Jurassic World: Dominion (IMAX in some cinemas)

Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Isabella Sermon, Campbell Scott, DeWanda Wise, B D Wong, Mamoudou Athie

Director: Colin Trevorrow

After Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom prehistoric creatures of all shapes and sizes now roam the world, but the ones that are causing most concern are swarms of gigantic locusts, which are devouring the world's crops.

The locusts originate from a high-tech facility somewhere in Italy, where the obligatory mad scientist, in this case one Lewis Dodgson - a combination of Lewis Carroll's pen- and real names - played by Scott, is plotting control of the world's food chain.

He also has his eye on Maisie (Sermon), an orphan being cared for by Jurassic World alumni Owen (Pratt, stolid) and Claire (Howard, game) - as well as a juvenile raptor. The reason - both have been conceived by their mothers without male help. And Dodgson is determined to unravel the science that led to their conception.

Meanwhile, Maisie, kept under strict supervision by her watchful foster-parents, is getting the itch to wander further afield. 'You're the only you that ever was,' Howard consoles the doleful teen, a line that hardly represents the screenplay's finest hour, while, back at base, Dodgson dubs Maisie 'the most valuable intellectual property on the planet'. A bit like the girl in the new Dr Strange movie, then.

At any rate, Maisie (and the baby raptor) are soon kidnapped, and Jurassic originals Neill and Dern get involved, as well as a daring pilot (Wise), as all parties converge on Dodgson's hideaway, where they find their old buddy Ian (Goldblum) is a member of staff.

It's not the plot, though, but the action and the animals that count in this spectacle, whose unnecessary overlength induces frequent yawns that could have been kept to a minimum with tighter editing. Still, there's a breathtakingly shot street chase with Pratt on a motor-bike, and hairsbreadth escapes from those tombstone teeth and slavering jaws.

Not the first time Dern is the best thing in the film, although Goldblum has sone quirkily funny moments. The villain is light and uninteresting, though it's hardly the actor's fault. The credit roll at the end is one of the longest on record, and there's no scene afterwards, so you're safe to go home.

David Quinlan

USA/UK/Malta 2022. UK Distributor: Universal (Amblin). Colour by Company 3.
146 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 08 Jun 2022