If the bushes move - Stuff empathy!

The noise sounded 'chi-chi-chi'. I looked behind me, the bushes shivered. I listened, listened harder and edged back but unlike the opening character in many a movie, I didn't ignore it but bolted further off to see a lovely green parrot fly quickly out and across the park, grateful it was not a; raptor, gorilla, or something scary with big, pointy teeth. Though the pointy teeth come in handy for waffle wolfing as I browsed Belgium and caught up on my movie quota with 'Jurassic World' and 'Rampage'.

(IF YOU'VE NOT WATCHED THEM - TURN AWAY NOW!)

Whilst I often get fed up of big set fight scenes and explosions, both offerings pleasantly surprised me in that, to an extent, they made me care.

In 'Jurassic World' it was the usual predictable, 'Lyle's going to make it up the ladder and then be swallowed by a gargantuan beast from the depths' and guess what?

Yes, I hope Lyle was well-insured as he's not making it home from work, where a rustle in the bushes is less 'Love island' and more 'Get off my island, love'.

Burp.

The usual small child that needs protection was thrown into the mix and as usual, you knew at some point she would slip and fall as she climbed up somewhere that small children really shouldn't be climbing at night, especially in a bright red jumper that makes them more visible to creepy bad guys and mutant dinosaurs.

Yes, we sat calling out what was going to happen at every turn but we sat and watched.

Why?

Empathy. The writers know that to reel us in like thick fish they need to hook us and as soon as one of the dinosaurs behaved like some dog/human hybrid I was interested.

When Chris Pratt whistled at the bone-head and it was akin to a whacky dog from a cartoon, I was hooked. But the kicker was the poor diplodocus standing on the boat jetty knowing he was doomed as they left him to die in the fire.

What kind of animals are we people?

The fact the poor soul was like some sorrowful giraffe made me even feel sorry for the Rexy providing the blood transfusion, though perhaps not enough to release it into the world on a whim, though with those little arms, at least the trifle's safe and going by Stan in the Belgium museum, too much red meat could have given him gout and bumped him off too.

Not many doctors advertise joint replacement for carnivores.

Poor bugger.

Yes, even dinosaurs get old and arthritic which is perhaps why I found something endearing in 'Rampage' too.

To start, we meet George the old Albino gorilla and when we realise he can sign, communicate and has a wicked sense of humour we empathise even when he is killing people by smacking them out of their cars and knocking them off of buildings later.

Well, if Davies cares about him he must be okay, especially as Davies saved the cowboy - or cat - and so must be a good guy as he protects small, furry creatures and murders poachers for breakfast. (Which if you combined both movies wouldn't be necessary as the dinosaurs would be heading their way eventually anyway.)

So, despite the predictability of knowing that the non-speaking extras would bite the dust first, that the people in charge would cock it up, so it was left to the usual bad-ass hero and pretty girl to save the day, I actually felt entertained and engaged. Feeling like the monster could be your pet, makes you want to care enough to ignore that sometimes you 'sort of' know what's coming next.

So, hurrah for empathy but next time how about the kid falls off the roof and learns a lesson, the pretty girl does some of the saving, or like in 'Paranorman' the male leader says 'sorry love' and runs off with the nearest bloke?

One thing's for sure, if the bushes move, stuff empathy - Run!