OK. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is not the best of the bunch. But it's also far from the worst. Which is not bad going for a franchise that conceived as one-off blockbuster – and now spanning twenty-five years and five films. Not to mention endless merchandising.
And despite limitations to the format – people re-create dinos: don't worry, nothing to see here; ooops!, dinos escaped; loadsa special FX chomping; phew, hero saves the day – there is a freshness to this film that is pleasingly unexpected.
That reflects a gradual drift, from Jurassic Park, the first in the series, through to Jurassic World (number 4). Because at the beginning, the enemy is not so much the dinos, as all-too-human hubris: “we thought we could control them, but dammit! We just didn't expect a power cut. Or natural disaster. Or whatever”. Whereas now, the enemy, perhaps reflecting a much gloomier world view in Hollywood and elsewhere, is greed and selfishness: “we invented this super bio-weapon – a new type of killer dinosaur. And NO-ONE expected the darn thing would escape”.
This was more than hinted at in the previous film, as, by the end, we were aware that there were military types behind the entire Jurassic project. And this film was set up there, as, in the final scenes, the villain of the piece, Dr Wu (BD Wong) grabs his computer files and a box of genetic material and flies out just before the chaos.
That means that we aren't locked into same-old-same-old. Instead, the film kicks off with a threat: the island on which Jurassic World was first set up turns out to be a dormant-no-more volcano and if someone doesn't do something, then all the beasties are going to die. Should we save them?
Loads of people seem to think we should. There is an unlikely save-the-dinos campaign, led by Claire Dearing (Dallas Bryce Howard), who managed the original Jurassic World, together with collective amnesia as to what happens every other time people save the dinos. Clue: loads of chomping! But after an impassioned speech from respected academic Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), the decision is taken to let them burn.
It is an interesting cameo: a nod back to Jurassic Park, in which Goldblum emerged as unexpected hero. Also, though, something of a play against type. For in recent years, Goldblum has tended to pick up film roles in which he is the good guy. Whereas here, going all serious on us, and warning of the dangers of Man with a capital M thinking he is ever in charge of anything, he sounds more like the Pope, who has also been saying such stuff of late, than loveable, cuddly Jeff.
Never fear, though. There is a plan. Ben Lockwood (James Cromwell), who bankrolled the original Park project wants to save the last of the dinosaurs from extinction, and is prepared to pay for a mission to do this. Claire and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), last seen saving Claire and her nephews from dinos in Jurassic World are recruited by Lockwood's assistant, the nicely spoken – and therefore obviously very villainous – Eli Mills (Rafe Spall). And it's off to the island to crate up and save a handful of creatures before the special effects volcano blows its top.
Of course it all goes wrong, not least because Mr Mills is an EVIL plotter, in league with big business nastiness, in the shape of Mr Eversol (Toby Jones). And we are soon back into chomping territory. Yum!
Add in child-in-peril, as well as an intriguing and unfinished sub-plot, in the form of Lockwood-s grand-daughter/Wednesday Addams lookalike, Maisie (Isabella Sermon) and you have all the ingredients for a Jur-classic.
Once more the CGI works its magic. You, too, will believe there is a dinosaur in the room: and the final scenes are scary. Yes it's a 12A. But i'd be wary of taking more nervous children to see this.
The film also provides pathos: more than we have come to expect from this type of movie, and there are moments, including the last goodbye to dinosaurs doomed to die, that evoke real tears. Because, in line with the broader shift of perspective, the dinosaurs are no longer simple stand-in for danger: rather, they are victims here, as much as most of the rest of the cast. Therefore we are encouraged to have feelings for them.
For the geeks, there is a clutch of Easter Eggs. My favourite? Well, you may remember criticism of the last Jurasssic film, in which Claire races through jungle and takes on dinosaurs in the pouring rain, all without once removing her high heels. And here, the first shot of Claire focuses not on her face, but her shoes.
Worth a watch.
And three-and-a-half stars.
