By 
A DISAPPOINTING JURASSIC
FINALE OF MEDIOCRITY
In 2015, Jurassic World, the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, was released, bringing with it all the pomp, thrills, chills, and dinosaur adventure back to the big screen since 2001. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the film, which started Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard and others, saw the return to Isla Nublar and the now fully realized dinosaur amusement theme park that has flourished and become a thriving business. However, when a genetically engineered hybrid dinosaur escapes from its captivity, it sends the island into a frenzy, causing mayhem to both humans and dinosaurs alike as main characters Owen Grady and Claire Dearing must hatch a plan to stop this menacing dinosaur. While some moviegoers and critics had a few issues with the film, Jurassic World received a lot of positive praise and was better received that the previous two sequel installment in the Jurassic franchise. Furthermore, the film went onto become a huge success during the summer of 2015, generating over $1.6 billion (worldwide) at the box office. This, of course, fueled the interest for a further expansion of this dinosaur franchise and three years later a sequel materialized in the form of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. Directed by J.A. Bayona, the film, which reunited Pratt and Howard in their roles, continued what was established in the 2015 movie and built upon the lore and mythos to the Jurassic series; taking a few interesting directions with its narrative and setting a potential third installment for a surprise turn of events. Like its predecessor, Fallen Kingdom was well-met, even though some critics and moviegoers have mixed thoughts, yet the sequel grossed high at the box office by garnishing $1.3 billion worldwide. Now, four years later, it’s time to return to the world of roaming dinosaurs, genetic altering modifications, and blockbuster entertainment with the third and final entry in the pre-historic trilogy titled Jurassic World: Dominion. Does this last chapter in the Jurassic World narrative end with a satisfying farewell or is it time for this particular dino franchise to go extinct?
THE STORY
Four years have passed since Isla Nublar was destroyed and the dinosaurs that were kept in Lockwood Estate have since been freed; unleashing an unescapable ecological paradigm shift where prehistoric creatures now roam across the Earth and where humanity must learn to co-exist together. During this time, an unknown threats begins to emerge as genetically modified locusts are wiping out farm lands across the US, with Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) investigating the situation and growing curiously aware that all signs point to Biosyn Genetics, the leading genetic company and who is run by Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott). Elle turns to Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) for help, with old pair making the journey to Italy to visit Biosyn’s facilities, while also reuniting with theorist lecturer Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) who’s appearance at Biosyn drums up more mystery. Meanwhile, in California, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) are raising Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), a special young girl who is a cloned and who is prized by Biosyn’s ambition, but she struggles with the isolation and wanting to explore more than world rather than the constant guardianship of her surrogate parents. Captured by bounty hunters, Maisie is sent to Biosyn for testing, with Owen and Claire immediately taking up the pursuit against the organization. Also involved in the capturing is the Beta, a young velociraptor and the off-spring of Blue (Owen’s former trained dinosaur), who’s collected in the kidnapping, with Owen make a promise to return Beta. Making their way overseas to Italy, Owen and Claire try to locate their lost ones, finding help from American pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) and French special agent / former colleague of Owen at Jurassic World Barry Sembene (Omar Sy). Yet, all roads lead towards Biosyn’s facilities where all parties coming together and solve the mystery behind the deadly locust swarm, Dodgson’s intentions, and where Maisie and Beta are being kept.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
As I’ve stated before in my past reviews for the two previous Jurassic World movies, I do like the Jurassic Park franchise. Of course, the original Jurassic Park film is both timeless and quintessential, so there is no debate on that. I particular didn’t care much for the second and third sequels to Jurassic Park as they didn’t have much “spark” nor “pizzazz” as the first one was able to achieve. That was…. until I saw Jurassic World in 2015 and I really liked it. Yes, it was a bit of retread from the original movie, but it was quite exciting to watch. It was definitely a fun and thrilling movie and displayed the right amount of spectacle, chills, and big summer blockbuster nuances to make the feature memorable within the franchise. Yes, I would also like to admit that I really did like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Yes, it was bold decision to take the narrative in a completely new direction, but it was still a great film that still spoke to the themes and identity of the franchise (genetic engineering and moral / ethics issues). I will admit that the movie was a retread of Lost World: Jurassic Park in a few areas, but I believe that it was still a great movie that made its mark on the franchise as well as setting the stage for a third installment that I would be quite interested to see.
