Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – Blu-ray Movie Review

After the destruction of Isla Nublar’s theme park, the animals face a new danger when its volcano becomes active. Owen and Claire reunite to try and rescue the dinosaurs from certain doom. They join an expedition to remove them from the island and quickly learn that their host’s intent is not what it seems. Left for dead, they must stow away on a returning ship to try and stop the animals from being auctioned off. Worse, they discover a new hybrid species that promises to be the most dangerous dinosaur yet. After things spiral out of control at a remote mansion, Claire and Owen must face a difficult decision that will potentially change the world as we know it.

If you’re a fan of the Jurassic Park franchise like me, buying this disc is a no-brainer. The action gets more over-the-top each time and the special effects seem to break new ground with each release. That being said, Fallen Kingdom follows the exact same plot formula as all four previous films. The characters are fairly wooden except for Owen who is played with goofiness and gusto by Chris Pratt. It’s the perfect role for him. The ending satisfies and of course, leaves the door open for more Jurassic Park movies. Jeff Goldblum says in a closing scene, “Welcome to Jurassic World.” Perhaps a new monster movie franchise has been born.

This release is available in both standard and Ultra HD versions, I received the 1080p one for review. Image quality is reference-level with deep contrast, finely-shaded highlights and shadows, and vivid color. Detail is razor-sharp in both closeup and wide shots. The sense of depth could only be better with HDR, but alas, I didn’t get to see it. And I didn’t miss it one bit. 1080p still looks fantastic when done properly.

This Blu-ray includes a DTS:X encode with an HD Master Audio 7.1 core. I watched the latter and was impressed. Even without the extra channels (I used 5.1), object-oriented mixes are truly a revelation. Dynamic range is seemingly endless with a vast soundstage that completely envelops the viewer. The musical score was especially tasty, penned by Michael Giacchino, who is quickly earning a level of fame previously enjoyed only by John Williams. Bravo!

Bonus features consist of 16 short subjects, sprinkled with cast and director interviews, and interesting insights into the making of the film. Universal is to be commended for allowing the viewer to skip all the introductory material and go right to the film by pressing OK when prompted.