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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) in Movies
Jun 16, 2022
The Therizinosaurus and Pyroraptor sequences. (2 more)
The final dinosaur battle.
Jeff Goldblum
No chemistry between the cast. (2 more)
Not enough dinosaurs.
Human drama overshadows anything remotely dinosaur related.
You Can't Squeeze Gold From a Dried Up Fossil
Four years after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, dinosaurs now roam free and are a part of everyday life. Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) have been taking care of Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) while living in a cabin deep within the Sierra Nevada mountains. Biosyn Genetics now utilizes the dinosaurs as a means to try to cure the world’s most devastating diseases.
Maisie’s unique clone DNA is suddenly the world’s only hope for surviving against a swarm of de-extinct giant locusts that is growing in number, spreading from continent to continent, and attacking the source of the world’s food supply. Biosyn kidnaps Maisie along with Beta; the offspring of Blue, the velociraptor Owen trained, who reproduced Beta asexually. Meanwhile, with the help of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) recruits Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to break into Biosyn in an attempt to prove that they are the ones responsible for the giant locusts.
The big drawing point of Jurassic World Dominion is that not only is it the first time Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill have been together in a Jurassic Park film since the original, but you get to see them interact with the main characters of the Jurassic World films. The problem is that it wasn’t worth the wait. The highlight of the Jurassic Park films are the dinosaurs and it seems like Dominion purposely keeps its audience away from what they came to see for the majority of the film. To make matters worse, all of the human interactions fall flat. What little comedic humor the film tries to provide is met with blank stares and there seems to be more time spent talking about relationships between characters, teenager woes, and villainous characters who have suddenly turned a new leaf over actual dinosaur goodness.
Why anyone decided that Owen’s trademark pose of his arm being extended with his palm being the only defense between them and a wild dinosaur mauling them to death is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It’s done so often here and what’s even more frustrating is that it works every time. The film throws in these sappy and melodramatic excursions that simply aren’t worth the hassle. Claire and Owen attempting to be parents is excruciating and the way this film has decided to force Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant into an awkward, romantic fling is more uncomfortable than it is satisfying.
The film does offer a few highlights, but not nearly enough amongst its close to 150-minute runtime. The motorcycle chase in Malta is the film’s most entertaining action sequence and the pyroraptor scene on top of the ice is also incredibly thrilling. The three-way dinosaur battle during the finale of the film is cool, but it feels like it’s been done previously. As the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films progressed, they seemed to always try to be topping the T. Rex and yet were never really able to.
Dominion includes the Giganotosaurus; an apex predator that is bigger and meaner than the T. Rex. The finale sees the T.Rex battling the Giganotosaurus with the help of a Therizinosaurus. Earlier in the film, the Therizinosaurus and its long, sharp, finger-like appendages provide the only nod to horror and classic monster movies Dominion provides as it stalks Claire in the jungle near the main Biosyn facility.
The film spends a lot of time focusing on human drama that you don’t care about. Claire and Owen bounce around the world as they try to find Maisie. They’re taken to an underground dinosaur fighting ring by Barry Sembène (Omar Sy), who now works for the CIA. They go on a wild goose chase as they trail behind Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze), the man who kidnapped Maisie, and then Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman), a dinosaur smuggler that has a direct line to Biosyn.
What’s disappointing is more of the film could have been devoted to Santos and the dinosaur black market since they are two of the most interesting aspects of the film. Dominion tries to make up for it by making pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) the most intriguing new character, but her inclusion feels like it’s too little too late.
With Jurassic World Dominion, a Jurassic World film where dinosaurs are now free and interacting with the modern world shouldn’t feel this longwinded or this tiresome. There are a few action sequences that are worthwhile and Jeff Goldblum has a few great one-liners (“You made a promise to a dinosaur?”), but the film is a monumental disappointment overall.
The film has already made over $415 million at the worldwide box office, so the interest in the franchise is still there. But the chemistry between the cast is almost non-existent and it feels like the film is running on fumes as it tries to offer something new from what is otherwise dried up fossil fuel. If the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise is to continue, it desperately needs to go in a refreshing and unseen direction. Now that all of the nostalgia is out of the way, fans deserve a refreshing and unique adventure over what is otherwise a glorified rehash.
