Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Review

Relentless, daft and a slog to get through

by Simon Crust
MSRP: £24.99

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 4K Film Review

Genetic power has now been unleashed. And of course, that's gonna be catastrophic

If Jurassic World epitomised its own quote,bigger, louder - more teeth", then its sequel, tonight’s feature, Fallen Kingdom, turns it up to eleven. The paper thin story sees the dinosaur inhabited island being threatened by (an impossibly) reactivated volcano and the efforts to save the previously extinct creatures from going extinct again, before switching gear to another nefarious scheme to weaponise the dinosaurs and the inevitable misfortune of human folly, as the beasts rampage causing havoc, chaos and death. Pretty standard fair and all very formulaic.

But with the volume, intensity, effects and action all dialled up, the film, to me, just comes off as loud, brash, and ultimately unfulfilling. The previous cast are reunited and have the same likeable charm, and are this time joined by two younger underdeveloped newbies. The ‘baddies’ are your unscrupulous business dealers, obvious from their first moments on screen, as well as trophy hunting, gun toting, ruffians, all of whom, of course, get their just desserts. Characterisation is awful, action is over-the-top, there is never any sense of peril, and the twists are seen a mile away.

You could argue that this is nothing more than popcorn fodder, meant for nothing but simple enjoyment, but, for me, maybe it is action fatigue, perhaps Hollywood rejection, or possibly sequel exhaustion, I just found Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has little to offer and is a slog to get through.

Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom 4K Picture

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom was shot digitally using a combination of Arri Alexa 65 and Mini cameras with resolutions of 6.5K and 3.4K but ultimately finished as a 2K DI, which has presumably been used here for this Ultra HD Blu-ray release. The disc presents an upscaled 3840 x 2160p resolution image in the widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio, and uses 10-bit video depth, a Wide Colour Gamut (WCG), High Dynamic Range, and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec for HDR10 and Dolby Vision. We reviewed the Region free UK Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom on a Panasonic 65DX902B Ultra HD 4K TV with a Panasonic DMP-UB400 Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

You’d never know this was an upscale

You’d never know this was an upscale, the detail is terrific; right from skin texture (both human and dinosaur!) and clothing weaves, to overhead shots of Hawaii or the Lockwood estate – there are fine edges throughout. Jungle flora, muddy tracks, computer instrumentation, weaponry – all are clearly defined with no hint of softness. This is backed up the WCG and HDR which adds a depth to the colouring not present in the Blu-ray. Check out the heat from the reds and oranges of the flowing lava, how blue Blue, is or the intensity of the computer screens.

Black level is deep and refined with plenty of shadow detail, underneath the mansion for example, which adds decent depth to the frame, while the white end pushes the frame out giving a nice amount of 3D pop. Highlights are detailed, clouds, glinting of water, steel surfaces etc. with no sign of clipping.

The original source is pristine, of course, and there are no signs of compression, extremely slight hints of banding in some of the smoke early on, and perhaps a hint of aliasing as well, but so minor as not to cause offence. A very nice picture.

Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom 4K Sound

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
The DTS:X surround track is aggressive, loud and makes full use of all the speakers to fully immerse you. Perhaps best typified during the volcanic eruption and the subsequent dinosaur stampede where effects are coming from everywhere; volcanic bombs and ejecta from above, crashing to earth from below, animals running left, right and behind, sometimes over, while the score is layered well within the mix. However, you could pick any action scene and you will feel the immersion. Dialogue is always audible, sounds natural and given directionality when needed. Bass is thunderous, whether it is erupting volcanoes or dinosaur footfalls. The score is well layered into the mix and uses all speakers to place you in the centre. Indeed, the track never puts a foot wrong.

Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom 4K Extras

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
The extras are found on both the UHD and the included Blu-ray. They are a bunch of fluffy promo’s running between 1 and 12 minutes, their respective titles tell what is in store. Essentially, not much.

On Set with Chris & Bryce
The Kingdom Evolves
Return to Hawaii
Island Action
Aboard the Arcadia
Birth of the Indoraptor
Start the Bidding!
Death by Dino
Monster in a Mansion
Rooftop Showdown
Malcolm’s Return
VFX Evolved
Fallen Kingdom: The Conversation
A Song for the Kingdom
Chris Pratt’s Jurassic Journals
Jurassic Then and Now: Presented by Barbasol

Conclusion

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Review

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Perhaps it is action fatigue, maybe Hollywood rejection, possibly sequel exhaustion, but I just found Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom a slog to get through. Yes, the plot has evolved, presenting some new(ish) ideas, yes, the set pieces are thrilling (to a degree) and yes, there is a charm between the main protagonists, but, honestly, the film is relentless, daft and ultimately leaves you done with the franchise. Simply tiring.

As a 4K UHD set, the package from Universal is fine; the picture, from a 2K up-scale, is terrific, being detailed, bright, well coloured with great blacks, while the DTS:X surround track is tremendous with full use of the surround environment, strong bass and effectively placed effects. The extras while fluffy and not saying much are, at least, on the UHD for once.

Scores

Movie

.
.
.
.
.
5

Picture Quality

.
9

Sound Quality

.
9

Extras

.
.
.
.
.
5

Overall

.
.
.
7
7
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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