JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM

Bidding adieu

The Jurassic series has stuck pretty doggedly to the island of Isla Nublar for the past 25 years, so blowing it up (well, engulfing it in volcanic lava) in the first reel of the latest movie looked like a refreshingly bold move. Have no fear though, the dinos have all (well, mostly) been saved and relocated to a grand mansion in northern California where – oh no! – they’re to be auctioned off to the world’s wealthiest bastards.

Hiring Spanish director JA Bayona to make a Jurassic World film in the claustrophobic style of his 2007 horror classic The Orphanage may have seemed an artistically daring idea early on. Sadly, trapping these dinosaurs in a series of dimly-lit rooms only seems to robs the movie of its cinematic power. The cliffhanger ending, however, does point the way towards a more thrilling reinvention of the decades-old dino franchise. Fingers crossed.

Extras Upside: this release is packed with extras. Downside: you’ve probably seen them before on YouTube. There’s little of substance here (most run for around two to five minutes), but having Chris Pratt in your cast is a dream for any movie marketeer, as he’s great at doing promo, whether being interviewed or fronting his own on-set featurettes. The best of the bunch is “Fallen Kingdom: The Conversation” (10 minutes), which has members of the cast (including Jeff Goldblum!), plus Bayona and screenwriter Colin Trevorrow shooting the breeze. Once upon a time, this would have been done as part of a commentary... Steve O’Brien

Keep ’em peeled for a portrait of author Mary Shelley in Lockwood Manor, next to one of John Hammond.