PoisonKeyblade

Three years ago, we were gifted with the new franchise entry Jurassic World, a film that broke records and stole my heart. It was a beautiful love letter to the original films, deeply rooted in nostalgia, but it also amped up the action and gave us a new set of characters to fall in love with. I loved every minute of it, and never wanted it to end.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a completely new monster. This carries the basic DNA of what we expect from a Jurassic movie, but takes it to crazy new heights, relying very little on nostalgia or setup from earlier installments. New director J.A. Bayona brings a new perspective to the sweeping action set pieces and a dark, riveting tone that isn't present in any of the other franchise entries. The ensemble cast, including Chris Pratt's charismatic Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing, and (my personal favorite) newcomer Isabella Sermon's Maisie Lockwood, all bring something to the table that fits together in a nice cohesive way thanks to a lot of onscreen chemistry. Maisie is the anchor of film's twisty story, and she is just downright adorable unlike some of the annoying children this series is known for. Depending on how you look at it, the real stars are the dinosaurs and special effects, which are the best they've ever been. This one feels like a love letter to the dinosaurs themselves in more than one respect. Best of all, though: this might be my favorite sequel since the original Jurassic Park.

The opening sequence alone made me fall in love with the film almost immediately, already setting up the scarier tone and feel. This movie has such a large scope that it dwarfs any other Jurassic film in that way. It just feels bigger, and of course it's extremely entertaining. The action pace is nonstop, but Bayona also gifts us with beautiful and tender shots (there's one in particular that broke my heart) and great character beats. The claustrophobic setting of the film's second half is atmospheric gothic horror meets creature feature. It's something I never thought I would say about any Jurassic film, but it felt exciting and new and certainly nothing like what we've seen previously.

Fallen Kingdom is a dark, explosive blockbuster that takes the series in an exciting new direction and I absolutely loved it. It expands the scope of the series in such a way that it feels like there is so much more story left to tell here. I can't wait to see it again, and I can't wait to see where this series will go next.

Ridiculous, over the top, and somehow fantastic, Furious 7 is another very very fun installment in the franchise. It's crazy how Five, Six, and now 7 are all considered the best installments. How often can you get quality films 5, 6, and 7 movies deep? The dialogue is a bit stilted at times, and there are moments when the CGI Paul Walker is pretty noticeable, but for the most part, this is a very well-done film. James Wan brings incredible vision and skillful direction to the franchise. I can only imagine the woes this production underwent as a result of one of its main stars, and while the ending clearly was added later on, it is basically perfect. I can't think of a more tasteful way they could have handled things. Without spoilers, this is a very loving tribute to Paul Walker. His presence is felt throughout the whole movie, but the ending especially really hits close to home and weighs heavy in the spirit of Paul. I think he would have been proud. It will be interesting to see where they are going to take things from here, and especially whether or not this will be as successful minus one of the leads. After the excellence of Furious 7, I'm definitely ready for whatever they are going to churn up next, even though the way this ended felt like a very fitting conclusion for the franchise as a whole.

I'm a huge fan of horror, found footage, and Josh Stewart. How could The Hunted not be good? It has all the right ingredients: a creepy setting, two promising actors, and a nice low budget feel. Somehow, The Hunted is just plain awful. There is no sugar coating it. The script feels like a skeleton. The "screams" that scare these two throughout the movie are just plain not scary. Why is there music in a found footage film? You don't need suspenseful music to create a mood - let the situation speak for itself. The ending is frustrating and enough to make you question why you even bothered watching in the first place. Josh Stewart, always reliable, is actually kind of bland here. It is probably to blame on the characters, which feel as hollow as a chocolate Easter bunny. I wouldn't have minded not seeing the entity stalking these two if the film itself had come out on top in the end and really delivered some great moments. The film was clearly heavily influenced by The Blair Witch Project: if you're going to imitate one of the greats, you had better be bringing something original and awesome to the mix. The one and only compelling aspect of this movie lies in the ghost story told during the middle. Sorry, Josh, but it's time to go back to the drawing board for your next movie. I'm rooting for you!