Spider-Woman, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

It’s not a good sign where I had to look up the subtitle of the movie the day after watching it.

I’m not a fan of the previous Jurassic World.  (All flash and no substance.) I’m not that big a fan of the original Jurassic Park either.  (Some awesome, classic film moments, but I’ve never felt the need to rewatch it.) This despite having loved dinosaurs since I was a little kid.  

I wouldn’t have even watched this if it weren’t virtually free through Moviepass.  It was fine for free, and I was never bored, but it was completely forgettable from the moment I left the theatre.  What do I remember about it…

The kid was surprisingly not annoying.  I actually liked the job the actress did.  The comic relief IT guy was actively not funny.  The paleo-vet copied the Kat Denning-in-Thor sassy supporting role performance.  Bryce Dallas Howard wore more sensible shoes. Chris Pratt played Starlord.

Looking back on it (which is more than I expected to do for this film), the movie’s amazingly narrow in its scope.  With something as grand in scale as dinosaurs, the film makers opt to limit them to one small stretch of island, a caged cruise on a ship, and a couple of rooms in a mansion.  It all feels so...little.

Even the end of the film, setting up a bigger part three, doesn’t excite me.  It’s the opposite of the Planet of the Apes trilogy, where each movie ended with the ominous feeling that something bigger was on the horizon.  There was a sense of dread that things were going to get worse, but on a grand scale that would be interesting to watch. None of that here. Not with this creative team, not with this cast.

Regret Watching?  No

Would Watch Again?  No

Would Buy on DVD?  No

Rating: Fine

Spider-Woman 8-12

Okay, brief pit stop from 100 Bullets to finish the Spider-Woman issues.  

I like how Dennis Hopeless has continued to keep Jessica’s baby a prominent part of her life.  The title doesn’t pull a tv sitcom and conveniently forget about his existence immediately after the birth.  (See Friends and How I Met Your Mother for starters.) I appreciate how Hopeless normalized breastfeeding in the middle of a mission briefing.  I also love Porcupine’s moment with his daughter at the end of issue 12. As a new parent, Jessica surely knows just how special it is.

Hopeless also does a nice job of weaving Civil War II into the title.  Jessica wisely does her best to stay out of it, and her reaction to Carol Danvers’ Minority Report obsession and the resultant death of Bruce Banner read true to character.    

Why do you have to go after the ski suit?

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Nice