(Universal Pictures)
Four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs Isla Nublar sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves. When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) rally to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from becoming extinct – again.
"Twenty-five years since the awesome original Jurassic Park, the franchise is back with a fifth instalment. Skip it."
"...There’s an air of schlockier fare about Fallen Kingdom’s first half, combining its already-heightened dinosaur island concept with a natural disaster in a manner that would do the Sharknado series proud. Of course, Jurassic World boasts more polish and poise than everyone’s favourite blend of ocean predators and wild winds, with director J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage, The Impossible, A Monster Calls) taking to his task with visual flair and a finessed sense of tension. .."
"...The Spielberg touch is still evident. It all comes down to his joy in the inspired silliness that typifies Hollywood at its giddy best. Whether or not he's in the director's chair, this sense of elation still infuses the best of his family entertainments..."
"... Fallen Kingdom ends up feeling like two films in one, and many long-time fans of the Jurassic franchise are likely to find it less satisfying than the earlier Jurassic World, although the return of Pratt and Howard as the likeable protagonists does help things along..."
"..Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom raises the moral, ethical and political stakes, and makes us feel emotionally invested in the well being of a bunch of animatronic and CGI dinosaurs. It also doesn’t hold back on some of its more horrific and aggressive moments whilst scattering in plenty of humour to balance it out. The film ends on a particularly interesting note, setting it up for expanding its universe and possibilities even wider, but that of course remains to be seen in the next installment...
"...Big, dangerous and heavy-footed, the fifth film in the monstrously successful Jurassic ranchise has a lot in common with its prehistoric protagonists.
Fallen Kingdom doesn’t mess around with surprise plot twists or nuanced character development, but its visual effects are brutally efficient..."