It has been three years since the chaos on Isla Nublar, when the dinosaurs in the Jurassic World theme park got free and started rampaging the park and attacking the guests. Since then, the island has remained idle, but now an active volcano threatens to wipe out the remaining dinosaurs, making the species once again extinct. The senate has convened a special committee to decide if the dinosaurs should be saved, and has sought out the advice of a man familiar with the situation, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum).

Meanwhile, former park executive Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) now works for the Dinosaur Protection Group, a small non-profit that works for dinosaur rights. She receives a call from the estate of Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), John Hammond’s original partner in creating Jurassic Park. Lockwood has built a secluded island reservation for the dinosaurs, and needs Claire’s help to access the park in order to rescue the animals before the volcano erupts. She enlists the help of her fellow non-profit employees, medical expert Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) and tech wiz Franklin Webb (Justice Smith). But, in order to save raptor Blue, she’s going to need the assistance of one man who is able to control her, dinosaur trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt). However, the two had a falling out shortly after the fall of Jurassic World, and haven’t spoken to one another in years.

Once the group lands on the island, they quickly discover that they’ve been duped. Lockwood estate executor Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) has other plans for the dinosaurs. Instead of rescuing them, he plans to auction them off as weapons to the highest bidders, and he has recruited the ruthless Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine) to help track and capture the animals. So now Claire, Owen and the others must first find their way off the island before the volcano erupts. Then they must stop this auction of the dinosaurs, which includes a deadly new weaponized hybrid species prototype called the Indoraptor.
 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a fun, exciting, and thoroughly entertaining new installment of the franchise. The film finds that perfect blend of familiar and fresh, not only making callbacks to the previous films of the franchise, but also providing something new that we haven’t seen before. This movie is one action-packed sequence after the next—just as you catch you breath, you realize you are once again holding it!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is really two films in one. The first half of the movie is reminiscent of The Lost World, where a group returns to the island, deals with the dinos on their own turf, and face off with a ruthless hunter/tracker. Through new character Zia, the non-profit’s dino expert, we get to relive the original awe and wonder of seeing dinosaurs for the first time, much like the scene in the original Jurassic Park, when the wide-eyed Dr. Alan Grant first sees a brontosaurus. New character Franklin, on the other hand, portrays a more realistic side of things. He is constantly scared and nervous, worried about every crack of a branch or sound of an animal—he provides a lot of the film’s comic relief. The relationship between Owen and Claire is also fun to explore in this sequel. You can tell there is still love between these two despite them being apart of several years, and they very quickly get back into a familiar rhythm as the onslaught of obstacles comes one after the next.

Halfway through, the film changes gears, and becomes more of a trapped-in-a-house-with-a-killer movie. This has much more of a horror feel to it, making use of shadows and creepy noises to evoke this feeling of a killer stalking its prey. I was reminded of the original Jurassic Park, when Tim and Lex are trapped in the kitchen with the raptors. Except this time, it’s the massive, deadly new incarnation, the Indoraptor, which is even smarter and more clever than its predecessor. There is some really creative camera work to make the Indoraptor feel almost like a classic human horror film killer.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom finds that perfect blend between familiar and fresh. Fans of the franchise will definitely recognize the callbacks to the previous films, but at the same time, the film doesn’t feel like a retread of what we’ve seen in the past. It introduces some great new characters, and also brings back those we’ve already grown to love. (Though I was disappointed to see just how small of a role Jeff Goldblum plays in the film, only appearing for a few minutes of screen time.) The film also leaves things in a really interesting place for the next/final film in the Jurassic World trilogy.

Universal’s 4K UltraHD release provides an excellent presentation. The 4K video is phenomenal, providing an incredibly clear, crisp picture that allows the viewer to see every detail of the dinosaurs’ textured skin. The Dolby Vision presentation showcases a deep color palette that leads to some very beautiful shots, such as when the ship is pulling away from the island as it is engulfed in smoke and flames. The film makes use of both practical puppets and CGI effects, but these are blended so seamlessly, that it’s impossible to tell which is which. The DTS:X soundtrack also very impressive. Dialogue remains clear, the familiar score sounds fantastic, and you can feel the earthshaking roars and footsteps of the dinosaurs via the subwoofer. The height channel is also well-utilized—there is one scene where a dinosaur is on the roof, and you can hear the creaking overhead, which adds to the creepiness and terror of the scene.

