darkSpyro

-The opening sequence is great. I think J.A. Bayona does a MUCH better job at directing than Colin Trevorrow, as the whole opening really plays up the series' horro elements. The brief illuminating shots of the T-Rex when lightning flashes was fantastic and it's one of the best scenes in the movie.

-As cool as it is to see Ian Malcolm in the movie, I honestly think it would've been better to leave him out. You could take his scenes out of the movie and nothing would affect it. It's just a glorified cameo.

-The entire act on Isla Nublar is great, and it continues to deliver exactly what I want from the World movies: stupid popcorn fun. It's what made me love Jurassic World so much and it does it great here.

-I like Chris Pratt a lot, but in this movie his character doesn't really have much of an arc. Nothing has really changed about Owen as a character from start to finish. He's a neat action hero, and worked for the first Jurassic World, but here with the movie's more serious storytelling elements it just doesn't work as well. In fact, I think Bryce Dallas Howard does a better job this time around. Claire is a much more interesting character here than in the first Jurassic World, and while she isn't as great as some of the classic characters from the franchise, she's still decent and she at least has an arc deciding whether or not these dinosaurs should live.

-That last shot on the island with the brachiosaurus was the best scene in the whole movie. It's sad on all the right notes and I think I got a bit teary eyed. However, this scene also has one of my problems with the movie: the callbacks to Jurassic Park. The brachiosaurus makes the exact same iconic pose as in the original Jurassic Park. It was something small that bothered me in the first Jurassic World, but again, I liked it because of how self aware World was of how dumb it all was. Here, once again because of the more serious storytelling, it's a lot more glaring.

-And on that note, the movie's biggest issue is the writing. The screenplay of this movie is just awful. Trying to bring in more serious and darker elements to this movie while still trying to retain World's sense of popcorn thrills does not balance well. Characters come off as way too cartoony and legitimately stupid because this movie takes itself way more seriously. The dinosaurs as weapons subplot was already the worst part of World, but, and I'll keep saying it: I didn't mind it because World didn't take itself seriously. This movie does, and it's not stupid in a fun way, it's just stupid. The entire second act drags the movie to a halt, because nothing interesting happens, it's all just more business talk about selling dinosaurs and weaponizing them.

-That said, the only good sequences in the second act are the ones with animatronics. These might be the best special effects for the series since the original Jurassic Park, because like the original JP, this movie seamlessly blends animatronics and special effects. I love the scene where Owen and Claire are trying to get the T-Rex's blood, because for the first time in a long while for the series, you feel like that's actually a dinosaur in there with them. Same goes for the scene where the characters are trying to operate on Blue, or some scenes with the Indoraptor.

-The Indoraptor is cool in concept, but such a missed opportunity. They don't really do much with it, and it just quickly comes and goes. The scenes it has are really cool, and I really enjoy the movie's final act, but they could've done so much more with this dinosaur.

-The third act is a lot of fun overall too. Once again, J.A. Bayona really shines with the horror elements, and makes a sequence in the mansion that does get pretty tense at times.

-I haven't mentioned the other characters because they honestly don't really do much for me and they aren't memorable in the slightest. But I do remember the little girl in this movie, and while she does give a fine enough performance, I really hate the story behind this character. I understand this is a movie with dinosaurs in it, but seriously? They're just gonna shoehorn human cloning into here and not one character is going to have a second thought about that???And I didn't like that she's the one that presses the button to let the dinosaurs loose on the mainland. It's obvious this was direction the series was going, but it could've been handled much differently and been much more satisfying. One of my favorite moments in this movie is when Claire makes the hard decision to let the dinosaurs die, but it's suddenly undone.

-Intro, while good, was predictable.It was obvious that the guy was gonna get away from Rexy, only to be eaten by Mosa. Regardless of predictability, it was good.

-It was good to see Malcom again, but he was just a cameo, when I would have preferred him being a main character. Jeff Goldblum was promoted to be in the film quite a bit and all we get is a cameo. Either go all out with him or don't at all.

-Chris Pratt was enjoyable, but he just plays Star Lord as Owen. He doesn't really grow at all. Claire was much better for FK, She clearly cares for the Dinosaurs this time around and wants them to live. She was done well.

-Blue was cool, but she feels to special without any explanation. She just sort of is.

-Maisie being a clone was dumb, and I knew about her being one before hand. And why she was made was cliche, literally we've seen the exact same reason before. It's just dumb. I'm also not too hot on the idea of human clones in the series, hopefully it won't be expanded on and she's just the one exception.

-Dinosaurs are the stars of the show, Rexy, Blue, Bary, Stigi, and Indo especially. Also curious about what will happen to Allo, Anky, and Bary in the next film, clearly their setting up something.

-This maybe be an unpopular opinion, but I feel as if it would have been a bit proper to have Rexy die on the island. She's synonymous with Isla Nublar and the first film and her passing would feel much stronger. Don't get me wrong, I love the Brachio, how it stood on it's hind legs the last time we seeing, which parallels the first time we do in the OG JP is brilliant. I just feel Rexy might have been more fitting.

-What about Isla Sorna? Why not do your best to bring the Dinos there? It's another island populated by the creatures and from what I know, no active volcano. Put'em there, let's see Spino and Rex Jr. again, how's he doin? Got his own kids now? I'm miffed it was omitted entirely despite still being canon.

-As pankake said, the screenplay is crap. Just look at what he wrote and it's pretty much my thoughts as well. It takes itself too seriously when it really shouldn't.

-The final act with in the mansion was fun as hell, so much goes on and it's all really fun. The atmosphere was great.

- And for my major complaint: Indoraptor. What a WAAAASTE. So much potential and it's all thrown out the window. Dr. Wu was talking to the Sam Rockwell lookin' guy talking about how they needed Blue for her unique traits, including empathy, problem solving and other attributes. I know it was a prototype, but good god I was hoping to God it already HAD those traits and as a result,wasn't actually a villanous character, more so misunderstood. What if it was curious and emphatic, especially towards Maisie, and actually befriended her. Giving us another Owen and Blue relationship and setting up something similar for the rest of the world. Wouldn't have that been so much cooler?

i feel conned that jeff goldblum was just a glorified cameo