When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times.

With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful series in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before. Welcome to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Stars Pratt and Howard return alongside executive producers Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. They are joined by co-stars James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall and Isabella Sermon, while BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles.

Directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible), the epic action-adventure is written by Jurassic World’s director, Trevorrow, and its co-writer, Derek Connolly. Producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley once again partner with Spielberg and Trevorrow in leading the filmmakers for this stunning installment. Belén Atienza joins the team as a producer.
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That’s not to say that Jurassic World is terrible – it’s not – it’s easily the second best of the franchise but it is yet another re-run of practically the same story. Again we have two children loose in a dinosaur park run amok while the park’s controller (and relative of the children) attempts to retrieve them with the aid of a mercenary type.

The script throws all caution and common sense to the wind in ways that would never be allowed in the real world – how these two youngsters come to be adrift in a theme park full of prehistoric monsters defies belief! Jurassic Park gave a feasible explanation as to how this may happen but here it is just ridiculous.

In true Hollywood style, melodramatic plotlines are ramped up in haste for just about every character but ultimately lead nowhere leaving you wondering why they are there at all.

The film throws tired themes about of dangerous genetic tinkering and militarisation of technology and everything goes haywire largely due to ridiculously stupid decisions made by everybody from the owner of the park down to the two kids that will ultimately require rescuing.

The film’s saving grace is, of course, the dinosaurs that are lovingly created in dangerous, growling detail in all their claws, teeth and reptilian eyes glory. Ever since King Kong all we’ve ever wanted to see is these prehistoric behemoths fight and we get plenty of that action here.

The film’s other saving grace is Bryce Dallas Howard who is lovely in any guise. Doubtless others will think the same of Chris Pratt and I’m willing to pay that as well.

Ultimately, Jurassic World is just like Jurassic Park but ‘Bigger and Better™’ with CGI and digital sound design which is now the norm for any Hollywood blockbuster. Let’s be honest, this is a cash grab; it possesses neither the technical innovation nor the originality of storyline of the original. Jurassic Park nailed it; it still looks great; there was no imperative to remake it. But Jurassic World is fun enough and if the volume of popcorn left on the floor of the cinema after the movie is any indication, patrons are having a lot of fun indeed!

Stuart Jamieson
www.jurassicworldintl.com