To appreciate the filmmaking genius of Steven Spielberg (who made the original) it only takes watching this lackluster sequel. It takes place 22 years after the original, when a dinosaur theme park has flourished on the island. Two young brothers travel there to visit their aunt (Bryce Dallas Howard), just when a newly-engineered species runs rampant. Enter Chris Pratt to help save the day. Nothing about the plot or situations is even slightly original or inventive. The people in peril seldom generate any tension or empathy, because they’re quickly dispatched and anonymous. Even the core cast is ultimately relegated to watching, as the creatures duke it out (the 21st century version of wrestling lizards). There is Hollywood spectacle with lots of action, but it lives in a world lacking any sense of wonder or little genuine thrills.
(3 / 5)