Maisie’s unique clone DNA is suddenly the world’s only hope for surviving against a swarm of de-extinct giant locusts that is growing in number, spreading from continent to continent, and attacking the source of the world’s food supply. Biosyn kidnaps Maisie along with Beta; the offspring of Blue, the velociraptor Owen trained, who reproduced Beta asexually. Meanwhile, with the help of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) recruits Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to break into Biosyn in an attempt to prove that they are the ones responsible for the giant locusts.
The big drawing point of Jurassic World Dominion is that not only is it the first time Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill have been together in a Jurassic Park film since the original, but you get to see them interact with the main characters of the Jurassic World films. The problem is that it wasn’t worth the wait. The highlight of the Jurassic Park films are the dinosaurs and it seems like Dominion purposely keeps its audience away from what they came to see for the majority of the film. To make matters worse, all of the human interactions fall flat. What little comedic humor the film tries to provide is met with blank stares and there seems to be more time spent talking about relationships between characters, teenager woes, and villainous characters who have suddenly turned a new leaf over actual dinosaur goodness.
Why anyone decided that Owen’s trademark pose of his arm being extended with his palm being the only defense between them and a wild dinosaur mauling them to death is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It’s done so often here and what’s even more frustrating is that it works every time. The film throws in these sappy and melodramatic excursions that simply aren’t worth the hassle. Claire and Owen attempting to be parents is excruciating and the way this film has decided to force Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant into an awkward, romantic fling is more uncomfortable than it is satisfying.
The film does offer a few highlights, but not nearly enough amongst its close to 150-minute runtime. The motorcycle chase in Malta is the film’s most entertaining action sequence and the pyroraptor scene on top of the ice is also incredibly thrilling. The three-way dinosaur battle during the finale of the film is cool, but it feels like it’s been done previously. As the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films progressed, they seemed to always try to be topping the T. Rex and yet were never really able to.
Dominion includes the Giganotosaurus; an apex predator that is bigger and meaner than the T. Rex. The finale sees the T.Rex battling the Giganotosaurus with the help of a Therizinosaurus. Earlier in the film, the Therizinosaurus and its long, sharp, finger-like appendages provide the only nod to horror and classic monster movies Dominion provides as it stalks Claire in the jungle near the main Biosyn facility.
The film spends a lot of time focusing on human drama that you don’t care about. Claire and Owen bounce around the world as they try to find Maisie. They’re taken to an underground dinosaur fighting ring by Barry Sembène (Omar Sy), who now works for the CIA. They go on a wild goose chase as they trail behind Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze), the man who kidnapped Maisie, and then Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman), a dinosaur smuggler that has a direct line to Biosyn.
What’s disappointing is more of the film could have been devoted to Santos and the dinosaur black market since they are two of the most interesting aspects of the film. Dominion tries to make up for it by making pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) the most intriguing new character, but her inclusion feels like it’s too little too late.
With Jurassic World Dominion, a Jurassic World film where dinosaurs are now free and interacting with the modern world shouldn’t feel this longwinded or this tiresome. There are a few action sequences that are worthwhile and Jeff Goldblum has a few great one-liners (“You made a promise to a dinosaur?”), but the film is a monumental disappointment overall.
The film has already made over $415 million at the worldwide box office, so the interest in the franchise is still there. But the chemistry between the cast is almost non-existent and it feels like the film is running on fumes as it tries to offer something new from what is otherwise dried up fossil fuel. If the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise is to continue, it desperately needs to go in a refreshing and unseen direction. Now that all of the nostalgia is out of the way, fans deserve a refreshing and unique adventure over what is otherwise a glorified rehash.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Hell or High Water (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
“Sometimes a blind pig finds a truffle”.
One of the joys (and stresses) of the run up to the Oscar weekend is to try to catch all the major award films before the big event. As I bitched about in my BAFTA write-up, UK release dates do NOT make this an easy task, with some films like Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle”, featuring Best Actress nominee Isabelle Huppert, not released until mid March.
