NEW YORK -- The dinosaurs of "Jurassic Park" are many things. They are special-effects wonders. They are unruly house guests. And they are some of the biggest, most foot-stomping metaphors around.
Since Steven Spielberg's 1993 original, the dinos of "Jurassic Park" -- many of them not light on their feet to be begin with -- have been weighed down with meanings that sometimes shift movie to movie. If they look a touch tired in the latest "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," it could be from all the allegorical baggage they've been carrying.
Twenty-five years ago, the dinosaurs -- wondrous and horrifying creations at once -- stood for the magical but fearsome power of genetic engineering. In 2015's "Jurassic World," they were focus group-approved theme park attractions that doubled for Hollywood blockbusters themselves.
Now, in "Fallen Kingdom," the scaly ones -- again threatened with extinction -- are pursued by poachers and others who wish to capture and capitalize on an endangered if dangerous species. The theme appealed to Colin Trevorrow, the director of 2015's "Jurassic World," now serving as co-writer with Derek Connolly, and as executive producer, alongside Steven Spielberg.
"We have a relationship with animals on this planet that is tenuous and is strained. They suffer from abuse and trafficking and the consequences of our environmental choices," said Trevorrow. "To find a way to build essentially a children's franchise about how we have a responsibility to the creatures that we share the planet with felt like a worthwhile thing to do."
If the previous "Jurassic World" was fashioned as a meta-blockbuster, it made good on its intent. "Jurassic World" blew away expectations, setting a new opening-weekend record and stomping its way to nearly $1.7 billion worldwide. "Fallen Kingdom," with J.A. Bayona taking over as director, has already taken in $370 million overseas (including $112 million in China) before opening in North America on Thursday night.
That takes some of the pressure off "Fallen Kingdom," which was made for about $170 million by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. But expectations remain high for a 25-year-old franchise that has grossed $4 billion in ticket sales. And the animal-rights gambit of "Fallen Kingdom" -- in which the dinosaurs leave the island in cages -- has found a mixed critical reaction. Variety called it "a liberal pulp message movie" and "the first cautionary dinosaur-trafficking movie."
Entertainment on 06/19/2018