• Sci-fi: Cert M, violence; 2hrs 13mins
• Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey
• Director: Gareth Edwards

The dinosaurs have returned – at least to the Equator.

Full disclaimer, I go into these movies kind of rooting for the dinosaurs to get some snacks.

I’m looking for some laughs, some jump scares and cool dino-chase sequences. If you’re hoping for something profound or groundbreaking like the instant classic that was 1993 Jurassic Park, prepare for disappointment.

I, however, had an amazing time. Scarlett Johanson leads the cast as a bubbly, bad-ass mercenary tasked with leading a team of fellow mercenaries, a scientist with no field experience and a morally dubious business exec to somehow extract DNA from three big scary dinosaurs that are slightly different from and more dangerous than the last movie’s big scary dinosaurs.

Because of “science”, the dinosaurs released into the world in the last movie have either died or migrated to the Equator, which makes sense from a creative and scientific perspective if you don’t think about.

On their DNA recovery expedition, they rescue (and then conveniently lose to continue the film’s subplot) a family comprising a dad, his two daughters and a daughter’s boyfriend, who are naively trying to enjoy a sailing journey through dinosaur-infested waters. What could go wrong?

As soon as the boyfriend appeared on screen, I knew he would die violently, and I would enjoy watching it.

But, I was pleasantly surprised as the movie unfolded, and he evolved to become one of my favourite characters.

Maybe it is worth sticking by your loser boyfriend so he can eventually prove to your dad he can save you from dinosaurs.

For me, this family almost outshines the combined star power of Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey (who are all incredible).

The cast has great chemistry, and everyone seems excited to be in a Jurassic movie, resulting in a warmer, friendlier tone than the previous Chris Pratt Jurassic World trilogy.

I know I’ve said this movie is silly, but there is one nail-biting sequence involving a T-Rex and a lifeboat that really evokes the tension of the original.

Apparently, this scene was in the Jurassic Park novel but failed to make the final cut of the first movie.

I usually find the kids in these movies annoying, but Bella (played by the adorable Audrina Miranda) carried the film, portraying the fear and wonder Jurassic World demands.

Now for my favourites – the dinosaurs. They are very patient and take their time to make an appearance (this movie sometimes feels a bit long), but boy do they take action when they eventually rock up.

Well provided for with a luscious environment and large cast of characters, to my morbid pleasure I think every dino was afforded a healthy bite of something (or someone).

There were plenty of gnarly chomps and tragic demises, and one truly ugly big dino (maybe a bit freaky for little kids) bookended the adventure, serving as a warning against littering and incompetence in a science lab.

Really, this film is a commentary on the unintended consequences of snacks. Consuming a Snickers bar might lead to a D-Rex consuming you.

The movie repeatedly harks back to the original without living up to it, but dinosaur movies are dinosaur movies. I loved it.
7/10