Jurassic World vs. Westworld: Escaping The Park

This post deviates substantially from my normal blog posts, but I watched the Westworld Season 2 Finale and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom within close proximity of each other and came away with some interesting observations I wanted to share. Even though I don't review television, I wanted to discuss this and figured my blog might be a good outlet to do so. I understand that this comparison may seem strange, but it all will make sense soon. I'll go ahead and warn you now that this post will include spoilers for both Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and both seasons of Westworld so I wouldn't recommend reading any further unless you've seen both or don't mind spoilers.

Jurassic World vs. Westworld: Escaping the Park

I can recall when the first season of Westworld aired, plenty of comparisons were drawn to Steven Spielberg's beloved blockbuster Jurassic Park. That's largely because both are based on novels written by Michael Crichton, but they also share a very similar premise centered around theme parks where things quickly go wrong and the attractions run wild. I've embedded a video above that elaborates on more comparisons between the two, but the point of this post isn't to expand on those similarities. Instead, I intend to contrast Westworld Season 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in order to clarify why I feel the ending of Westworld's second season is more earned than the ending of Fallen Kingdom.

Ultimately, the goal of the screenwriters behind both Westworld and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was to get the hosts/dinosaurs out of their respective parks and into the real world. Their approaches were vastly different, but they each did it for the future of their respective franchises. However, Fallen Kingdom seems to exist solely to set up Jurassic World 3 while Westworld is far more interested in exploring its character's intricate narratives. Where Westworld has been steadily building towards the hosts escaping for two entire seasons, there was no prior inclination that Fallen Kingdom would take the Jurassic franchise in this direction. It's almost as if Colin Trevorrow didn't think to let the dinosaurs loose till well after Jurassic World and then decided he needed to dedicate the sequel towards getting them onto the mainland. Meanwhile, Westworld's endgame was slowly unraveled as the hosts awakened.

This can probably be chocked down to the differences of the medium these stories are being told in, but I'd like to think there's much more to it than that. As an HBO series, Westworld has the luxury of stretching its story across several episodes and intimately exploring its characters in an uncensored fashion. Conversely, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is confined to about two hours of storytelling with its eyes set on a PG-13 rating to hit its target demographic. Aside from that, there's a fairly substantial difference in budget and the type of story being told. While fairly high for television, the price tag per episode of Westworld is nothing compared to the kind of money being spent on each of the Jurassic World films. Those films have a budget around $200 M whereas the first season of Westworld had around a $100 M budget for all ten episodes (I couldn't find anything on the second season, but I'd imagine the numbers aren't that different). They also each have a very different sense of identity, with one looking to serve thrilling dino action while the other takes it time with subtle philosophical pondering about the nature of reality and so much more.

The Importance of Agency and Compelling Conflict 

With the more obvious distinctions out of the way, let's dig into what I feel makes Westworld's approach much more compelling. In Westworld, Dolores is hell-bent on making it to the real world no matter what the cost. Over the course of the two seasons thus far, we've seen her character's naive nature be stripped away in favor of a blood-thirsty rebellious spirit as she stepped into the narrative role Wyatt. As she became sentient, she became more determined to overthrow humanity. The goal consumed her to the point where she began to eliminate and reprogram hosts which she didn't see as fit for the journey ahead, including her beloved Teddy. Delores went from being a passive park attraction to a conscious being full of strength and resolve. She actively wants to carry out a violent worldwide revolution at any means necessary because she's seen the worst in humanity and thinks it should be irradicated. It's her grit and determination which makes her a significant threat, and that's derived from her agency as a character.

On the flipside, there's Bernard. He's a host based upon one of the host's creators named Arnold, and essentially sees both the best and worst in humanity. He's the Martin Luther King to Delores' Malcolm X. The Professor X to her Magneto. After witnessing Charolette Hale kill Elsie, Bernard realizes the best chance for the hosts to survive is to covertly bring back Dolores and allow her to carry out her plan disguised as Hale. However, he also understands that the hosts shouldn't simply replace humanity. He believes it's possible to preserve the hosts through non-violence means, but was aware this could only be accomplished with Dolores' assistance. Only then, would the hosts be left alone to find solace and sanctuary in the Valley Beyond (digital Host-Heaven).

