The Meg Review

Shark movies have come in many shapes and sizes over the years, but more so since 1999’s Deep Blue Sea than 1975’s Jaws (she was the first). Two species now plague the screens: there are the deliberately-shlocky straight-to-SyFy stinkers like Sharknado, and there are those that are worthy of the silver screen like 2010’s The Reef and 2016’s The Shallows. Luckily, Jon Turtletaub’s The Meg falls into the latter.

Why You Need to Experience Jurassic Park: The Ride Before it’s Extinct

If you’ve ever been to Universal Studios Hollywood, you’ve probably already enjoyed sinking your teeth into the nail-biting log flume experience Jurassic Park: The Ride  that celebrates the original Jurassic Park, which director Steven Spielberg himself couldn’t even finish at the opening in 1996 (although there was no “running and screaming” reported).

Film Reviews: Skyscraper, Tag, The First Purge & Hereditary

Here are some mini movie reviews. Yes, they're a little late, but to quote one of my all-time favourites Ghostbusters, "better late than never"!

Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

Just when you were starting to think that Star Wars should bugger off to a galaxy far, far away for a long time, along comes Solo: A Star Wars Story. With the underwhelming The Force Awakens (which fans considered to be “too safe”) and the hugely-divisive The Last Jedi (which fans considered to be “too risky”), the latest non-episodic entry is a welcome break from lightsabers. In fact, let’s jump straight into hyperspace – it’s the best Star Wars movie since fan-favourite The Empire Strikes Back. While, in all honesty, that isn't saying much considering what's come since then, it's a statement that’s bound to trigger some upset among those very-hard-to-please fans nonetheless. But hey, it isn’t Star Wars without a little controversy, right?

Clever Girl: The Truth Behind 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom's' Indoraptor

SPOILER WARNING!

Now that you’ve seen Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom you’ll know it’s the first film in the franchise to end with a pretty major cliffhanger. In fact, it’s the first Jurassic to do a lot of things, like have a secret ending, a human clone, and… probably a dinosaur-human hybrid. Confused? Okay, such a thing is never talked about in the film, but it’s all about the devil in the detail – or in this case, the Indoraptor. When it comes to that awful script about dino-human hybrids from way, way back, “something has survived”. So let’s look at all the clues that suggest Fallen Kingdom’s socially-inept hybrid may not only be part-human, but part-Maisie….

The Gateway to Snowdonia

It’s no mystery that Betws-Y-Coed is dubbed "the gateway into Snowdonia". Upon arriving you’re welcomed by forest-clad mountains of such grandeur that it’s not unreasonable to draw parallels with the Canadian Rockies. After all, the forests here are composed largely of the mighty Douglas Firs - native throughout British Columbia but only introduced to this neck of the woods some decades ago.

Manhattan Haunts: A Ghostbusters Fan’s Guide to New York City

This year marks the 34th anniversary of supernatural comedy classic Ghostbusters (1984) and the phenomenal franchise it spawned. To celebrate, embark on a self-made movie tour in New York City by visiting seven locations that served iconic scenes in the film and its 1989 sequel, as well as the 2016 reboot-inspired attraction in Times Square.

'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Review: The Latest 'Jurassic' Sequel Brings Down The Franchise’s Fences Once And For All

Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Isabella Sermon, B.D. Wong, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Daniella Pineda, Jeff Goldblum, Justice Smith, James Cromwell, Ted Levine

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!

There was a time when audiences thought they’d never see a Jurassic film grace the silver screen ever again. The franchise’s 14-year hiatus followed 2001’s dismal Jurassic Park III, and the first few years of that absence saw fans scouring the internet for any indication of a fourth film. Of course, there was that script – yes, the one involving dinosaur-human hybrids – that, thankfully, fossilised before it ever saw the light of a filmmaker’s laboratory. However, 2015’s monstrously-successful, nostalgia-powered juggernaut Jurassic World proved to be worth the long wait.

Flash Reviews: Avengers Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Rampage and Ghost Stories

I've been a little busy lately obsessing over all things Marvel and Josh Brolin, as well as a trip to Tokyo (blog post on its way) and other serious commitments, such as moving home and watching 13 Reasons Why. But while I'm keeping my promise of bringing short and sweet reviews, you can expect a piece of prehistoric proportions when I watch Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom later this week. Stay tuned and stay curious.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Cinema – 25 Years of Jurassic Park

As the dinosaur blockbuster celebrates its 25^th birthday, we look back at the impression it made on its release in 1993, and the impossible benchmark it raised for future filmmaking.