Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ** ½

Dir:  J.A. Bayona

*ing: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon.

Isla Nublar, where the theme park Jurassic World was housed, not only sits abandoned after the events of the last movie, 2015’s Jurassic World, but now faces extinction due to the island’s dormant volcano erupting into life. So Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) - both holdovers from the last movie - spring into action to rescue as many of the dinosaurs as they can. Owen, in particular, wants to save Blue, the raptor he raised and with whom he shares a bond. But the people Owen and Claire are working with have an agenda of their own.

I was entertained enough by the 2015 entry in the Jurassic franchise coming as it did fourteen years after the previous one and hence there was an element of freshness to it. Plus the updated CGI and Chris Pratt’s patented snarky swagger added to the enjoyment. Some of the action does get the pulse racing in this latest Jurassic film but there’s not that much new this time around. I’m also not so sure that moving the action to an indoor location (if you see the movie, you’ll see what I mean) necessarily works and the dark, murky cinematography doesn’t necessarily help either. Still, fans of the franchise should get sufficient adrenaline rushes from Fallen Kingdom to feel that they got their money’s worth.

Cut to chase: Watchable but not as much fun as its immediate predecessor.

Kmumtaz1@hotmail.com; Twitter: @KhusroMumtaz

 

Rating system:  *Not on your life  * ½ If you really must waste your time  ** Hardly worth the bother  ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only  *** Good enough for a look see  *** ½ Recommended viewing  **** Don’t miss it  **** ½ Almost perfect  ***** Perfection