MOVIE: Does Jurassic World movie franchise face extinction?

Paul O’Rourke

EVERYONE loves an on the loose marauding Dinosaur, but are the producers of Jurassic World running out of locations and ideas?

We’re now five films into the series and nothing much has changed. Dinosaurs need to be rescued from one location and taken to a second location where they escape and wreak havoc, before heading to a third location to set up the next film. 

Pretty basic stuff. So the challenge each time is to how to make the locations exciting and the dino-action somehow fresh and innovative.

In the latest installment, ‘Fallen Kingdom’, the filmmakers have opted to place the giant creatures on a small island with an exploding volcano. Exciting. With debate raging among the international community about whether or not to let the dangerous dinos die, a rogue rescue mission is launched to bring them back to safety. 

Recruited to head the mission is dino trainer Owen (Chris Pratt) and park manager Claire (Bryce Howard), but it soon turns out that those behind the dangerous rescue are doing it for ulterior motives, and so our dynamic duo are forced to plan yet another breakout.

Fans of the series will be satisfied with what’s on offer here, but the storyline is light on innovation and will soon be forgotten. 

There are a couple of laughs included to make use of Pine’s obvious comedic talent, but Jeff Goldblum is tragically underused and Toby Jones is more a cartoon villain than any real threat. 

There are a couple of nice set pieces though, like the escape from the island and some tension building visuals, meaning the movie has some redeeming features. 

As for what’s to come in the Jurassic franchise, we have some predictions. A baby dinosaur escapes on a space mission and wreaks havoc on-board an already infected ship in… ‘Jurassic World 14 – Aliens versus Dinosaurs’. 

That film ends when another dinosaur is left behind on a moon now infested with intergalactic monsters, setting up ‘Jurassic World 15 – Lunar Attack.’ Still interested? If so,’Fallen Kingdom’ is for you. We award it a review score of three average stars.