A loud, often ridiculous sequel that swings hard from disaster-movie spectacle to gothic monster-movie melodrama. It has real visual flair and a few memorable set pieces, but the plotting is messy and the character logic is frequently absurd.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Adventure · Science Fiction
Wed · 2h 9m
Director: J. A. Bayona
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall
Overview
Three years after Jurassic World was destroyed, Isla Nublar now sits abandoned. When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.
Director
J. A. Bayona
Cast
Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, often ridiculous sequel that swings hard from disaster-movie spectacle to gothic monster-movie melodrama. It has real visual flair and a few memorable set pieces, but the plotting is messy and the character logic is frequently absurd.
Best for
viewers who want big-budget creature chaos
fans of darker, more gothic blockbuster energy
people who enjoy franchise movies that get increasingly unhinged
audiences willing to forgive weak plotting for spectacle
Skip if
you need airtight logic in your action movies
you want the tight suspense and wonder of the original Jurassic Park
you dislike cynical franchise setup for future installments
you prefer character-driven adventure over chaos and set pieces
Overview
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the rare franchise sequel that feels both overstuffed and oddly committed to its own madness. J. A. Bayona brings a moody, almost haunted-house sensibility to the material, and the volcanic opening and mansion finale give the movie a distinct identity even when the script is wobbling under the weight of its own ideas.
Worth noting
What works best is the movie’s willingness to become a full-on dinosaur rescue-and-trafficking thriller with gothic flourishes. What works worst is everything that requires the characters to behave sensibly. The plot keeps inventing new complications, and the moral stakes are often undercut by the franchise’s habit of treating catastrophe like a setup for the next sequel.
Bottom line
Still, there’s enough visual invention, creature spectacle, and sheer absurdity to make it watchable if you’re in the right mood. It’s not a great Jurassic movie, but it is a very committed example of a blockbuster that has lost the plot in an entertaining way.
Top Letterboxd reviews
saskia 🦈 (4★) · 5695 likes
my feelings were hurt real bad when that one dinosaur was left behind on that island
davidehrlich (0.5★) · 3927 likes
FALLEN KINGDOM makes Jurassic World look like Jurassic Park. a tedious, infuriating, and braindead ordeal that knowingly epitomizes so much of what’s wrong with modern blockbusters. i *hated* every cheap, cynical, ill-considered moment of this stupid fucking movie. it's so thunderously awful that i almost *want* to watch the "Cinema Sins" video about it, just to try and keep score. almost. i can't think of a more damning criticism right now. please for the love of god put this franchise… more
Jay (2.5★) · 3082 likes
hi guys it’s jeff goldblum here :) sorry i was gone for a few days i was kidnapped by universal and forced to star in fallen kingdom (im fine so dont worry) so yeah :/
sree (1★) · 2207 likes
[screeching] WHEN WILL YOU LEARN WHEN WILL YOU LEARN THAT YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
Holly-Beth (3★) · 2128 likes
dr. henry wu stop making dinosaurs you messy bitch!!!!!!