Someone did me a big favor before I saw Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
They told me it was awful.
I searched for a second opinion online, and found loads of critics who called Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom lifeless, intellectually insulting, and possibly the worst in the series. I had the world’s lowest expectations when I saw it and because of that, I kind of liked Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Yes, it’s lifeless, far-fetched and you might shake your head at it’s more ridiculous moments, but Jurassic World: Fallen World is also a cinematic roller-coaster ride that offers one of the most inspired endings from the series yet.
But is it OK for kids???
Your youngsters don’t care what the critics think and are probably asking to see it, regardless of that low Rotten Tomatoes score. So, can you take them?
Well, the MPAA has rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril. It’s what we’ve come to expect from these movies and if your child was fine sitting through any other Jurassic Park film, they should be fine with this one.
The only real difference here is the sympathetic view the writers (Dereck Connolly and Colin Trevorrow) have taken of the dinosaurs. Isla Nublar is about to be blown away by a volcano, so Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is as much about saving the dinosaurs as it is about running from them. This leads to some pretty upsetting scenes of them dying or being caged and abused. Even I shed a few tears over one especially sad Brachiosaurus, and that might be hard for younger or more sensitive viewers.
I took my 10 and 14-year-olds to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and they both enjoyed it. My oldest thought it was a little repetitive, with scenes that could’ve been lifted directly from earlier Jurassic films. She was also confused by some of the hiding places the characters chose while been chased by dinos (“Don’t crawl IN the bed! Crawl UNDER the bed, you idiot!”) My younger daughter agreed with her sister’s complaints but enjoyed the movie enough to forgive it’s shortcomings.
I’m giving Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom a C, because it really IS dumb, but it’s FUN-dumb and it sets the series up for an even more exciting future!
So I’d say YES to taking your kids to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom IF they are already fans of the series. If your kids aren’t familiar with these films, start with Jurassic Park at home. That way you can turn it off before the T-Rex scene traumatizes them!
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opens 6/22 and tickets can be found HERE.