Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

     Much like life, Jurassic Park keeps finding a way to live on, and you all know the drill at this point: stupid people want to mess around with dinosaurs, the dinosaurs escape, crazy things happen, and the main characters survive.  The end.  It's another Jurassic Park movie, and if you've enjoyed the series up to this point, hold on to your butts because Jurassic Park 5/Jurassic World 2 is a fun and crazy ride.
     Let's get this out of the way.  You are not going to see this movie for what little story there is in this film.  You're interested in the dinosaurs and Chris Pratt's wittiness.  So how are they?  The dinosaurs are awesome, but other than a couple of humorous one-liners and a moment of physical comedy, Pratt isn't as funny this time around.  In fact, it's really not a funny movie.  Of course, you probably didn't expect it to be a comedy anyway.  So what kind of a movie is it?  It's two kinds actually, and you shouldn't be concerned about a blend of styles.
     It is a monster movie first and foremost.  The first scene makes that very clear.  These dinosaurs loom about in the shadows and take any opportunity they can to devour their human prey.  The newest director for the series J. A. Bayona (A Monster Calls) wonderfully conveys a sense of dread and horror when these creatures come out to attack, while at the same time remembering the fondness we had when we first saw the original film.  He invokes a right blend of nostalgia while also doing new things to the 25 year old series, which brings me to my claim that it's two kinds of a monster movie rolled up into one.  At first glance, you would think this is a remake of sorts to The Lost World: Jurassic Park, much like how Jurassic World was basically Jurassic Park set in current times.  After all, the dinosaurs are brought to our continent just like in the original sequel, but it handles the similar scenario differently in a way that I was pleasantly surprised by.  When this movie begins, it's more of a big, bombastic disaster movie with the island blowing up and the dinosaurs going into a state of panic, which is totally fine for a movie like this, but then the dinosaurs are moved to a giant mansion, making it into a haunted house kind of movie.  On paper, this might not sound very exciting, but the final result creates a very intense, claustrophobic sense of fear, making this one of my favorite moments of the franchise.  It reminded me of the classic Resident Evil video game where you were trapped in a mansion and didn't know what monstrosity was around the corner, not knowing if your gun will be affective against whatever awaited you.  The new dinosaur, the Indoraptor, isn't any more than your typical scary monster, but it serves its purpose as being a ferocious beast for the characters to figure out how to escape from.  Ultimately, this film knows that the series is at its best when it's trying to be scary, and it offers great intense moments to compliment what came before.
     I would like to note that Bayona made a very smart decision to include practical effects and animatronics whenever possible throughout the movie.  Where the previous filmed relied heavily on animated creatures, this one uses a nice blend of CGI with robotics.  Seeing Blue thrash about on a surgical table as Pratt gently pets its head and Bryce Dallas Howard sitting atop the T-Rex's neck adds extra depth to the actors' performances as they interact with the dinosaurs physically.  Because of this, it actually makes you question when a dinosaur is a cartoon or a robot, giving more realism to the setting. 
     Even though it's not the best script of all time, the actors do give a fun performance throughout the film, especially when interacting with the animatronics.  The newer characters will either annoy you or add to the dumb fun the movie was already offering to you.  For me, the new additions to the cast made me chuckle a couple of times, and the little girl helped make the dinosaurs both more terrifying and sympathetic, offering a new insight to these creatures we've come to expect death and destruction from.
     If you've enjoyed the Jurassic Park films up until now, then you know what you're in for, and that may be a good thing.  It is a fun monster movie that entertains and makes you feel like you are riding a roller coaster, and as long as you don't expect anything else from it, you'll have a good time watching it.