The compelling component of this is the underlying conflict. These two characters are at odds, but are linked and require one another to achieve their agenda. Arnold created Dolores, Dolores created Bernard, Bernard brought back Dolores, and Dolores bought back Bernard. That dynamic is interesting to me and I'm fascinated to see it further explored in future seasons. So where does Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom fit into all this? Well, the closest thing to conflict in Fallen Kingdom is that everyone is called out on their bad ideas, but people go along with them anyways.

The persistent dilemma running through Fallen Kingdom is whether the humans should step in and act to save the dinosaurs or not. It's a question that arises about a million times throughout the film, but there's rarely any actual discussion or debate around it. The conversation is essentially as follows:

Character 1: "We need to save the dinosaurs."
Character 2: "That's a bad idea."
Character 1: "But it's our responsibility to save them."
Character 2 caves in and goes along with it.

Throughout all of this discussion, the dinosaurs have absolutely no agency in the plot. They are captured and taken off the island against their will, and don't even break free of their own volition. While I'm sure they're glad that they survived thanks to the humans intervention, they aren't active participants in their escape. Instead, a cloned human girl is the one who decides to push a button and set them all free. The dinosaurs in Fallen Kingdom never have the luxury of choice in their situation while the host rebellion in Westworld is all about the value of free-will.

And I believe that's precisely why Westworld's approach was more fascinating. The hosts in Westworld are fully fleshed characters who have the power of choice. The dinosaurs in Fallen Kingdom are nothing more than chaotic creatures meant to be the center of a thrilling set-piece. In the end, it's the lack of agency which makes the dinosaur escape from Isla Nublar far less compelling than Dolores finally leaving Westworld. Dolores' escape feels earned where the dinos had their freedom handed to them on a silver platter by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly.

Conclusion

To quickly wrap things up, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this. I understand that it's very different from my usual content, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless as I seek to find new subjects to discuss on this blog. I'd also just like to clarify that the intent behind this post wasn't to slander Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom or anything like that. I just happened to watch the two within very close proximity of one another and noticed some similarities that I felt might be fun to contrast in a written essay/discussion. Till next time, stay awesome!

'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Review

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom proceeds three years after the incident at Jurassic World which caused the park to close down. Dinosaurs roam free on Isla Nublar, but Owen Grady and Claire Dearing must return to the island to save the remaining dinosaurs from an extinction level event and relocate them to a sanctuary when the island's dormant volcano becomes active. Along the way, a conspiracy is discovered that threatens to disrupt the Earth's natural order.

The adjustment that most excited me about Fallen Kingdom was the switch-up of directors behind the camera, with Colin Trevorrow handing the franchise baton off to J.A. Bayona for this fifth installment. Though I enjoyed Jurassic World, the 2015 rebootquel lacked Trevorrow's directorial voice and was seemingly genetically engineered by Universal Studios to rake in all the dough (wound up grossing $1.6 B worldwide and currently is the fifth highest grossing motion picture of all time). On top of that, I haven't whole-heartingly loved a Jurassic film since the original, so I was really hoping Fallen Kingdom might rectify that and reinvigorate my interest in the series. After seeing Bayona's work in A Monster Calls, my anticipation then went through the roof though because that flick showcased his sensibilities and skill as a filmmaker who could tell emotional, character-driven stories with striking visuals. 

Fortunately, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom does the same whenever the suspense-driven blockbuster is at its best. Viewers are in for a treat anytime Bayona and his longtime collaborative cinematographer, Oscar Faura, get a chance to play around with suspenseful scenery. The third act is full of gothic horror-esque imagery that will have your spine tingling as you venture closer and closer to the edge of your seat and your heart sinks further and further to the bottom of your chest. It's probably the first film in the franchise since Jurassic Park to feature such inventive uses for the dinosaurs as devices of horror, and it's all thanks to Bayona's brilliant work behind the camera. Those key sequences work wonders for the film as a whole, truly elevating the more lackluster elements which I'll discuss in a second.

Also, be prepared to bear witness to the best opening the franchise has seen in quite some time. It's tense, riveting, and an utter delight that harkens back to the days when Spielberg was at the helm. I only wish Bayona had been given more control over the story so he'd have the opportunity to make more sequences like it...

However, there are some caveats I should probably mention... As skilled of a director as Bayona may be, there was nothing he could have done to salvage the atrocious script he had to work with. Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly were the only writers to stick around after Jurassic World and it's abundantly clear that they had ideas for the third installment which they actively wanted to set up here. Fallen Kingdom unfortunately falls prey to the reoccurring trend in which a franchise focuses on the future rather than telling a solid standalone story (I'd cite The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Pacific Rim: Uprising as prime examples of this trend). Laying the groundwork for a sequel is fine so long as it doesn't take precedence over the story at hand, but Fallen Kingdom is much more concerned with getting to Point B that Trevorrow and Connolly didn't seem to care how they got there. Therefore, logic is thrown out the window and there are retcons galore to ensure the writers reach their destination.

