Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Certificate: 12A

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ted Levine, Toby Jones, Jeff Goldblum, Isabella Sermon

Release date: 2018

4 out of 5

4

It’s three years since the Jurassic Park update Jurassic World, and time to get our heroes back to the island that was abandoned after many of the visiting tourists were turned into monster munchies.

Claire (Howard) is now working to protect the dinosaurs at the abandoned Isla Nublar theme park from an impending volcanic eruption, so when benefactor Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) offers her a safe place to transfer the dinosaurs, she enlists the help of former flame Owen (Pratt), as he’s the only one who may be able to communicate with and rescue highly intelligent raptor Blue.

After a slightly slow set up that establishes ageing Lockwood – who clatters around an immense mansion with his granddaughter Maisie (Sermon), her carer (Geraldine Chaplin) and his business manager Mills (Rafe Spall) – was actually Jurassic Park owner John Hammond’s ex-business partner, Claire and Owen head off to rescue some dinosaurs from flowing lava, volcanic explosions and eruptions.

Their adventure is like a Greatest Hits of Jurassic Park as the action moves from Isla Nublar back to Lockwood’s home, thanks to some animal-trafficking, gun-toting baddies who never meant to save the dinosaurs and have something far more nefarious in mind.

We get chase sequences, a child hiding from a nasty dinosaur, dinosaur-on-dinosaur fights, double-crossing baddies, a (far too brief) appearance from wise Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) and some really impressive set pieces, including Claire and co-worker Franklin (Justice Smith) trapped underwater in one of those ball travelator thingies from Jurassic World, and a tense rooftop chase.

A lot of the plot is quite silly if you stop to think about it (and a couple of plot revelations are signposted too much), but director JA Bayona doesn’t give you time to fret about it, packing the latter half of the movie with stunts and a really mean dinosaur who will scare the life out of younger viewers (see notes, below).

Meanwhile, Pratt and Howard’s characters are more enjoyable (and nicer) this time around – and, thankfully, Howard gets to ditch her infamous high heels in favour of practical flat boots for the running and screaming bits – and work well with talented newcomer Sermon, who gets to play the most likeable (and least annoying) kid in the Jurassic franchise so far.

Deliciously daft and ridiculously entertaining, it may not be a classic like Spielberg’s original, but it’s certainly an enjoyable thrill ride that neatly sets up a sequel that has the potential to be the best adventure yet (especially if they add more Goldblum).

Is Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

This is a 12A certificate film in the UK (PG-13 in the US) and features characters often pursued and attacked by dinosaurs. This may be too scary for children under the age of 10.

Parents should note it is scarier than the previous Jurassic World movie.

Younger viewers may be frightened by a new, fast, vicious dinosaur introduced in this movie.

One scene depicts a character being attacked, his arm ripped off and eaten.

Younger (under age 10) children may be scared by scenes in which the young girl in the movie is chased by the dinosaur, and during a scene in which she hides in her bedroom while the dinosaur attempts to get in.

The dinosaurs – and their very toothy faces – are often seen up close on screen which may scary younger audiences.

There are some scenes of blood and the result of attacks, including a wound after a dinosaur claw cuts into a character’s leg.

A dinosaur is seen with a goat in its mouth.

Very young viewers may be upset by the volcanic eruptions and sensitive viewers may be upset by the fate of some of the dinosaurs due to the volcano.

The lead characters, and also the young girl, are often in jeopardy, including a scene in which two of the characters nearly drown.

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