This week I have had the chance to catch up on two of the films with award potential that I missed at the cinema, and this is the write up of the first of those: “Hell or High Water”, was first released in September 2016, and what an excellent film it is.
Bank robberies have been featured in many hundreds of films since the early days of cinema: The Great Train Robbery for example dates back to 1903! More recent heist classics such as “Oceans 11”, “Die Hard”, “Run Lola Run” and “The Dark Knight Rises” tend towards the stylised end of the act. Where this film delivers interest is in aligning the protagonists’ drivers with the banking and mortgage ‘crimes’ featured in last year’s “The Big Short”. Add in to the movie Nutribullet a soupçon of the West Texan setting from Arthur Penn’s 1967 “Bonnie and Clyde”, turn it on and you have “Hell or High Water”.
Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) and Ben Foster (“Inferno“, “The Program“) play brothers Toby and Tanner Howard trying to rescue their deceased mother’s ranch from being foreclosed on by Texas Midlands bank. Rather than taking one of the “get out of debt” offers advertised on billboards – cleverly and insistently introduced in long panning highway shots – the brothers have their own financial plan: a scheme that involves early morning raids of the cash drawers of small-town Texas Midlands branches. But the meticulous planning of Toby, as the calm and intelligent one, are constantly at risk of upset by the unpredictable and violent actions of the loose-cannon Tanner.
Since the amounts of cash stolen are in the thousands rather than the millions, the FBI aren’t interested and the case is handed instead by aged and grumpy Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”) and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). The pair have a respectful relationship but one built around racial banter, with Hamilton constantly referring to Alberto’s Mexican/Comanche heritage. A cat and mouse game ensues with the lawmen staking out the most likely next hits. The sonorous cello strings of the soundtrack portend a dramatic finale, and we as viewers are not disappointed.
The performances of the main leads are all excellent, with Chris Pine given the chance to show more acting chops than he has had chance to with his previous Kirk/Jack Ryan characters. His chemistry with Ben Foster is just sublime. Similarly, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham make for a formidable double act. It is Jeff Bridges though who has the standout performance and one that is Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor. (In fact with Michael Shannon also getting nominated in the same category for “Nocturnal Animals”, we can add ‘West Texan lawman’ to ‘Holocaust movies’ (a Winslet “Extras” reference there!) as the prime bait for Oscar nomination glory!)
The real winner here though is the whip-smart screenplay by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario“) which sizzles with great lines: lines that make you grin inanely at the screen regularly through the running time.”In your last days in the nursing home, you’ll think of me and giggle” schmoozes Tanner to the pretty hotel check-in girl: a come-on clearly worth remembering as it delivers the goods, as it were.
The trick here is in building up a degree of empathy and sympathy for the characters on both sides. The ‘bad guys’ here are successfully portrayed as the banks. At the moment you can get 25/1 odds on this winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar – but I would personally rate it right up there with “Manchester by the Sea“.
Deftly directed by Scot David Mackenzie (“Starred Up”) this is a film (the first of two!) that might well have elbowed it’s way into my Top 10 of 2016 if I’d seen it during its cinema release. Well worth catching on the small screen.
This week I have had the chance to catch up on two of the films with award potential that I missed at the cinema, and this is the write up of the first of those: “Hell or High Water”, was first released in September 2016, and what an excellent film it is.
Bank robberies have been featured in many hundreds of films since the early days of cinema: The Great Train Robbery for example dates back to 1903! More recent heist classics such as “Oceans 11”, “Die Hard”, “Run Lola Run” and “The Dark Knight Rises” tend towards the stylised end of the act. Where this film delivers interest is in aligning the protagonists’ drivers with the banking and mortgage ‘crimes’ featured in last year’s “The Big Short”. Add in to the movie Nutribullet a soupçon of the West Texan setting from Arthur Penn’s 1967 “Bonnie and Clyde”, turn it on and you have “Hell or High Water”.
Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) and Ben Foster (“Inferno“, “The Program“) play brothers Toby and Tanner Howard trying to rescue their deceased mother’s ranch from being foreclosed on by Texas Midlands bank. Rather than taking one of the “get out of debt” offers advertised on billboards – cleverly and insistently introduced in long panning highway shots – the brothers have their own financial plan: a scheme that involves early morning raids of the cash drawers of small-town Texas Midlands branches. But the meticulous planning of Toby, as the calm and intelligent one, are constantly at risk of upset by the unpredictable and violent actions of the loose-cannon Tanner.
Since the amounts of cash stolen are in the thousands rather than the millions, the FBI aren’t interested and the case is handed instead by aged and grumpy Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”) and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). The pair have a respectful relationship but one built around racial banter, with Hamilton constantly referring to Alberto’s Mexican/Comanche heritage. A cat and mouse game ensues with the lawmen staking out the most likely next hits. The sonorous cello strings of the soundtrack portend a dramatic finale, and we as viewers are not disappointed.
The performances of the main leads are all excellent, with Chris Pine given the chance to show more acting chops than he has had chance to with his previous Kirk/Jack Ryan characters. His chemistry with Ben Foster is just sublime. Similarly, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham make for a formidable double act. It is Jeff Bridges though who has the standout performance and one that is Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor. (In fact with Michael Shannon also getting nominated in the same category for “Nocturnal Animals”, we can add ‘West Texan lawman’ to ‘Holocaust movies’ (a Winslet “Extras” reference there!) as the prime bait for Oscar nomination glory!)
The real winner here though is the whip-smart screenplay by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario“) which sizzles with great lines: lines that make you grin inanely at the screen regularly through the running time.”In your last days in the nursing home, you’ll think of me and giggle” schmoozes Tanner to the pretty hotel check-in girl: a come-on clearly worth remembering as it delivers the goods, as it were.
The trick here is in building up a degree of empathy and sympathy for the characters on both sides. The ‘bad guys’ here are successfully portrayed as the banks. At the moment you can get 25/1 odds on this winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar – but I would personally rate it right up there with “Manchester by the Sea“.
Deftly directed by Scot David Mackenzie (“Starred Up”) this is a film (the first of two!) that might well have elbowed it’s way into my Top 10 of 2016 if I’d seen it during its cinema release. Well worth catching on the small screen.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Dexter, #1) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
"What can any of us do? Helpless as we all are, in the grip of our own little voices, what indeed van we do?"
I love Dexter! I love Jeff Lindsay! I started watching this series several years ago pretty much by accident and loved it. So, imagine my delight to learn it was based on a book. And not just one book, but a series! And written by a Florida author. Being the book nerd I am, I immediately bought the first one & it was promptly buried in my To Read stack. Here I am 5 years later finally reading it. And I find myself asking, "what the hell took so long?"
The story is fascinating and creepy but just believe able enough that you find yourself looking at people a little differently, wondering if there's a Dark Passenger in there somewhere. Lindsay is a gifted writer with a great ability to write just the right thing at just the right (or wrong time depending on how you feel about dexter and what he is.) Dexter is hands down one of the most fascinating characters in contemporary literature. He's so likable, but at the same time leaves the reader sitting on their couch thinking, "How can I possible like & even *gasp* root for a psychopathic killer!?" Believe me...you can and it is surprisingly easy.
I love Dexter! I love Jeff Lindsay! I started watching this series several years ago pretty much by accident and loved it. So, imagine my delight to learn it was based on a book. And not just one book, but a series! And written by a Florida author. Being the book nerd I am, I immediately bought the first one & it was promptly buried in my To Read stack. Here I am 5 years later finally reading it. And I find myself asking, "what the hell took so long?"
The story is fascinating and creepy but just believe able enough that you find yourself looking at people a little differently, wondering if there's a Dark Passenger in there somewhere. Lindsay is a gifted writer with a great ability to write just the right thing at just the right (or wrong time depending on how you feel about dexter and what he is.) Dexter is hands down one of the most fascinating characters in contemporary literature. He's so likable, but at the same time leaves the reader sitting on their couch thinking, "How can I possible like & even *gasp* root for a psychopathic killer!?" Believe me...you can and it is surprisingly easy.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology in Books
Jan 22, 2019
Anthology of Christmas or winter themed horror stories
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
I waited until closer to the holiday to read this book and, with all of the rushing involved with the season, forgot to post my review. The Christmas season may be over, but it is still winter, so grab a cup of hot chocolate and be prepared to be entertained.
