Manager: Colin Trevorrow
interpreters: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill
Year: 2022
premiere: 9 June 2022
Punctuation ★
In the final stretch of the Jurassic saga, the latest installment attempts to expand the battlefield beyond theme park thrills and into a broader reckoning with humanity’s relationship to prehistoric life. The premise built in the prior film suggested that humanity’s seat at the top of the ecological ladder was precarious, and this sequel pretends to test that theory on a global scale. Instead of a singular, focused arc, the narrative threads pull in two main directions: a relentless locust plague that echoes ancient fears of ecological collapse and a high-stakes kidnapping plot that shifts the action to a worldwide stage. The director, Colin Trevorrow, orchestrates a parade of action set pieces drawn from a catalog of blockbuster moments, echoing怀古 and adventure film icons while attempting to forge a modern sense of peril. Yet the result often feels more like a tribute reel than a coherent story with a clear moral center. Some scenes land with the energy of a well-timed stunt, but too many sequences sacrifice logical flow for spectacle, undermining the film’s own internal logic and the credibility of its perilous moments. The camera work, though frequently dynamic, sometimes loses track of spatial continuity, leaving viewers unsure of where characters stand in relation to the ever-shifting threats around them, and the editing occasionally flattens tense beats into routine spectacle. [Attribution: contemporary reviews]
Once these subplots converge, the film becomes a collage of allusions to earlier giants of the genre and familiar franchise milestones. It leans into nostalgia more than necessary, revisiting notable sequences and reintroducing beloved figures in ways that feel like a safety net rather than a bold narrative move. The intention appears to be to rekindle the audience’s attachment to the original characters while delivering new dangers, but the execution often sidelined fresh stakes in favor of comforting echoes. As a result, the character dynamics drift into predictable territory, and the dialog rarely breaks out of convention, delivering lines that feel functional rather than revealing. In the midst of a sweeping dinosaur presence, the movie too often treats these creatures as cinematic tokens rather than fully realized entities with authentic agency. They can be spectacular, but they rarely become the engines of the story; instead, they serve as dramatic accelerants that pass through without leaving lasting impressions. In a sense, the film asks the audience to cheer for returns rather than to invest in what comes next. [Attribution: critical consensus]
In sum, the latest chapter aims to satisfy longtime fans while casting a wide net for new viewers. It succeeds in delivering large-scale action and a parade of prehistoric glory, yet it struggles to justify its own momentum with a cohesive thesis. The result is a film that wears its love for the franchise on its sleeve, yet risks feeling hollow where it counts most: the emotional resonance of its core cast and the narrative momentum that should propel a story about humanity and its oldest allies forward with purpose. The verdict hinges on whether these echoes and set pieces can cohere into something more than a well-produced homage. [Attribution: reviewer notes]