derek Connolly (Jurassic World, Kong:Skull Island) craft the story to director J.A. Bayona’s haunted house strengths. That means the remaining Jurassic zoo gets transported to a creaky monster mansion filled with hidden chambers, dark corridors and subterranean labs and holding pens.
Bayona manages to hold it all together (just barely) by finding moments of sadness, pathos and tragedy to mix in with the requisite dinosaur terror.
The title transition from “Park” to “World” implies that it is our world that is falling and will fall in the next installment. Fallen Kingdom sets up what the series has always aspired to be: the next Planet of the Apes.
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