You know I've never written a review for a Jurassic film, Park or World. Shame that this is (supposedly) the last one...and it's bad...oh well.
Jurassic World: Dominion
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, etc.
I like the original Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, and that's where my enjoyment of the franchise ends. A lot of movie-viewers probably share that sentiment, although I know Jurassic World has its fair share of critics. It's been a long time since I've seen the second and third films in the original trilogy so I might not be the best judge on them. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was...okay. It definitely could've been a lot better.
I had hope the franchise could bounce back for a proper conclusion with Jurassic World: Dominion. Unfortunately this is a very disappointing and frustrating film, and easily one of the weakest entires in the Jurassic series.
Following the events of Fallen Kingdom, the world is struggling to cope with the fact that de-extinct dinosaurs freely roam the Earth. Owen (Pratt) and Claire (Howard) have gone off-the-grid living the log-cabin life, trying to raise and protect teenage clone Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon). Blue, one of the raptors Owen trained on Isla Nubar, has taken residence in the woods by their cabin (Convenient...) and given birth to a baby, which Maisie names Beta. One day, operatives from an organization known as Biosyn Genetics kidnap both Maisie and Beta. Owen and Claire quickly give chase to rescue them both.
Elsewhere, Doctors Ellie Sattler (Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) set out to investigate Biosyn on their own, believing they may be behind a recent plague of prehistoric locusts that threaten the world's food supply. They're able to successfully infiltrate Biosyn's compound under the invitation of recent Biosyn employee, Dr. Ian Malcom (Ultra-Daddy Jeff Goldblum). It's also so *so* important for viewers to know that the CEO of Biosyn and our antagonist is Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Played here by Campbell Scott). Dodgson as in "Dodgson. Dodgson! Hey we got Dodgson here!!...See? Nobody cares."
Who would've thought a single, disrespectful taunt by Newman from Seinfeld would turn a minor character from the original Jurassic Park into the franchise's final big bad...
Right off the bat you can see there are two plot lines going at the start of this film, and frankly neither are very interesting. The one with the classic characters gets bonus points because it's great to see the actors reprise these roles. The pacing is also terrible. This film is a half-hour shorter than The Batman while at the same time feeling an hour longer than it. The two plot lines take forever to converge, and when the old guard finally meets the newbies it's not even an exciting moment. It's almost a relief, that maybe we're finally approaching the film's end.
The marketing for this film and its predecessor heavily pushed the idea that the series was going to start exploring the idea of dinosaurs existing out in the modern world. Dominion starts out honoring that promise, but way too quickly drops the ball...in favor of locusts. LOCUSTS. Dinosaurs, in a Jurassic World film, become less relevant to the plot than LOCUSTS...BUGS. The ball has been dropped. That's not to say dinosaurs disappear from the film entirely. When they do show up on-screen they look great, and there's a nice blend of practical and CGI effects, which are both effective. There are some cool shots and interesting sequences. One standout is a motorcycle chase with raptors through the streets and rooftops of Malta. However these moments are far too fleeting in a lackluster film.
Dominion also relies heavily on good old cinematic nostalgia. It's a common thing in film today, and in films like this, that are sequels/follow-ups that come out years or decades after the original. There are good ways to use it, and bad ways. I feel like the last Star Wars trilogy gets a bad rap for how it relies on nostalgia, but I think the Jurassic World trilogy does it way worse, and Dominion is a prime example. I can't go too into it because spoilers, but I mean Dodgson is the villain, and don't worry, if you've seen any Jurassic film the T-Rex is going to show up, and you know when it's going to show up...
The cast is probably the saving grace of the film, particularly the returning Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, who all slide back into their roles so smoothly. As one would expect, Goldblum almost steals every scene he's in. Pratt has proved he's a talented leading-man and action star before, and he continues that line of work in Dominion, but I wouldn't say he's a standout in this ensemble. Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire has certainly had the most compelling arc in the World trilogy. She balances the heavy-action and the heartfelt moments well. I guess that time directing those Star Wars series on Disney Plus rubbed off on her.
DeWanda Wise is a fun new addition as pilot Kayla Wise, and I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future. Isabella Sermon holds her own against other seasoned cast members, and works hard to make Maisie a more fleshed-out, dimensional character in this film. Campbell Scott...I'm not sure what choices he was making playing Dodgson but it came off as weird. My best guess is he was trying to provide commentary on eccentric billionaire types like Bezos and Musk, but it fell flat.
I wouldn't call Jurassic World: Dominion an unwatchable film by any means, but it's not great. A top-notch cast and some great visuals don't do enough to save it from its lackluster plot and abysmal pacing. I do feel like I'm nitpicking a bit, but I don't think I'm being unreasonable in expecting dinosaurs to take center stage in a dinosaur film (LOCUSTS.) Ever since COVID became a thing I've chosen my time at movie theaters carefully. I've watched some bad films the last few years, but this is the first time I wished I was at home with my remote and comfy couch opposed to the theater. Don't rush to see this one. Wait to rent or stream it at your leisure.
Six films and almost thirty-years later, the Jurassic franchise comes to a close. Maybe now we can stop trying to bring dinosaurs back, because it never works out...for viewers, and characters in the films.
I hope Top Gun: Maverick lives up to the hype...