The 4K UHD release comes packed in standard HD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for a UHD Movies Anywhere-compatible copy of the film, along with a special card that can be used to unlock an augmented reality experience. The discs contain a solid selection of bonus material, including about 75 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:08:17)

4K Ultra HD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Dolby Vision & HDR 10
• Audio: English DTS:X Master Audio, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English DTS:X Master Audio, English Descriptive Video Service, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital HD (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• Movies Anywhere compatible UHD Digital Copy

Extras:
All of the bonus material can be found on both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs.

• On Set with Chris & Bryce (3:05)
  A humorous glimpse behind-the-scenes with stars Chris Pratt (“Owen Grady”) & Bryce Dallas Howard (“Claire Dearing”) as they have fun on set. Executive producer Steven Spielberg and director J.A. Bayona also talk about the actors and their chemistry.
• The Kingdom Evolves (4:33)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about evolving the franchise from the original trilogy, and the role of this second film plays in the Jurassic World trilogy. Includes interviews with executive producer Steven Spielberg, director J.A. Bayona, producers Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley & Belén Atienza, co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow, and stars Bryce Dallas Howard & Chris Pratt.
• Return to Hawaii (2:41)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about filming in Hawaii. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with stars Chris Pratt & Bryce Dallas Howard, supervising location manager Laura Sode-Matteson, producers Belén Atienza, Frank Marshall & Patrick Crowley, visual effects supervisor David Vickery, SFX supervisor Paul Corbould, and special effects coordinator Roy Kim Cancino.
• Island Action (6:01)
  A behind-the-scenes look at two of the film’s big action sequences—the Baryonyx/lava threat in the bunker, and the runaway gyrosphere during the dino stampede. Includes interviews with director J.A. Bayona, stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Daniella Pineda (“Zia Rodriguez”), Chris Pratt & Justice Smith (“Franklin Webb”), SFX floor supervisor Ian Corbould, co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow, visual effects supervisor David Vickery, special effects supervisor Mike Meinardus, first assistant director Michael Lerman, producer Patrick Crowley, and SFX supervisor Paul Corbould.
  
