Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdoms Review

So, this is just a mini review of the 2018 sequel to Jurassic World. We get a lot of Chris Pratt, some incredibly sad dinosaurs and a lot of questionable decisions by the character.

This will contain some spoilers for the film so you’ve been warned. Now, let’s get into it!

Basically, this film is about  the volcano on Jurassic World that has become active. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Clare Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) are recruited to rescue the dinosaurs but is all that it seems?

So, I think the director’s were really smart when it came to the dinosaurs. I felt genuine sadness for the brontosaurus as the rescue team sailed away from the island. They showed how yes, these dinosaurs are ferocious but that its not their fault. They were literally made by humans and now they’re being left to die.

The metaphor for animal cruelty and preservation in this film was also a really nice edition. I took from it the debate of should we save animals from their environment in natural disasters or should we leave them in their habitats. In a weird way to me it resembled the Australian wildfire disaster of early 2020 and how the animals needed rescuing but obviously this has dinosaurs and a big volcano and Chris Pratt.

One thing that bugged me was Grady and his inability to get seriously injured. Now I sound terrible, let me explain. Grady escaped lava, being eaten, stepped on etc. He was left with nothing but the stereotypical light graze on the cheek. Clare got her leg impaled with a big dino bone but no Pratt couldn’t have got a burn that made his life a little harder.

I really enjoyed Maisie and her twist was really surprising. Reconstructing your daughter can’t be an easy thing to do. Although she just pops up in the last bit of the film and suddenly gets to make a few BIG decisions like I dunno .. RELEASING DINOSAURS INTO CIVILISATION. But it did explain the British accent nicely.

Overall, it was good film. I liked the very smart dino boi and he was the most interesting part. I don’t know if I would rewatch it  as I was disappointed at the lack of time on the island. But the acting was good and if you are a big fan of the franchise including the original Jurassic Park there are references throughout which you might find entertaining.

Black Panther - Why it Kicks Ass

So, I rewatched Marvel’s Black Panther.  It is one the best movies that Marvel has ever come out with and in this, I’m gonna tell you why.

So,  one thing that irritated me about Endgame was the female hero battle scene. This was on the final battlefield where all the female heroes all at once did a slow mow walk together. I get what it was trying to do but Black Panther did it way better. In Black Panther Okoye and  the female warriors were established as bad ass and a team from the beginning and so their fight scene against Killmonger just felt more meaningful. I don’t have a problem with female power scenes I just like when they have consistency with the rest of the film which is the case for Black Panther.

I also adored the costuming and fashion. The creators of the film really did their research on the traditional wear. What I also enjoyed was the unspoken timeline of their fashion as it evolved. Shuri is a great example with her first outfit, it had a modern twist on the traditional dress which I enjoyed.

This film was also very topical to the current spike in the publicity and international attention of the Black Lives Matters movement. Whilst Wakanda is unaffected by this, Killmonger grew up in a community oppressed by white people throughout history. His character shows an extreme portrayal on the rage that can build up from being constantly beat down and how if the oppressing race don’t change that war and violence could occur. “They’d rather die than be in bondage” was the quote Killmonger used to describe Africans jumping overboard on slave ships to avoid a life in chains.

The worrying thing though was that honestly Killmonger had some good intentions. He wanted to stop the oppression of his people and felt Wakanda was just standing by instead of acting. In a different world Killmonger and Black Panther could’ve planned for the future of Wakanda. Killmonger with his ambition and Black Panther with his calm approach.

The ‘sneakers’ gag made me laugh far more than it should’ve and I just loved siblings relationships. Also go Shuri for literally developing all the technology for Wakanda, that girl has insane skills.

Overall, this was different the other Avengers film as we are introduced to a new country with its own traditions, laws and culture. We’ve had new planets like Asgard which are fantastical but this felt like it was more realistic. 

 

100 Word Netflix Documentary Reviews

I tend to ramble and so I thought I’d set myself the challenge of summarising four Netflix documentaries and my thoughts in 100 words or less each. Did anyone ask for this? No. Does it fit with the blog? Kinda? Am I gonna do it anyway? Yes. Let’s get started.

Have a Good Trip: This is a documentary about LSD and other psychedelics so if you find those to be triggers then obviously this isn’t for you. Several celebrities including Ben Stiller and Sting give their insights into the world of LSD. Unlike government education, this doc gives real life accounts of good and bad trips. If you find it hard to sit through normal doc format then you’d enjoy this. Its split into short sections and has a lot of animation throughout so its easier to pay attention and if you do zone out then you aren’t completely lost.

Circus of Books: This doc is about the gay porn magazine and magazine shop in West Hollywood called Circus of Books. The daughter of the owners interview them and as we watch we learn of the rise and fall of the business, which is largely because of internet porn. I’m LGBT myself and I found this super educational as the bookstore was one of the first of its kind. In the 60s being out wasn’t safe and in this we learnt about one of the safe havens for gay men at the time.

Miss Americana: Taylor Swift is the topic of this next doc. The pop princess gives an insight on the joy her career has brought her, but also the struggle and the fear too. This was eye opening as it’s easy to perceive Swift as ditzy but we learn that its because in a sense she’s terrified of being seen as controversial and not sweet and perfect. If you have an interest in the American dream then definitely check this out because it gives an insight to some of the struggles of being such a public figure.

Cheer: Our final topic I that of the 6 series documentary about the Navarro college cheer team and their preparation to defend their title at Daytona Beach. If you’re looking for something addictive but don’t want to go the Tiger King route then this is for you. You find yourself entirely invested in who gets on mat and you definitely establish your favourites that you would defend to the ends of the earth ( *cough* Jerry *cough*).