And that third installment is here, which brings my review back to talking about Jurassic World: Dominion, a 2022 action-adventure film, the sequel to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and the final entry in the Jurassic World trilogy. Given how Fallen Kingdom ended, the third final in this planned trilogy was going to be something monumental and special to watch as the upcoming feature was going to close out this new Jurassic franchise. Naturally, it didn’t take long for announced new buzz begin to drop, including the film’s title (Jurassic World: Dominion), the announcement of Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow returning to helm this project, and that the film’s main cast were going to be in the movie (Pratt and Howard) as well as the original Jurassic Park principal cast (Neill, Dern, and Goldblum). Naturally, this excitement was the “bread and butter” for this sequel as the project was teased multiple times via online, with the inherit hype for the upcoming feature being prompted non-stop. Yes, it got me a lot of excited, especially when the film’s movie trailers started to appear everywhere. Seeing the old familiar characters from the original movie appearing alongside the established Jurassic World characters was definitely a treat to behold in the previews and promises a climatic conclusion. So, as one would expect, I was quite excited to see Jurassic World: Dominion in 2022, which was set to be released theatrically on June 16th. I decided to check out the movie during its opening weekend, but, due to my busy work schedule, I had to delay getting my review for it out. Now, I have some free time, I can finally give my opinion on the movie. And what did I think of it? Well, it was just okay. Despite having some good visuals and action set-pieces as well as seeing the nostalgia of some of the old characters, Jurassic World: Dominion is overstuffed, convoluted, and thinly-prepared sequel endeavor that never lives up to the potential that this dinosaur blockbuster desired to be. There are some fun elements in the feature, but it gets weighed down by its poor story execution and generic characters.
Jurassic World: Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, whose previously directed Jurassic World as well as other films like The Book of Henry and Safety Not Guaranteed. Given his familiarity with Jurassic Park franchise by doing the 2015 film, Trevorrow seems like the most suitable choice to helm this particular blockbuster sequel; returning to the world of genetically engineered dinosaurs, larger-than-life heroics, and saving the day from big corporate dealings that are meddling beyond their control. It’s the sort of “bread and butter” to the Jurassic World trilogy and Trevorrow seems to believe in that notion wholeheartedly in Dominion. Giving the own mark on Fallen Kingdom that Bayona placed on the overall arc storyline, Trevorrow kind of steers the main plot thread back to a bit of a more familiar territory, with Dominion having more techno-thriller of genetics machinations and dealing with the fallout consequences that was a bit similar to Michael Crichton’s novels of which this franchise was based off of. To that end, Trevorrow succeeds; shaping the film’s overall flow by showcasing Biosyn Genetics as the rival corporations to InGen and seeing the destructive nature of unleashing something that shouldn’t be let out. Naturally, this is the classic trope that’s more akin to the franchise and, while not as nearly as strong as most other Jurassic Park narratives, it’s still has that reminiscent feeling of Jurassic World trilogy, which places more emphasis on the hypothetical questions of genetical engineering and philosophical meaning of humanity playing and their placement on the pecking order of predator dominancy.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Jurassic World movie without the action as Trevorrow definitely stages plenty of dinosaur mayhem and chased sequences that are littered throughout Dominion’s hefty runtime of 146 minutes (two hours and twenty-six minutes). This, of course, is the franchise signature mark, with Trevorrow planning large-scale moments for fans of the series to fully enjoy. There’s a whole lot of dinosaurs in Dominion, with many having some terrific renderings (more on that below) that are incorporated into the action. There’s all the familiar tropes that are customary to the Jurassic series; finding characters staring down gigantic predators, deadly raptors, and ferocious pre-historic encounters in dark / narrow corridors. Again, it’s the signature style of what made the Jurassic Park franchise so special and great as Trevorrow lays it on thick in Dominion with several dinosaur actions and thrills that will surely make moviegoers engaged to watch. In addition, with Dominion acting as the final entry to close up this new dino trilogy, Trevorrow and his team stir up old familiar into the movie, with several prominent characters from the franchise coming on-board for this final installment in the Jurassic World narrative, and I do have to say that I loved their appearance in the movie. It’s definitely fan-service nostalgia, but it really does work and perhaps the shining beacon of hope found in the mediocre styles of Dominion. In the end, while not exactly the sharpest and most creatively done film in the franchise, Trevorrow shapes Dominion into the sort of “comfort” watch for both fans and moviegoers alike, with mindset of calling upon what made the Jurassic movies enjoyable with old callbacks and dinosaur action for some mindless popcorn blockbuster bravado and finesse.