Hark! The Herald Angels Scream by Edited by Christopher Golden is an "anthology of all-new short fiction from some of the most talented and original writers of horror today." Included are eighteen stories of Christmas or winter themed horror from authors: Kelley Armstrong, Christopher Golden, Elizabeth Hand, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Sarah Lotz, Jonathan Maberry, Josh Malerman, Seanan McGuire, John M. McIlveen, James A. Moore, Sarah Pinborough, Angela Slatter, Scott Smith,Thomas E. Sniegoski, and Jeff Strand.
The cover quickly bring to mind "Tales from the Crypt", a campy, horror anthology television series with a memorable narrator, Crypt Keeper. The stories written could have been been portrayed in any of the episodes. As with "Tales from the Crypt", the stories in "Hark! The Herald Angels Scream" were creepy, funny, chilling, gruesome, dark, and definitely worth your time.
The stories are well written and stand alone.
I waited until closer to the holiday to read this book and, with all of the rushing involved with the season, forgot to post my review. The Christmas season may be over, but it is still winter, so grab a cup of hot chocolate and be prepared to be entertained.
Hark! The Herald Angels Scream by Edited by Christopher Golden is an "anthology of all-new short fiction from some of the most talented and original writers of horror today." Included are eighteen stories of Christmas or winter themed horror from authors: Kelley Armstrong, Christopher Golden, Elizabeth Hand, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Sarah Lotz, Jonathan Maberry, Josh Malerman, Seanan McGuire, John M. McIlveen, James A. Moore, Sarah Pinborough, Angela Slatter, Scott Smith,Thomas E. Sniegoski, and Jeff Strand.
The cover quickly bring to mind "Tales from the Crypt", a campy, horror anthology television series with a memorable narrator, Crypt Keeper. The stories written could have been been portrayed in any of the episodes. As with "Tales from the Crypt", the stories in "Hark! The Herald Angels Scream" were creepy, funny, chilling, gruesome, dark, and definitely worth your time.
The stories are well written and stand alone.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Satanic Panic (2019) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
Satanic Panic is a horror-comedy that depicts the world's rich elite as Satan worshiping cultists who would love nothing more than to bring about the end of days. Relatable then!
The "eat the rich" concept is a tried and tested method of giving a movie some hateful antagonists, and Satanic Panic does it well, as a working class pizza delivery girl stumbles upon said cult, and quickly finds herself fighting for her life as the cultists seek to use her virginity as a method to bring about Baphomet and blah blah blah, you've surely heard this one before.
My main gripe with this movie is precisely that - it offers nothing new to the table. That, and the fact that it's low budget prevents us from seeing any demonic creatures, which is a shame.
Honestly though, apart from these negatives, Satanic Panic is actually a lot of fun. It's got a good sense of humour, a likeable heroine in Hayley Griffith, some pretty nasty practical gore effects here and there, and a somewhat cheap but charming aesthetic.
The cast also includes Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O' Connell, and a few horror mainstays such as Jordan Ladd, Ruby Modine and Jeff Daniel Phillips.
You could do a lot worse, and Satanic Panic does just about enough to scramble above the depths of horror shittiness.
The "eat the rich" concept is a tried and tested method of giving a movie some hateful antagonists, and Satanic Panic does it well, as a working class pizza delivery girl stumbles upon said cult, and quickly finds herself fighting for her life as the cultists seek to use her virginity as a method to bring about Baphomet and blah blah blah, you've surely heard this one before.
My main gripe with this movie is precisely that - it offers nothing new to the table. That, and the fact that it's low budget prevents us from seeing any demonic creatures, which is a shame.
Honestly though, apart from these negatives, Satanic Panic is actually a lot of fun. It's got a good sense of humour, a likeable heroine in Hayley Griffith, some pretty nasty practical gore effects here and there, and a somewhat cheap but charming aesthetic.
