Universal Pictures
I was not a fan of the first Jurassic World movie which pretty much hit every beat and retold the story we all first saw in Jurassic Park with a few additions to the story. But it was the same story, two kids left at the park, dinos go crazy and destroy the place, T Rex saves the day. And not just any T Rex, but the same one from the original movie. I was not a fan of either of the sequels to the original so it was with great trepidation that I went into Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. And I was pleasantly surprised that it took the story in a completely different direction by destroying the island and putting the dinos up for auction to the highest bidder for what is assumed to be nefarious purposes. There’s also a little clone twist in there that was sort of glossed over, but the film was designed to be the second of three chapters so perhaps they will flesh that out more in the next movie. I won’t re-review the film here but you can click on over the movie review to read it. Suffice it to say I enjoyed Fallen Kingdom more than the first movie. And I’m happy I finally got the see the unexpected post-credits scene I missed the first time.
If you’ve upgraded your home entertainment system to 4K, this package is definitely worth the get. The 2160p, Dolby Vision-enhanced image is beautiful. Details are sharp and colors are lush, accurately representing, and perhaps even enhancing the theatrical presentation. The DTS:X soundtrack is also impressive, especially for those with a Dolby Atmos setup. The audio track adds some astonishing overhead elements such as in the opening underwater scene which completely surrounds your viewing area. Everything from the boldest sounds, like the volcanic explosion, to the smallest, such as buzzing flies, completely enhances the viewing experience. The film’s soundtrack score also surrounds the viewer while keeping the main dialog front, center and clear. It’s a very well-balance presentation, and the complete package is definitely reference quality.
In an unusual move, Universal has opted to include the film’s bonus features on the 4K disk, presenting them in the super high resolution but without the Dolby Vision enhancements. Bonus features are usually kept to the included Blu-ray disk to give the movie more breathing room but the inclusion here hasn’t affected the film presentation at all. And UPHE has packed this disk to the gills with extra material.
- On Set with Chris & Bryce (3:05) is a quick look at the chemistry the actor have on set.
- The Kingdom Evolves (4:33) looks at the film in context of a new trilogy and director J.A. Bayona’s vision for the film.
- Return to Hawaii/strong> (2:41) takes cast and crew back to many of the locations used in the first movie.
- Island Action (6:01) delves into the creation of some of the film’s action scenes.
- Aboard the Arcadia (5:53) goes behind the scenes of shooting on the cargo ship, which Chris Pratt is insistent on telling us is a set, and looks at the creation of the dinosaur animatronics.
- Birth of the Indoraptor (4:09) take a closer look at the film’s newest dinosaur.
- Start the Bidding! (3:18) show’s how the film’s key action sequence was created.
- Death by Dino (1:33) shows how one of the film’s villains meets his demise.
- Monster in a Mansion (3:06) – Bayona relates how a key scene from the 1979 Dracula influenced a scene in his film.
- Rooftop Showdown (3:48) reveals how the film’s climactic rooftop scene was put together.
- Malcolm’s Return (3:07) looks briefly at Jeff Goldblum’s appearance in the film.
- VFX Evolved (7:08) takes a deeper look at how the original movie pioneered the use of CGI to create the dinosaurs and how advancements in technology and animatronics have allowed the current filmmakers to seamlessly blend the two processes.
- Fallen Kingdom: The Conversation (10:16) – Bryce Dallas Howard, J. A. Bayona, Colin Trevorrow, Chris Pratt, and Jeff Goldblum talk about the movie and Goldblum reveals how he was almost written out of the original movie.
- A Song for the Kingdom (1:26) – Justice Smith performs a little ditty for Howard, Pratt and the crew on what may have been his last day of filming.
- Chriss Pratt’s Jurassic Journals (12:08) – A collection of video journals with Pratt introducing various crew members during the shoot including his hair and makeup people, stunt performers and others. Each video can be viewed separately or with the Play All function.
- Jurassic Then and Now – Presented by Barbasol (3:05) is a montage of categorized, specific moments from the entire franchise.
If you enjoyed the movie on the big screen, this 4K edition is definitely one you will want for your home library. The 4K package also includes a Blu-ray with the same bonus features and a digital code redeemable on the Movies Anywhere site. Oddly, the digital version does not include all of the bonus material included on the disks, if that is of any consequence to you. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom sets the franchise back on the right foot and the 4K presentation takes home viewing to a whole new level.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment generously provided Hotchka with a 4K/Blu-ray version of the film for reviewing purposes.
Share this post
