JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018) – My rating: 8/10

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a science fiction film and the sequel to Jurassic World (2015). Directed by J. A. Bayona, it is the fifth installment of the Jurassic Park film series, as well as the second installment of a planned Jurassic World trilogy.  While I wasn’t thrilled about another Jurassic anything movie, I forced myself to see this one so I would have something to write about.  I felt along with other critics that Jurassic World has run it’s course.  Despite negative critiques, it turned out to be pretty good — as this summer’s movies have not been that impressive.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is set on the fictional Central American island of Isla Nublar, off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, 6 months after the theme park incident.  A small team of mercenaries arrives on the abandoned island to collect DNA from the remains of the Indominus rex, which lie at the bottom of the park’s lagoon. After successfully collecting a bone fragment, the team barely escape the park’s Mosasaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. During the emergency evacuation, the lagoon gate is inadvertently left open, allowing the Mosasaurus to escape into the ocean.

Three years after the Jurassic World incident, a U.S. Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. debates whether Isla Nublar’s dinosaurs should be saved from an impending volcanic eruption. Mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) testifies that the dinosaurs should be allowed to perish to correct John Hammond’s mistake of cloning them long ago. Meanwhile, Jurassic World’s former operations manager, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), has created the Dinosaur Protection Group to save the animals. When the Senate rules against their rescue, Claire is contacted by Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), Hammond’s former partner.

Soon after, Claire meets Lockwood and his aide, Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), at his Northern California estate. They reveal a plan to relocate the dinosaurs to a new island sanctuary. Claire recruits Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Jurassic World’s former Velociraptor trainer, for the mission after Mills expresses concerns about locating Blue, the last living Velociraptor.

—  SLIGHT SPOILERS below  —

The rescue group arrives on Isla Nublar and meets Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine), the mercenary commander. Claire and former park technician, Franklin Webb (Justice Smith), reactivate the park’s dinosaur trackers, while Owen, paleo-veterinarian Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda), Wheatley and other mercenaries search for Blue. Upon finding her, the encounter escalates and leads to a mercenary shooting Blue and Wheatley tranquilizing Owen. Zia works to keep Blue alive while Owen is left behind. After surviving a Baryonyx attack, Claire and Franklin reunite with Owen as the volcano threatens to erupt. They flee from the pyroclastic flow, then sneak aboard the mercenaries’ ship, where they find Zia with Blue. The ship, filled with captured dinosaurs, departs for the U.S. mainland.

At Lockwood’s estate, Lockwood’s orphaned, pre-teen granddaughter, Maisie (Isabella Sermon) overhears Mills and auctioneer Gunnar Eversol (Toby Jones) secretly planning something unprecedented, concerning the captured dinosaurs. They also discuss unveiling the Indoraptor, a new genetically-engineered dinosaur created by geneticist Dr. Henry Wu (B. D. Wong).

Overall, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was entertaining and the special effects were fantastic.  I won’t say anything about how the movie ended — I’ll leave that for the next sequel, if there is one.  As movies go, you wouldn’t be wasting you time or money by seeing this one.  Check it out!

 

MARSHALL (2017) – My rating: 8.5/10

Marshall is a biographical drama directed by Reginald Hudlin and written by Michael and Jacob Koskoff and is based, in part, on the life of Thurgood Marshall – July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993.  His original name was Thoroughgood, but he shortened it to Thurgood. His father, William Marshall, worked as a railroad porter, and his mother Norma, as a teacher; they instilled in him an appreciation for the United States Constitution and the rule of law.

Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman), who was the first African-American to be appointed to the position of Supreme Court Justice served from October 1967 until October 1991. He not only was the 96th justice but was famous for successfully arguing 29 of 32 cases before the Supreme Court, including Brown v. Board of Education, which resulted in the outlaw of racial segregation in schools.

The film focuses on one of the first cases of Thurgood’s career as a lawyer, working for the NAACP.  While Thurgood Marshall was not allowed to actually defend the case, (as ordered by The Judge – James Cromwell), he served as a non-speaking consultant, while Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), an insurance lawyer who teamed with Marshall, actually defended the accused in the State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown). Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson) a rich, former model married to John Strubing (Jeremy Bobb), a successful advertising businessman accuses her chauffeur of rape and attempted murder for which he pleads not guilty.  After listening to Spell’s story, the NAACP decided to back him and put Marshall on the case.  Racism ran rampart throughout the trial. The reality that a Black man had his way with a White woman really showed in disgust on John Strubing’s face throughout the proceedings.  The judge did all that he could in favor of the victim.  This is a movie worth seeing, as it is well acted and a credit to the accomplishments of Thurgood Marshall. Below are 2 pictures of Thurgood taken in 1936, and 1967.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marshall doesn’t depict Justice Marshall’s entire career and doesn’t highlight his best trials but does make the public aware of his brilliance and struggles along his legendary journey.  I really enjoyed Marshall although I wished they explored more of his life.  Check it out, there’s a lot here to learn.

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