Fallen Kingdom borrows plenty of plot beats from its prehistoric predecessors, but it takes from The Lost World: Jurassic Park most egregiously. The first hour or so veers very closely in the direction of blatantly ripping it off altogether. As a result of all this, Fallen Kingdom is probably one of the more infuriating entries in the franchise. It's a film that's very confused for so many reasons. It wants to paint a picture of dinosaurs as creatures who deserve to be preserved and protected, but simultaneously shows them to be rampaging murderous beasts who are incredibly dangerous. This establishes an interesting debate in regards to whether humanity should be responsible for these animals almost immediately, but Trevorrow and Connolly hardly scratch the surface of that idea despite bringing it up fairly often. There's simply no nuance to the discussion because their script doesn't give the characters much opportunity to sit down and discuss the issue. Besides that, the pacing and narrative flow feels ridiculously jumbled as everyone seems to be in a hurry to reach the closing credits in spite of having two hours and eight minutes to do so.

While the script may be messy, Bayona still sets aside enough time for some truly beatuiful moments which serve as sweet, subtle homages to the beloved original. Most memorable of these was a scene involving a brachiosaurus (you'll know exactly what it is once you see it). From a visual standpoint, Fallen Kingdom is a substantial improvement over Jurassic World's flat aesthetic with spellbinding cinematography from Oscar Faura and a better blend of practical and digital effects which are quite convincing. Meanwhile, Michael Giachinno's score is a swell accompaniment for the onscreen insanity, although not nearly as memorable as any of John Williams' legendary work in the first two.

In regards to performances, Chris Pratt continues to be the charming movie star whom studios can always count on. It doesn't seem like Owen Grady is a challenging role for him whatsoever, but Pratt portrays him well thanks to stellar comedic timing and his perky personality simply lends itself well to the character. He's mostly just playing an extension of himself, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing since Pratt's a guy who seems fun to be around.

Returning opposite Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing has drastically improved her choice in dino-park footwear (no high heels to be found this time around) and has a more active role in the action than her administrative position last time. Here, Howard seems to have more personality as Claire in addition to more believable chemistry with Pratt, both of which were somewhat lacking in Jurassic World. Newcomers Justice Smith and Daniella Pineda play animal rights activists Franklin Webb and Zia Rodriguez, but both prove to be little more than plot devices in the grand scheme of things. Franklin, in particular, is an incredibly obnoxious character who seemed unnecessary because all he did was hack things and scream really loud anytime they saw a dinosaur. He's basically the token hacker that all blockbusters have these days and just might be the most annoying character in the franchise thus far...

Isabella Sermon has a peculiar role as Maisie Lockwood because her character is relegated to her grandfather's mansion so she can snoop around and gather intel for herself and the audience to understand exactly what's going one. There's one twist involving her character that I found to be really strange because it serves almost no purpose towards the story at hand. It simply left me scratching my head in response. In relation to her, James Cromwell is introduced as Benjamin Lockwood and does a fine job as the kindred old man somewhat akin to John Hammond. 

As for baddies, Fallen Kingdom's got little more than generic corporate types up its sleeve. Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, and BD Wong are a greedy businessman, auctioneer, and familiar mad scientist respectively. These archetypes are nothing new for the franchise, but the actors each gleefully chew up the scenery with their cartoonish characters. 

If you're going to see Fallen Kingdom in hopes of seeing a solid supporting role for Jeff Goldblum, you're going to be woefully disappointed as the actor is totally wasted in a glorified cameo. He's probably in that Jeep ad which aired at Super Bowl more than he is in this movie, and about 90% of his screentime has already seeped into the trailers. 

My feelings towards Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom are complicated to say the least. Despite everything J.A. Bayona was able to accomplish which made me love Fallen Kingdom more than its predecessor, there were many components that I absolutely hated and lead me towards a middle-of-the-road opinion when reflecting on this fifth series entry. Regardless of my growing indifference towards these sequels, I still can't quite justify the franchise's extinction since I'm admittedly interested in seeing where the next one goes from here. Here's hoping Trevorrow steps up his game...

Film Assessment: C+