In the presentation category, Dominion is indeed a solid one, with the feature’s production quality bring their “A” game to the proceedings and make the film have that visual blockbuster popcorn feeling from start to finish. Much like it two predecessors, the movie’s visual aesthetics looks amazing with plenty of various background locations looking very intricate and detailed, including outdoor environments as well as interiors compounds. Thus, the movie’s “behind the scenes” main leads, including Kevin Jenkins (production designs), Dorit Hurst, Carol Lavallee, and Richard Roberts (set decorations), as well as the various members of the costume / make-up team and the art direction department, should be commended for their efforts in making Dominion look and feel like a solid and pleasing blockbuster presentation. Speaking of which, the film’s visual effects are top-notch as dinosaurs stomp, roam, and tower above the film’s characters and landscape with such realistic computer-generated imagery. If one thing that Dominion gets completely right is that the rendering of all these Jurassic pre-historic creatures in a vivid and imaginary way that it becomes a feast for the eyes.
The cinematography work by John Schwartzman is pretty good, with plenty of dramatic usage of the various dinosaurs creatures as well as some dynamic usages for heightened cinematics. There are a few moments where the movie could’ve used been better, but, for the most part, Schwartzman’s work is solid. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Michael Giacchino, is just adequate. It’s not a terrible film soundtrack as it hits all the right notes throughout the various scenes….be it bombastic action or quiet dialogue moments. What makes its adequate is that nothing really stands out, which renders most of the score rather bland and generic. Of course, hearing the familiar Jurassic Park theme is a welcomed one, but nothing rousing and grandiose as one might expect to hear. Overall, just a okay soundtrack from Giacchino…. nothing to write home about and just kind of forgettable to be quite honest.
Unfortunately, Dominion isn’t exact the quintessential Jurassic installment that many were hoping for, with the movie having several major problematic areas and heavy criticism throughout its undertaking and execution. Perhaps the one that many can agree upon is in the overall shaping of Dominion’s story and how it fails to impress. How so? Well, the plot in Dominion is, for lack of a better word, is rather thinly-sketched and all over the map. There’s a whole lot of ground to cover in Dominion, especially because it has multiple narrative threads running parallel to once another and not a whole lot of time to devote to them. Try as he might, Trevorrow struggles to find a proper balance amongst all the various characters (character growth and storytelling elements), with the feature having a somewhat unbalanced feeling by the time the film reaches the second act. Thus, the middle portion of Dominion feels rather clunky and convoluted, while the third act seems rather rushed and underwhelming. Speaking of the third act, Trevorrow doesn’t really know what to make of the feature’s climatic action point; staging something that, while familiar, seems a bit nonsensical. Of course, it comes down to a big dinosaur fight between two Apex predators (and you know who one of them is), with a rivalry of who is dominant one. The classic fight that has been done many times in the Jurassic Park franchise and becomes a bit humdrum in Dominion, especially since this particular rivalry isn’t relevant to the main plot as much and feels more shoehorned into the movie…. just for the sake to have a big dino fight. Plus, the fight itself wasn’t exactly the most exciting.
