Better than Fallen Kingdom, but that wasn't exactly a high bar to clear. I was surprised to enjoy the first half more than the back half, as there were at least some action scenes that weren't nostalgia bait rehashes. Unfortunately, once we get to the new dinosaur park reserve, the movie starts to really bang us over the head with the greatest hits (e.g. Chris Pratt sticks out his hand at dinosaurs, Sam Neill/Laura Dern stare in awe at dinosaurs, Jeff Goldblum distracts dinosaurs, bad guy gets sprayed by dinosaurs, etc.). Some of these moments play just fine, and I was even okay with how they brought back Sam Neill's and Laura Dern's characters. They got more than just a glorified cameo, and there was some decent character moments in there. But at the end of the day, copying your older siblings homework can only take you so far.
The big problem here is the story. It's just not very good. The motivations are forced, the contrivances are plentiful, and the overall setup of the final act doesn't do anything to distinguish itself from Jurassic Park. In fact, all of the new elements introduced or further developed in this movie are paper thin and uncompelling (referring mainly to the locust problem and the continuation of the clone plotline from Fallen Kingdom). To the film's credit, the pacing is such that I was never bored, and I think the movie is perfectly serviceable as a mindless action blockbuster. But as a worthy successor to Jurassic Park? Far from it.
Review by SkinnyFilmBuffVIP 8BlockedParent2022-06-29T21:17:39Z
Better than Fallen Kingdom, but that wasn't exactly a high bar to clear. I was surprised to enjoy the first half more than the back half, as there were at least some action scenes that weren't nostalgia bait rehashes. Unfortunately, once we get to the new dinosaur
parkreserve, the movie starts to really bang us over the head with the greatest hits (e.g. Chris Pratt sticks out his hand at dinosaurs, Sam Neill/Laura Dern stare in awe at dinosaurs, Jeff Goldblum distracts dinosaurs, bad guy gets sprayed by dinosaurs, etc.). Some of these moments play just fine, and I was even okay with how they brought back Sam Neill's and Laura Dern's characters. They got more than just a glorified cameo, and there was some decent character moments in there. But at the end of the day, copying your older siblings homework can only take you so far.The big problem here is the story. It's just not very good. The motivations are forced, the contrivances are plentiful, and the overall setup of the final act doesn't do anything to distinguish itself from Jurassic Park. In fact, all of the new elements introduced or further developed in this movie are paper thin and uncompelling (referring mainly to the locust problem and the continuation of the clone plotline from Fallen Kingdom). To the film's credit, the pacing is such that I was never bored, and I think the movie is perfectly serviceable as a mindless action blockbuster. But as a worthy successor to Jurassic Park? Far from it.