JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH

It's fair to say there are two sides of this film - the story and the action. The story is flimsy and filled with conveniences; we have all seen writer David Koepp ('Jurassic Park', 'Mission: Impossible') do better than this. Dialogue is filled with unnecessary conversations and obvious observations, and the comedy is set to induce a light chuckle, at best. There's nothing original within the story to make you want to watch this film, and its plot - we must collect samples of three huge dinosaurs, one from sea, one from land, one from sky - is almost guaranteed to leave you rolling your eyes.

On the other hand, director Gareth Edwards ('The Creator', 'Godzilla') returns with adrenalin-filled action sequences. While the dinosaurs themselves aren't much to look at - clearly the marketing team didn't tell the scientists that visitors wouldn't want to come and see hideous mutant dinosaurs - the scenes that involve peril brought on by them are incredibly worthy. Our human heroes are left hanging from great heights, scampering through sewers and repelling through rapids. It's a visual feast that will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat.

The reason this works so well is the human element behind it; the exceptional cast is the reason this very mediocre offering still works. With an obviously superb Scarlett Johansson in the lead and both Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali there to balance her out, it's clear that the power from this film comes from its performances. The cast is designed to work as an ensemble, with the collective holding the power to make this movie succeed.

There are some similarities Koepp brings from 'Jurassic Park', the biggest being the stories working in tandem. Here you have the team working to retrieve the DNA, as well as the family struggling to survive. The latter, led by dad Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, 'Widows', 2016's 'The Magnificent Seven'), has his two daughters and boyfriend to the eldest (David Iacono, TV's 'The Flight Attendant' and 'The Summer I Turned Pretty') in tow. Rather than having a mission to complete, they instead are left to face the myriad of mysterious monsters left behind on this island. Another addition to this story by Koepp are tributes to his original script; it's a shame the family's battle against a T-Rex in an inflatable life raft doesn't quite compare to the Tyrannosaurus car attack in 'Jurassic Park'.

We see a number of other dinosaurs we're familiar with, or are an ode to those in the original film. The Titanosaurus the crew is on the hunt for are roaming in a stunning green field, not unlike the Brachiosaurus when spotted for the first time. Quetzalcoatlus debuted in 'Jurassic World: Dominion'. Meanwhile, the Mosasaurus is a mainstay from the 'Jurassic World' universe, with the same monster having appeared in all four of the films now. In another tribute to 'Jurassic Park', the Velociraptor kitchen scene is replicated - this time, with a new dinosaur lurking around the aisles.

While the franchise persistently plods on, this solidly mediocre film is an easy dose of entertainment for those looking for an escape from reality. These films are never going to live up to the mega success that was 'Jurassic Park', but this one will certainly keep you chewing on your nails - even if it also lacks a little spark in its story.