From a creative writing standpoint, Dominion falls even worse with its narrative structure and storytelling moments. The script, which was penned by Trevorrow as well as Derek Connelly and Emily Carmichael, is all over the map and is clearly one of the biggest glaring problematic areas that the film just can’t overcome. There just too much stuff that is going on with not enough time to fully digest, dissect, and discuss everything to make for a full and well-rounded. What’s presented lays the groundwork for something a bit interesting, but the further the narrative goes…. the weaker the script becomes. With so many different story threads running parallel to each other, the script has a hard time to juggle everything, with many feeling convoluted and sometimes pointless for the sake of creating moments for characters to do stuff. Nothing feels surprising and feels like the story (as well as the movie itself) is running on autopilot, with vague notions of bland story beats and humdrum dialogue.
Perhaps the film’s main plot is where Dominion’s script fails the most. Again, the setup for Fallen Kingdom leaves a great opening for a large conflict to follow in the next sequel by setting the stage for dinosaurs to roam and encounter the human population in the domestic / suburban environment. This should’ve been the perfect conflict of seeing humans “first encounter” with dinosaurs in this scenarios, with a plethora of ideas coming to mind, especially with how nations / governments would handle the situation as well as military forces. It’s just a great concept plot that is ripe for the picking that Fallen Kingdom presented for Dominion. Unfortunately, Trevorrow and his team of writers choose to forgo this great set-up and instead to decide to go with something a bit more conventional and predictable for the franchise. So, what’s the big problem in Dominion’s story? Well, it’s not much about dinosaurs…. but about the genetically engineered locust that are stirring up trouble. While vaguely interesting, the main plot of the locust doesn’t seem to fit exactly well into a movie about dinosaurs. It’s such a huge disappointment for me and just loses the momentum that the two previous Jurassic World movies were able to capture. Heck, the more I think about it, the idea of giant-sized engineered locust destroying food supplies seems quite dumb and hokey.
In conjunction with that particular idea, I believe that Dominion suffers from the same type of fatigue and “box into a corner” mentality that the Star Wars sequel trilogy suffered. If one looks at the two trilogies side by side, they both mirror each other. The Force Awakens was a new start in an old franchise, but plays upon the nostalgia elements and walks a fine line of what’s been done before (to try and capture that same “lightning in a bottle” feeling). The results were mixed, with some crying fowl that the movie was “too safe”, which is why The Last Jedi brought a new director and took the established narrative in a new directions. Again, fans of the series cried fowl and were upset with new direction. Thus, The Rise of Skywalker saw the return of The Force Awakens director and tried to reset the course to close the trilogy by again playing with nostalgia and playing it safe; ending on a “meh” ending, which (of course) has had fans and moviegoers utterly divide on the conclusion on that particular trilogy.
The Jurassic World trilogy works exactly the same, with Trevorrow directing the 2015 Jurassic World feature and definitely playing upon the nostalgia of the franchise, with familiar scenarios and archetype characters around every corner. Some fans celebrated the film, while others dismissed it as blind fan-service nostalgia. Then 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom came out, with J.A. Bayona directing the sequel and took the franchise in a completely new direction, which became a very decisive motive fans / moviegoers loved or hated. Now, Dominion sees the return of Trevorrow back in the director’s chair and tries to bring the narrative back to the original course and harken back to the Jurassic Park trilogy mantra and nostalgia references. However, this kind of backfires and ultimately keeps Dominion in a predictable and safe place, with Trevorrow keeping everything “the status quo” for the fan-service and nostalgia triggered moments. Again, some of it works (and works great), but with the movie being an ending piece for this trilogy…. the director fails to shape this underwhelming feature in a satisfying way. So, you can see the similarities between the two trilogy franchises. That being said, I do love Jurassic World and Fallen Kingdom better than The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. However, on that matter of Dominion, I felt that the movie dropped the ball. As I’ve stated before, it’s okay, but more disappointing in regard to the end of a trilogy.
