‘B’ unit Science fiction was flourishing fun in the fifties and a huge source of revenue for teenagers, especially in the drive-in. Today some will indulge themselves in restored versions of those films, often with tasty extras, cool poster art, behind the scenes and often a trinket like a miniature Robby the Robot. Today its video and streaming distribution bring it in which moves the discussion to Jurassic Valley (aka Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs) (2022) written and directed by Scott Chambers.
This CGI dino battle show is set in 2030. The world naturally has been pushed apart and government investment in the war effort has produced a breakthrough “of Jurassic proportions”. This break is for some odd reason to recreate flesh-eating dinosaurs, to wreak havoc on the Earth in time for World War III. The creatures will wipe the slate clean and return humankind to the ‘noble savage’ of the Stone Age without Raquel Welch and John Richardson from One Million Years B.C. (1966)
The picture then moves to two years later and the group of survivors are running out of food and medical supplies. Three of them, Mick (Clint Gordon), Drew (Mark Haldor) and Mia (Antonia Whillans) set out to find whatever they can. This does not sit well with Louisa (Chelsea Greenwood) who is carrying Mick’s child and doesn’t want him to go on the mission.
Nice locations of mountains and lots of CGI dinosaurs that oddly don’t eat most of their victims they don’t even scar them up much. The team meets other survivors, splits up, and runs into some raptor-sized dinos that will get into the bunker leading to chases down dark corridors and Louisa going into labor at the worst possible moment. Silly moments like trying to kill a monster with a handgun, gratuitous scantily clad women in towels running down corridors. Survivors emoting that ‘everyone should just calm down’ after a near-gun battle.
Jurassic Valley (aka Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs) (2022) is not deep Science fiction cinema it is downright silly popcorn viewing. The people are all pretty, but they deliver some lunatic lines often badly and scream a lot, especially in the end which doesn’t make too much sense.
JURASSIC VALLEY (aka Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs) is out now on DVD in the UK and to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK courtesy of High Fliers Films.
The film is out in the USA under the title KINGDOM OF THE DINOSAURS and is available on DVD and to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the USA.
