The once dormant volcano on the island of Isla Nublar has come to life and will soon destroy all the dinosaurs at the abandoned Jurassic World theme park. Former park manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) has started the Dinosaur Protection Group (DPG) to lobby Congress to help rescue some of the prehistoric animals. Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) testifies before a congressional committee the dinosaurs should be allowed to die and correct the mistake John Hammond made in cloning them and they agree with his opinion voting to not become involved in what is a private business matter. Claire receives a call from Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) with a proposal: He will bankroll a rescue mission on behalf of his employer, an eccentric billionaire with a connection to Hammond, and save 11 species and possibly more. Claire’s handprint is needed to access the tracking system used to locate all the dinos on the island. Mills is especially interested in saving on specific raptor known as Blue. Claire knows capturing Blue will be nearly impossible without the help of one man: Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) raised Blue from birth and the two have a special bond. Claire and Owen’s relationship ended and she’s not looking forward to asking him for this favor. Apparently resistant to the idea Owen shows up to fly to Isla Nublar and try to rescue the dinos and especially his Blue. Once on the island Claire, Owen, paleoveterinarian Dr. Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) and tech specialist Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) along with a team of well-armed mercenaries and big game hunters begin the search for the creatures. With the volcano spewing lava and blowing giant boulders at them like bombs the hunters and soldiers leave Claire and the others to fend for themselves and the group quickly figures out this isn’t a rescue mission at all.

The fifth film in the Jurassic franchise had big expectations as its release date approached. “Jurassic World” made $1.6-billion worldwide and desire for a sequel was instantaneous. The pressure was on director J.A. Bayona to deliver the thrills and dino action fans of the series require as well as a story that makes sense to continue the franchise to the next installment. He got it almost right.

One thing you can’t complain about in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is the number of action scenes and the number of dinosaur species on display. Right in the opening sequence we get a look at the aquatic Mosasaurus and the granddaddy of them all Tyrannosaurus rex. Of all the species my favorite is the Stygimoloch. It has a bony dome on the top of its head it uses as a battering ram. That gets put to good use in helping Owen and Claire escape as well as disrupting the plans of the bad guys. The creature is used mostly as a convenient way to keep the plot moving while also being a bit of comic relief. Despite it being a plot device, I enjoyed how it was used in the movie.

While this film isn’t bloody there are probably more deaths by dinosaur than in any other chapter. Some of these deaths are extremely satisfying as there are some odious characters in the film. A couple of standouts include Ted Levine as the leader of the mercenaries Ken Wheatley. He takes pleasure in the suffering of the dinosaurs even ripping a tooth from each one to turn into a souvenir necklace. Toby Jones is also vile and slimy as Gunnar Eversol, a seller of rare and illegal things. He doesn’t care that the animals he’s selling will be used as weapons against innocent people by totalitarian regimes as long as he gets his commission. There are a couple of other really terrible people in the movie that wind up in the belly of a dinosaur and no one we see die on screen could be considered an innocent victim as they are all involved in the plans of the villain.

The cast of good guys puts in some entertaining performances led by Chris Pratt. Pratt’s Owen Grady retains his disdain for ceremony and formality from the first film. His only interest is protecting the animals from the plans of the bad guys while finding the time to toss off a quick joke or light jab at those he feels deserve it. Bryce Dallas Howard shows she can be as much of a bad ass hero as Pratt in a couple of scenes in the film. Howard feels like a more rounded out character this time. Her resolve is more focused and she’s looking out more than in. Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith make for great comic relief on opposite ends of the spectrum: Pineda’s Rodriquez is a tough, no-nonsense character that tells it like it is while Smith’s Webb is constantly in fear for his life and wondering out loud why he’s involved in what’s going on. While you know these polar opposites will probably be a couple by the end of the film it’s fun to see them interact with each other and the rest of the cast.

While the action and the special effects are great the story is somewhat less so. Writers Derek Connoly and Colin Trevorrow have put together a bare bones script that gets some of the dinosaurs and all our main characters off the island and into an implausible situation. Implausible situations are common for movies, especially those set in impossible scenarios like dinosaurs living in modern times; however, there isn’t much else going on. The relationship between Claire and Owen seems to be stalled in neutral and the situation with the dinosaurs is very reminiscent of “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” While the idea of an auction of dinosaurs to the super rich and the infamous is interesting it doesn’t exactly cause excitement or make for much more than a location primed for disaster. Why I’m looking for something deep and meaningful in the movie is a bit of a mystery. I suppose I like my movies to say something beyond what’s on the screen, but I can also enjoy a film that’s one action scene right after another and filled with dinosaurs like “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril. The dinosaurs eat people…frequently. Some of them also headbutt and step on various nameless characters. There is a little gunplay but all of it is aimed at dinosaurs. Foul language is limited to one usage of the word “damn” and the implication of “s**t.”

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is doing very well at the box office in both North America and the rest of the world. The final film in the “Jurassic World” trilogy has been penciled in for release on June 11, 2021 with both Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard to return. Seeing these incredible animals brought back to life with the wizardry of both animatronics and computer animation is always going to be a thrill even if the story leaves something to be desired. I am hopeful we’ll get a complete movie with both a compelling story and mind-blowing visuals the next time around.

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” gets five stars.

This week Marvel’s littlest heroes and how a day of death and mayhem began will grace the screens of your local multiplex. I’ll see and review at least one of the following:

The First Purge (Opening July 4)—

Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6)—

Listen to The Fractured Frame for the latest news in movies, TV and streaming available wherever you get podcasts. Follow me on Twitter @moviemanstan and send emails to stanthemovieman123@gmail.com.