Jurassic Park was, in 1993, an amazing movie that, a few quibbles aside, still stands as an amazing example of cinematography, special effects and thrilling action.

The two sequels that followed, Jurassic Park: The Lost World in 1997 and Jurassic Park III in 2001, had far more problems, but each still had enough strengths to make the films, if not spectacular, at least a pleasant enough diversion for a couple of hours. I mean, how can you miss when you have dinosaurs that look that good on screen?

After a long hiatus from the cinemas, the Jurassic world returned in 2015 with the aptly named Jurassic World. The park, conceived but fraught with peril and woe in the first films, was now a fully realized amusement park, thronged with patrons ... until things went toothy and the park was shut down. And, again, the movie had some problems, and it wasn't nearly as good as the original, but it was still fun to watch.

Now we have Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom, and maybe it's time this franchise goes extinct.

The island where the dinosaurs live -- now uncaged and unfettered by human interference -- is about to blow as a volcano roars dramatically to life.

Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), formerly a Jurassic World exec, now works for a "save the dinosaurs" organization with dino veterinarian Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) and tech guy Franklin Webb (Justice Smith). They, with the blessing of old rich guy Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), the heretofore silent partner of the late John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), recruit dino whisperer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) -- Claire's twice-ex -- to join a large-scale mission to Isla Nublar to save a handful of dinosaurs and move them to a sanctuary island to live in peace.

Of course, it's all an elaborate ruse. The dinosaurs are really being moved by evil big-game hunter and tooth collector Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine) to the elaborate basement of Lockwood's mansion (without his knowledge) in Northern California to be sold to arms dealers (!) by evil auctioneer Gunnar Eversol (Toby Jones) to line the pockets of evil entrepreneur Eli Mills (Rafe Spall). Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), Lockwood's granddaughter (not really), uncovers Mills' perfidy and tries to interfere, because all movies in this franchise need a young person in peril. Claire and Owen, who were really only included in the mission to help corral the weaponized velociraptor Blue (a survivor of the previous film), are left to die on the exploding island, but they drive a truck onto the dinosaur ferry without anyone noticing so they can go along to Lockwood's estate and throw a wrench in the works.

Meanwhile, Ian Malcolm -- Yes, Jeff Goldblum is back! Briefly! -- tells Congress to let the dinosaurs die. But guess what, Jeff! Some of them are in California now! (And maybe in the ocean, too.)

It didn't work in 1997 when Lost World brought a T-rex to San Diego, derailing a movie that, to that point, had been going pretty well. It works even less well here.

Sadly, some people don't seem to be able to conceive storylines about dinosaurs interacting with humans without injecting "plot twists" like this one. You know, I think I would have been perfectly happy with an exciting, action-packed movie about plucky dino-rights activists trying to rescue dinosaurs from an exploding island, but no, let's make it about greed and short-sighted military masterminds and California instead.

Sigh.

Look, Pratt and Howard are both good in their roles, and much of the action set on the island is pretty good. (A scene that shows a brachiosaurus that's been left behind is simply majestic ... and heart-breaking.)

But great dinosaurs lose their oomph when you season the story with cartoon villains and far too much coincidental timing to swallow. The ease with which our heroes infiltrate the boat, the mansion and the secret dino auction is unfathomable -- and I'll admit it, through much of the second act I was bored.

The setup for the next film (presumably Jurassic World: Dinosaurs Run Amuck in California) seems likely to transform the franchise from Jurassic Park to Godzilla. Kill it now -- or come up with something spectacular to save this franchise from its doom.