• Aboard the Arcadia (5:53)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about working with an animatronic Blue and T-Rex this time around, and a look at how the dinos are brought to life by puppeteers. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, storyboard/concept art, and interviews with director J.A. Bayona, executive producer Steven Spielberg, stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Justice Smith & Daniella Pineda, producers Belén Atienza & Frank Marshall, creature effects creative supervisor Neal Scanlan, and co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow.
• Birth of the Indoraptor (4:09)
  A look at the film’s monstrous, deadly new dino, the Indoraptor, and how it was created and brought to life on camera. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with stars Isabella Sermon (“Maisie Lockwood”), BD Wong (“Henry Wu”), Chris Pratt, co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow, producer Frank Marshall, executive producer Steven Spielberg, creature effects puppeteer William Banyard, creature effects creative supervisor Neal Scanlan, creature effects sculptor Martin Rezard, creature FX paint finish design supervisor Henrik Svensson, creature effects puppeteers Liam Cook, Phill Woodfine, Tom Wilton & Aidan Cook.
• Start the Bidding! (3:18)
  A behind-the-scenes look at the chaotic auction scene. Includes interviews with stars Chris Pratt, Rafe Spall (“Eli Mills”) & Bryce Dallas Howard, producer Patrick Crowley, director J.A. Bayona, and stunt coordinator Rob Inch.
• Death by Dino (1:33)
  Behind-the-scene look at a scene where the Indoraptor gets his prey. Includes interviews with director J.A. Bayona, star Ted Levine (“Wheatley”), and stunt performer Ray Nicholas.
• Monster in a Mansion (3:06)
  The filmmakers talk about recapturing the feeling of the terrifying monster-in-the-kitchen scene of the original Jurassic Park by bringing the dinosaur into a child’s bedroom. Includes interviews with director J.A. Bayona, co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow, and producer Belén Atienza.
• Rooftop Showdown (3:48)
  A look at filming the final showdown on the roof of the mansion. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, storyboard/concept artwork, and interviews with co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow, producer Belén Atienza, stars Chris Pratt, Isabella Sermon & Bryce Dallas Howard, storyboard artist Kurt van der Basch, and director J.A. Bayona.
• Malcolm’s Return (3:07)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the character of Ian Malcolm and the role he plays in the franchise. Star Jeff Goldblum (“Ian Malcolm”) talk about returning to the role. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, storyboard/concept artwork, and interviews with stars Chris Pratt & Bryce Dallas Howard, producers Patrick Crowley & Frank Marshall, executive producer Steven Spielberg, director J.A. Bayona, and co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow.
• VFX Evolved (7:08)
  The filmmakers talk about how technology has changed since the original Jurassic Park was made, and how it has allowed them to create even more realistic dinosaurs, and seamlessly blend the CGI and animatronics. There are several examples demonstrating how layers of effects are added to scenes to compose the final sequence. Includes pre-vis footage, and interviews with director J.A. Bayona, visual effects supervisor David Vickery, VFX producer Dan Barrow, animation supervisor Glen McIntosh, digital artist Dorothy Ballarini, lead digital artist Suzanne Jandu, digital artist supervisor Ben Lambert, and CG supervisor Steve Ellis.
  
• FALLEN KINGDOM: The Conversation (10:16)
  The cast and filmmakers sit down for a casual discussion of the film, and share some fun behind-the-scenes stories from their work on the franchise as a whole. Participants include stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt & Jeff Goldblum, director J.A. Bayona, and co-writer/executive producer Colin Trevorrow.
  
• A Song for the Kingdom (1:26)
  Justice Smith sings a fun/heartwarming song for the cast and crew while playing the ukulele on the set in Hawaii.
• Chris Pratt’s Jurassic Journals (12:09)
  A series of short, fun videos featuring Chris Pratt talking with members of the crew. Play All, or select from:
  • Vivian Baker, Makeup Artist (:57)
  • Mary Mastro, Hair Stylist (:48)
  • Chris Murphy, 1st Assistant Sound (1:05)
  • Dean Bailey, Stunt Edge Car Driver (1:05)
  • Peter Harcourt, Diver (1:01)
  • Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith, Actors (1:05)
  • Jody Wiltshire, Set PA (1:05)
  • Kelly Krieg, Assistant Script Supervisor (1:05)
  • J.A. Bayona, Director (1:05)
  • James Cox, Stunt Performer (1:02)
  • Rachelle Beinart, Stunt Double (:59)
  • Bryce Dallas Howard Chris Pratt, Actor (1:02)
• Jurassic Then and Now – Presented by Barbasol® (3:06)
  Montage of scenes from the original Jurassic Park films and their similar counterparts from Jurassic World films.
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Augmented Reality Experience
  Watch the dinosaurs come to life in your home with this interactive augmented reality experience that utilizes the Facebook and Messenger apps. Scan the code that can be found on the back of the card included with the Blu-ray to interact with baby Blue and other dinosaurs. (This was not yet active at the time of this review.)
  
  

Final Thoughts:

Fallen Kingdom is a thoroughly-entertaining next chapter in the Jurassic World franchise. It successfully evokes a familiar feeling while also giving audiences something new and fresh. This time around, the latter half of the film becomes more of a horror movie, with a deadly new dinosaur taking on the role of the stalking killer. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have great chemistry, and this time they are joined by fun newcomers Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith, the latter of whom often steals every scene he is in with his hilarious, constant nervousness. Universal’s 4K UltraHD presentation is phenomenal, providing an amazing viewing experience at home. The release is also loaded with bonus material, making it a must own for any fan of the Jurassic franchise.