I have a very complicated relationship with the Jurassic franchise. The 1993 classic is one of my ten favorite films of all time. It’s a true masterpiece-perfect in every way. The Lost World is in my humble opinion, one of the most criminally underrated movies of all time. Jurassic Park III is one of the dumbest, albeit charming movies ever made (seriously, it features a nightmare sequence where a velociraptor talks to Dr. Allen Grant). I love this trilogy. It isn’t perfect, but each movie is distinct, and each one was made with a vision that was executed to its logical conclusion.
So you can imagine when in 2014, hearing that they were making a new Jurassic movie, I was in a word, excited. Then I found out that the original cast wasn’t coming back, which gave me concern, but at that time, finding out that Chris Pratt was in the film, made up for those concerns. On June 11, at 9:30 PM, sitting down in the theater, I was giddy with anticipation. At midnight on June 12, as I was walking out of the theater, I was working up every rationalization for why I liked the movie. The VFX were great. The score-phenomenal. The biggest lie I told myself was, “It was a meta commentary on big budget action movies, which meant it was thought through.” It didn’t take long though, for me to realize that at the end of the day, it was a poorly made movie that did not understand what made the first, perfect piece of art so great. It knew that Dinosaurs are cool enough on their own. We don’t need unique dinosaurs. But more importantly, the leg work was done in the writing process. It was contemplative. It’s villain does nothing villainous. In fact, the most egregious thing the villain does is attempt “to control what can’t be.” He is the ultimate capitalism. And yet, this movie is not concerned with commenting on capitalism. It is much more human than that. The film is all about how if you pursue the most extreme version of something, you are destined to the failure of excess.
Jurassic World, is a cynical criticism of capitalism, and there are dinosaurs in it. So, in 2018, when the sequel (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) was coming out was being released, I was nervous. Luckily I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t as good as the first one by any means, but unlike the first one, this had a story. It was not even in the same ball park as the original, but few are. However, I was in the vast minority. Most people were even colder on it, more than the fart that came out in 2015.
So, tonight, as I sit down in a theater to see a movie getting pretty alarmingly bad reviews I am nervous yet again. This is a franchise that I love. Or, at least, loved. I know I did. Jurassic Park is a movie I regularly tear up at. The film is moving, and perfectly executed, and yet, that is not even why I cry. When I was about 8 years old, I was with my family, visiting my grandparents, and had just gotten done swimming in their pool, and grandpa decided to put on Jurassic Park, a movie I had heard about, but not seen. I movie I had built up in my mind as an intense sci-fi action film (which it is). What I found was a movie that was hopeful, and tender hearted. If you don’t believe me, let me just do some examination with you. The opening scene is perfect suspense, but when the protagonists first see dinosaurs, and we as the audience get our first clear view of them, the music is soft, and swelling to operatic. The most cynical character in the movie is moved to awe in the beauty of the moment. And when I was 8 years old, for the first time, I was moved to awe by a movie. Reclined on the couch with my grandpa, I sat up, mouth agape, lacking understanding, but entirely filled with wonder and peace. I am reminded of Job 38 when I watch Jurassic Park. Verse four says, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding.” Even the intense moments of the movie emphasize that the animals are not villains, but nature simply retaliating to being tampered with beyond capability.
The latest entries in this franchise, are simplistic. The first one is not complex, but it is deep. The new ones, are absolutely hollow. I hope I like it, but I have doubts. I will always be in the theater on opening weekend for this franchise, but I no longer expect greatness from it. Genuinely, it makes me sad.
Sawyer Huelat 