Another big problem that I had with the movie is the overall conclusion of the feature. One would expect that the ending of Dominion would want to try to tie-up loose ends not just for its own film narrative, but for also the entire Jurassic World trilogy story as well as harkening back to the Jurassic Park era as well. However, that wasn’t the case with what’s presented, which is far from what is ideal and / or warranted. Yes, some elements are tied up and closed out by the time the feature reaches its ending, yet it seems a bit hollow in is finale conclusion. The symbolism is there, and I definitely get it, yet it never has that resounding feeling that completes the trilogy story of Owen, Claire, Maisie, and others. Everything feels rushed and underwhelming. Even the cinematography presentation at this point in the feature feels clunky and doesn’t close in a profound way. Think of the ending of Jurassic World, which offered a great closer with an iconic image of the T-Rex overlooking the now abandoned theme park and hearing the music swell to an emotional crescendo. It was short and sweet and perfect. Dominion fails to do that, especially because doesn’t really bring the necessary closure to the franchise trilogy nor to Dominion’s narrative in a satisfying way. The result feels rushed and weak.
The cast in Dominion is sort of a mixed bag as most of them are well-liked and fun to see in this particular installment, but their respective characters are either a bit wooden or feel a bit lackluster with the thinly-sketched material that is given. Naturally, this is pointing towards the Jurassic World two main characters of Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, who are once again played by actor Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Pratt, known for his roles in Guardians of the Galaxy, Passengers, and Parks and Recreation, has had a good career by moving into a more prompt role as a leading male in various project he’s working on. His screen presence and likeable charm have certainly made that possible for Pratt’s numerous lead (and prominent supporting roles) throughout the years and the reason why he probably got the lead role in the Jurassic World trilogy. Naturally, Pratt’s Owen is what one would expect from this dinosaur franchise as an almost rogue-ish adventurer tamer that has enough swagger to make it appealing. It definitely worked in the previous two films, but it only works a bit in Dominion. The character of Owen Grady is pretty much the same as we saw him in Fallen Kingdom and doesn’t really grow or evolve in this particular film. Yes, Pratt has enough of his swagger and appeal to make the character fun, but the material given to him is very thin and makes Owen Grady rather flat and generic. Thus, the character is pretty straightforward and no growth and that’s disappointing. Similarly, Howard, who is known for her roles in The Help, Spider-Man 3, and Pete’s Dragon, doesn’t really grow much in Dominion. I will say that the character of Claire is a bit more involved in the action department has definitely evolved in way and manner that was a stark contrast to how she was in Jurassic World. So, while her character is more action-pack scenes, there is very little growth to her character in Claire Dearing and her involvement in the film is pretty the same old, same old…. just beefed up in joining in the action sequences a bit more.
Another problem is that both Pratt and Howard having very little chemistry with each other. There were a few moments in the 2015 film that definitely worked, but those were few and far between, with the pairing of them together feeling awkward. Fallen Kingdom reconfirms that idea, with Pratt and Howard feeling just as mismatch as it was in Jurassic World. The characters were still fun, but the romantic on-screen chemistry with each other was very wooden. In Dominion, it’s pretty much the same, with Pratt and Howard failing to make a connection whenever they are together on-screen. There are very few humorous dialogue banter moments amongst their characters and they just seem out of it. It’s almost like Pratt and Howard don’t really get a along with each other and it kind of shows that when there on-screen together. In the end, both Pratt and Howard are talented and capable acting talents, but, when setup with each other, they repel rather than harmonize….and that shows in Dominion.
