Snap Scenes: Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom

By all accounts, J.A. Bayona's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a by-the-numbers Jurassic sequel. Big and loud, with not much new under the isla Nubla sun. There is, however, one sequence in which JWFK briefly shines into a stellar horror entry.

The narrative is all over the place. Raptor hound Chris Pratt, marathon pump runner Bryce Dallas Howard, and a mysterious child have escaped Dino Island with their lives, where a particular brontosaurus wasn't so lucky -- ok, I'm still not ok with this. Ugh. 

Lockheed employees have Noah's Arked choice dinos off the island, let by Ted Levine's tooth-hobbyist Wheatley. 

Upon arrival at Lockheed Manor, the true storyline starts to take shape, and it's probably the freshest take the JW series has attempted.

Fiendish yet friendly Dr. Wu (BD Wong), is leading a charge to clone and provide Jurassic pets to rich douchebags, up to and including a new hybrid model to showcase at their morbid auction: The IndoRaptor.

One of the greatest moments in cinematic history is the first gruesome sighting of the T Rex in the first Jurassic Park. The majesty and utter terror are amplified, and every subsequent sequel has tried to match that moment, to varying levels of success. The first sighting of the Indoraptor is one of my favorites. 

The beast is a much less polished version of raptors past, complete with peeling skin, and a jittery jaw. Think of a velociraptor with a long term Crack addition, and you get the idea here.

Upon murdering his captors, the Cracktor turns Lockheed Manor into a full blown horror movie, stalking his prey around the dark residence. The horror is palpable, and the actors sell it so well. It's the first real world scenario in those films that works beautifully, even if it ends rather predictably. 

I fully realize that these films cater to a certain demographic, and a level of family friendliness is required. 

All I'm saying is the traditional formula is getting really, really old. The last film was a particularly painful ride. Good setpieces are crucial to the future success of the franchise, and I would love to see a full blown survival horror in this universe. 

In a series featuring Jimmy Buffet being terrorized by pterodactyls, killing machines being domesticated via hand gestures, and mutant moths thumping carnivorous dinosaurs on the loose, is it too much to ask for a back-to-basics Terror ride?