First reviews for Jurassic World: Fallen World: 'Snarling hideousness'

It's the sequel to one of the biggest blockbusters of all time — but critics say the new Jurassic World film is lacking in bite.

Due to hit theatres on June 21, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the sequel to 2015's Jurassic World.

It's the sixth-biggest movie of all time, raking in US$1.6 billion at the box office.

While the sequel is highly anticipated and likely to do similar numbers, the first critics to review the film say it's a mixed bag.

It has a 52 per cent review rating on Metacritic.

One of the harshest reviews came from The Telegraph's Robbie Collin.

He said the film "staples together two snazzy-sounding ideas — an ecologically inclined disaster movie with dinosaurs, and, later, dinosaurs on the loose inside a stately home — without considering whether the end product's sheer snarling hideousness might just prove an intelligence-insulting turn-off".

But Empire magazine was far more positive, with Ben Travis saying "the fear factor is back".

"This is a Jurassic sequel that plays it both adrenaline-pumpingly huge and thrillingly small. A summer ride that will drive kids out of their minds, and maybe even give the parents nightmares," he wrote.

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw wasn't quite as convinced: "There are some reasonably entertaining scenes and set pieces, but the whole concept feels tired and contrived, and crucially the dinosaurs themselves are starting to look samey, without inspiring much of the awe or terror they used to."

Director J.A. Bayona also got mixed reviews for his efforts with the film.

"Bayona not only nods to the histories of classic monster movies and the legacy of original Jurassic helmer Steven Spielberg; he brings his own experience to bear, treating monsters like actual characters and trapping us in a vast mansion that's as full of secrets as the site of his breakthrough 2007 film The Orphanage," praised The Hollywood Reporter.

But David Edelstein, from New York Magazine, said the film "plays like a strenuous imitation of Steven Spielberg instead of the real deal".

And Screen International wrote: "Bayona is essentially stirring the same Jurassic pot here, with little that's inspiring from his cast, unless you count the dinosaurs."

Variety's Owen Gleiberman seemed to sum it up best: "The first Jurassic World was, quite simply, not a good ride. Fallen Kingdom is an improvement, but it's the first Jurassic film to come close to pretending it isn't a ride at all, and as a result it ends up being just a passable ride."

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are returning to their original roles for the film, and Jeff Goldblum, the star of the original Jurassic Park trilogy, is set to make a cameo.

A third film in the Jurassic World trilogy has already been confirmed.