To be honest, who actually fared much better than both Pratt and Howard as well as being the real scene-stealers of Dominion, is the return of the original Jurassic Park talents, with actress Laura Dern (Blue Velvet and Marriage Story) and actors Sam Neill (The Piano and Peaky Blinders) and Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day and Thor: Ragnarok) reprising their character roles of Paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler, paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, and mathematician in chaos theory Dr. Ian Malcolm. Of course, some of these characters have appeared in various capacities in some of the past Jurassic sequels (as well as other franchise properties), but Dominion brings all three of them together again and it is definitely worth the hype and build-up that the movie was going for. All three (Dern, Neill, and Goldblum) easily slide back into their character roles with such charismatic delight and their interactions with each other is blissfully flawless. Their on-screen chemistry is perfect and hasn’t lost their step. In truth, I was more excited for their storylines narrative threads rather than the Jurassic World. Plus, I will definitely admit that seeing the old and new characters come together and interact with each other was great.
Like the original Jurassic Park characters returning for Dominion, there are several Jurassic World trilogy characters that return for this latest installment, with some being built more for narrative purposes and some more like glorified cameos. First off, the important character in Dominion that comes off as a bit “meh” is the character of Maisie, the unaltered clone of Benjamin Lockwood’s daughter (Charlotte) who is now under the parental care of Owen and Claire in Dominion. Played by actress Isabella Sermon (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), the character of Maisie is something of a paradox as it invites a whole new avenue for the film’s narrative to explore…. much like what was examined in Fallen Kingdom. However, in Dominion, the idea of Maisie is further examined, but not to its fully extent and actually feels clunky. Rather than some explosive revelation to wrap our heads around for a grandiose “final twist”, the script for the movie decides to choose something a bit more conventional and treats the character of Maisie more like a plot device to Dominion’s main story. It gets a bit convoluted and quite disappointing since Fallen Kingdom setup her character to be quite interesting. It’s not for a lack of trying on Sermon’s part, who is perfectly fine in the role, but the character just feels like more of a plot point rather than a unique character. In the middle of these returning characters, actor Omar Sy (Inferno and Burnt), who returns to play Barry Sembene, an animal / dinosaur trainer from Jurassic World. Sy is perfectly fine in the movie and his involvement feels naturally, which I did like. No problem with his appearance in the feature. Unfortunately, there are several callbacks are a bit necessary and feel a bit shoehorned in. Of course, I’m talking about Fallen Kingdom characters of Franklin Webb and Zia Rodriguez, with actor Justice Smith (Ron’s Gone Wrong and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) and actress Daniella Pineda (The Detour and American Odyssey) returning to reprise their roles. I like how both returning in Dominion, but they’re more of glorified cameos, which is sort of a letdown as I would’ve like them having a much larger part to play in the film’s narrative.
