It seems pertinent to begin this review with a health and safety warning. If you feel slightly unwell, perhaps have the beginnings of a headache, or are simply in a calm, reflective mood, then Occupation: Rainfall is not the film for you. At least not today. Because it’s loud. Very loud. With nausea-inducing effects. And there are lots of explosions. And did we mention it’s loud?

A sequel to his relatively low-budget 2018 film Occupation, this time around writer and director Luke Sparke has some money to work with. Instead of hiring new actors – many of the original’s cast return – or polishing the script, he has spent his windfall on visuals. And you can tell. In bringing on board the visual effects team behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Sparke has created an aesthetic that would put many a Hollywood blockbuster to shame. The action sequences are immense, from the terrifying air combat sequences that would challenge even the most hardened rollercoaster aficionado, to the bombastic, eardrum-shaking ground battles, this is a film where everything is turned up to the maximum.

And the aliens look pretty good too. The variety and quality of the creature design work is excellent, better than you would reasonably expect, giving a depth and sense of realism to the world.

The issues are when the explosions stop. The cast struggle to add conviction and emotion to the script and the plot is lifted from routine cinematic sources, leaving you with a sense you’ve seen it all before somewhere.

But if it’s dumb, loud, action thrills where you can disengage your brain for a couple of hours Occupation: Rainfall delivers. Just keep the ibuprofen handy.

OPERATION: RAINFALL is out now on DVD/Blu-ray and Digital