Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of September 17, 2018
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 49%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Since the events of 2015’s smash hit retread Jurassic World, Isla Nubar has been left abandoned until Owen and Claire (Christ Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard) are tricked into going back to rescue a few dinosaurs before a giant volcano consumes every last one. But once the dinosaurs are off the island, a sinister plan unfolds that only Owen and Claire can foil. While the story on Jurassic World wasn’t that great before, Chris Pratt brought the film up a huge notch, but unfortunately here he couldn’t save it. Here the story is embarrassingly bad and with Chris just phoning in his part, the film turns out to be mostly just a disappointment. Sure the special effects are great and there is some terrific action and even a few funny jokes. But by the end this project seems like nothing more than a money grab. It’s certainly not a story that was dying to be told. C+
Ozark: Season Two
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Available on Netflix
Lately we’ve had a drought in notable home entertainment releases, which is great for me since it allows me to jump into some exciting new Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime shows. The one I was most excited about was Season 2 of Ozark. It is still my opinion that Ozark Season One is the best show Netflix has released to date. In case you didn’t watch the first season, Ozark follows an accountant (Jason Bateman) who is left standing as the only living person in his firm when a Mexican drug cartel finds out they were stealing money. He manages to outwit his predators one day at a time by convincing them that he can take his wife (Laura Linney) and young family to the Lake of the Ozarks where he can easily launder millions of dollars for them. But of course things go wrong, over and over, leaving us with one heck of a cliffhanger that finally resolves in season two. Here Bateman and Linney must use their skills to stay alive a little bit longer while working with the cartel and the local heroine growers, hoping to build a casino until they can launch their escape plan. It’s a complicated mess that leaves you feeling dirty while constantly looking over your shoulder. The second season isn’t as frightening, but the writing and acting are strong as you watch Bateman and Linney go from being victims to crimelords. It is more than apparent that they are aiming for a Breaking Bad vibe, with an almost parallel trajectory, but it is a fun watch to tear through, even with a few faults here and there. A-