Of the new characters, who actually fares the best is Kayla Watts, a former American Air Force pilot who helps Owen and Claire on their mission to rescue Maisie and Beta. Played by actress DeWanda Wise (Fatherhood and Three Women), the character of Kayla seems to be an almost “breath of fresh air”, which offers a fun dynamic to the Jurassic World characters of Owen and Claire. It’s just a shame that the character could’ve been introduced in the previous installment (in some capacity) because her appearance in Dominion, while good and inviting, sort of gets downplayed, with her character getting pushed aside a few times to make way for screen-time of the rest of the characters. Unfortunately, the polar opposite of the newcomers comes in the form of Dr. Lewis Dodgson, the eccentric CEO of Biosyn Genetics and the film’s main antagonist of Dominion. Of course, the character of Dodgson isn’t really a “newcomer” to the Jurassic Park franchise as the character first appeared in the original Jurassic Park and played by actor Cameron Thor. In Dominion, the character of Dodgson is played by actor Campbell Scott (House of Cards and Royal Pains) and, while I like Scott as an actor, I think the character is terribly weak and is probably one of the weakest in the entire Jurassic Park franchise. Why? His motives are ambiguous and unclear, with a few hand-wavy machinations in play, he’s kind of goofy and eccentric (and not in the fun and humorous way), and he really doesn’t come across as a fully-fledged bad guy…. acting more like an off-kilter corporate CEO businessman rather than a force to be reckon with. I get where they were going with the character, but it felt like there could’ve been so much more material given to him. Perhaps the only thing I like about Dodgson is how he gets his comeuppance. What is it? You’ll have to find out. Speaking of villains, while not necessarily a newcomer, actor DB Wong (Oz and Mr. Robot) returns to reprise his Jurassic Park / World character of Dr. Henry Wu, a geneticist who has appeared variously throughout the franchise, but more so in the Jurassic World trilogy. I like the character and his involvement in this new trilogy feels great, but I felt that the character of Wu was anticlimactic in Dominion. Sure, there is sort of a redemption arc to his character, which is kind of nice, but I felt like it was all pretty weak and not fully thought-out. Thus, Wu’s appearance in Dominion is forgetful and a throwaway character, which is sad.
The rest of the cast, including actress Dichen Lachman (Raya and the Last Dragon and Animal Kingdom) as dinosaur smuggler Soyona Santos, actor Scott Haze (Child of God and Old Henry) as bounty hunter Rainn Delacourt, and actor Mamoudou Athie (The Circle and Sorry for Your Loss) as the head of Communication at Biosyn Ramsay Cole, are in supporting character roles. While the acting talents involved in this category are perfectly fine, the character themselves have limited screen and could’ve been easily expanded upon. Heck, I thought Santos was going to have a bigger role, but she didn’t. Likewise, Athie’s Ramsay seemed to have a setup larger part in Dominion’s narrative, but (again) he was quite generic and progressively less important, despite Athie’s performance.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Life finds way as an ecological disaster is starting to grow, dinosaurs are roaming freely around the globe, and all signs point to Biosyn Genetics, with various characters making their way to find the culprit behind such destructive natures in the movie Jurassic World: Dominion. Director Colin Trevorrow latest film returns to the Jurassic World franchise that he began back in 2015 to close out this dinosaur trilogy by bring back old familiars to the series as well as mixing so poignant hypothetical thematic that is juxtaposition the blockbuster action of pre-historic creatures. While the film’s action and visual spectacle are just as strong as ever as well as some of the nostalgic moments from its cast, the movie itself struggles to find a proper balance of story and characters in a meaningful way, which is due to the feature’s direction, flat and uninspiring story, confusing and convoluted plot points, thinly sketched characters, and lackluster ending. Personally, this movie was just okay. The movie definitely had the potential and some of the nostalgia works as well as some of the action / tense moments, but I just felt like this threequel was a bit of a letdown and lack a good central plot. Much like what other critics are saying, this particular endeavor was the weakest of the Jurassic World trilogy. Even worse, Dominion is supposed to close out the Jurassic World trilogy and it closes its on a weak note. Thus, my recommendation for this movie is an uneasy “iffy choice” as some completionist or Jurassic fans might have fun watching this movie, yet some might be disappointed in the movie’s shortcomings and tiresome tropes. Maybe I’ll even throw in a “skip it”, for the more I think about it, the more I feel disappointed with the film….and I think many will agree on that. In the end, whether love it or hate it, the Jurassic World trilogy started out strong in 2015 by presenting a new story in this dinosaur cinematic tale and taking the franchise in a new direction, but Jurassic World: Dominion is a messy fun of familiars and nostalgia reunions that ends on a whimper rather than rousing finale.
2.8 Out of 5 (Iffy-Choice / Skip It)
Released On: June 10th, 2022
Reviewed On: June 17th, 2022
Jurassic World: Dominion is 146 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, some violence, and language