The cast also includes Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O' Connell, and a few horror mainstays such as Jordan Ladd, Ruby Modine and Jeff Daniel Phillips.
You could do a lot worse, and Satanic Panic does just about enough to scramble above the depths of horror shittiness.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Getting Doug with High in Podcasts
Aug 20, 2019
Cool celebrity guests (2 more)
Very educational
They're smoking weed man!!! Its awesome
Best show EVER!!!!!!
I was cruising through the amazballs app Tubi Tv when I came across this little gem... Mind you, I do smoke a shit ton of weed myself... And it is legal now in my whole country, so fuck it... Lol.
Doug Benson is someone I've seen on talk shows and heard on podcasts a few times, but I never knew much about him.
This little piece of click bait lured me in with the chance of seeing one of my favorite writer/directors Kevin Smith getting blazed up with Doug and Brian Poshien... Or however you spell it... And it didn't let me down.
He and his guests get just obliterated off some of the sweetest strains of bud made available by whatever weed store they happen to propagate. And they always tell you what the pot is like. Effects... Length of buzz... That sort of pertenate information stoners like myself want to know.
Plus its a chance to see Jeff Ross, Natasha Leggerio and Anthony Jeselnyk HIGH AS GIRAFFE BALLS.
Overall its 45 minutes that is filled with talking, coughing and laughter... Very reminiscent of nights spent in my mom's kitchen with my friends, sitting around the table smoking our heads off and laughing til the sun came up.
Ah the memor... Wait.... What????
Doug Benson is someone I've seen on talk shows and heard on podcasts a few times, but I never knew much about him.
This little piece of click bait lured me in with the chance of seeing one of my favorite writer/directors Kevin Smith getting blazed up with Doug and Brian Poshien... Or however you spell it... And it didn't let me down.
He and his guests get just obliterated off some of the sweetest strains of bud made available by whatever weed store they happen to propagate. And they always tell you what the pot is like. Effects... Length of buzz... That sort of pertenate information stoners like myself want to know.
Plus its a chance to see Jeff Ross, Natasha Leggerio and Anthony Jeselnyk HIGH AS GIRAFFE BALLS.
Overall its 45 minutes that is filled with talking, coughing and laughter... Very reminiscent of nights spent in my mom's kitchen with my friends, sitting around the table smoking our heads off and laughing til the sun came up.
Ah the memor... Wait.... What????
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Arlington Road (1999) in Movies
May 9, 2020
Tense and thrilling
I remember watching this film many years ago and thinking it was rather good, so I was very interested in watching it again to see how it has fared, and overall it's still a very good film.
The plot of this film is a very serious one, and at the time this film was released in 1999, domestic terrorism was a big concern. It's strange to watch now as domestic terrorism has, probably rightly so, been succeeded by international terrorism and extremism, but for me this is what made the film even more interesting and tense. There are some great performances in this from Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins - a film is automatically good whenever these two are in it. The ending was what I remember shocking me the most when I was younger, and whilst it's not quite as shocking as I'd thought, I do think how this film ended was rather great (if not very bleak and unhappy).
This film does look a little dated now, and some of the special effects probably didn't look their best even back in 1999. This is a very bleak and serious film, it probably isn't quite as relevant now as it was back then which may lessen the impact a little, but it's still a very interesting film to watch.
The plot of this film is a very serious one, and at the time this film was released in 1999, domestic terrorism was a big concern. It's strange to watch now as domestic terrorism has, probably rightly so, been succeeded by international terrorism and extremism, but for me this is what made the film even more interesting and tense. There are some great performances in this from Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins - a film is automatically good whenever these two are in it. The ending was what I remember shocking me the most when I was younger, and whilst it's not quite as shocking as I'd thought, I do think how this film ended was rather great (if not very bleak and unhappy).
This film does look a little dated now, and some of the special effects probably didn't look their best even back in 1999. This is a very bleak and serious film, it probably isn't quite as relevant now as it was back then which may lessen the impact a little, but it's still a very interesting film to watch.
David McK (3248 KP) rated Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) in Movies
Aug 14, 2022
Insect park?
Jurassic Park (the original) is a masterpiece of cinema.
Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World has it's moments (the raptors in the long grass), but also has the annoying-kid-doing-gymnastics-while-a-Raptor-watches.
Jurassic Park 3 takes some scenes from the original novel (most noticeably the aviary) that were left out of the previous films, but also has the stupid ringing phone that a dinosaur has swallowed that remind the viewer too much (and not in a good way) of Peter Pan and Captain Hook crocodile.
Jurassic World follows the same format as Jurassic Park, except goes larger. It's not a bad movie.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom goes in a completely different direction, going the haunted house route in the second half, and ends with the dinosaurs released on the mainland.
Which is where Jurassic World: Dominion picks up, roughly four years on from the ending of Fallen Kingdom. Lots have been made of the fact that this also reunites the original cast - Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum - alongside the newer duo of Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
The problem, however, is that more is quite often less, which I found to be the case here - plenty of action (and dinosaurs), yes, but also, well, just missing something :(
Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World has it's moments (the raptors in the long grass), but also has the annoying-kid-doing-gymnastics-while-a-Raptor-watches.
Jurassic Park 3 takes some scenes from the original novel (most noticeably the aviary) that were left out of the previous films, but also has the stupid ringing phone that a dinosaur has swallowed that remind the viewer too much (and not in a good way) of Peter Pan and Captain Hook crocodile.
Jurassic World follows the same format as Jurassic Park, except goes larger. It's not a bad movie.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom goes in a completely different direction, going the haunted house route in the second half, and ends with the dinosaurs released on the mainland.
Which is where Jurassic World: Dominion picks up, roughly four years on from the ending of Fallen Kingdom. Lots have been made of the fact that this also reunites the original cast - Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum - alongside the newer duo of Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
The problem, however, is that more is quite often less, which I found to be the case here - plenty of action (and dinosaurs), yes, but also, well, just missing something :(
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Sick House in Books
Jun 8, 2018 (Updated Jan 18, 2019)
Last month, the #spookyfriendsbookclub voted on Jeff Strand’s Sick House as our selection and though I’m a month behind on reading it, I am so glad I did. This book is amazing–or rather, it is if you’re a fan of snarky, gory horror.
The Gardner family moves into a house that turns out to be haunted. Readers find out what happened there fairly early, which is unusual in most haunted house tales that I’ve read. Despite that, Strand manages to keep me hooked with his fast-paced, delightfully dark prose. The family of four, comprised of husband, wife, and two daughters, show readers just how strong the bond between family members can be while simultaneously exploring the darker regions of the teenage mind–as seen with the older of the two girls. This provides a nice depth to the family, which thankfully isn’t comprised of a bunch of Mary Sues (though the wife is debatable).
Fast-paced, gory, and definitely not for the squeamish, Sick House progresses quickly with non-stop action. The terror begins from the first few pages and lasts throughout the entire novel, which elevates it above the many I’ve read where the first eighty percent is a snooze fest with all the excitement at the end. I definitely recommend this book to horror fans and will be reading more of Strand’s work. I have Dweller sitting on my shelf!
The Gardner family moves into a house that turns out to be haunted. Readers find out what happened there fairly early, which is unusual in most haunted house tales that I’ve read. Despite that, Strand manages to keep me hooked with his fast-paced, delightfully dark prose. The family of four, comprised of husband, wife, and two daughters, show readers just how strong the bond between family members can be while simultaneously exploring the darker regions of the teenage mind–as seen with the older of the two girls. This provides a nice depth to the family, which thankfully isn’t comprised of a bunch of Mary Sues (though the wife is debatable).
Fast-paced, gory, and definitely not for the squeamish, Sick House progresses quickly with non-stop action. The terror begins from the first few pages and lasts throughout the entire novel, which elevates it above the many I’ve read where the first eighty percent is a snooze fest with all the excitement at the end. I definitely recommend this book to horror fans and will be reading more of Strand’s work. I have Dweller sitting on my shelf!