It depends on who you ask, but Jurassic World Dominion is either the third movie in its series or the sixth in the Jurassic Park/World franchise. In some ways, this movie fits the bill as both. Not only can we expect the cast from the Jurassic World movies to appear in Dominion, but most of the original Jurassic Park cast as well.
The movie picks up after Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom. Thankfully Claire has long since ditched the high heels of steel and has adopted more sensible shoes. Life is adapting to a world where dinosaurs live among humans and finding a new equilibrium. But of course, it can never be that easy – if it could we wouldn’t have a sixth epic dinosaur film hitting screens.
Does Jurassic World Dominion have the gusto to win fans over again? The short of it, yes. The fan base of the franchise is so large the movie most likely will do well. But it doesn’t feel like the last movies, even in the second trilogy. Instead, Dominion feels like a mix between Jurassic World with a dash of Indiana Jones and a bit of Bond/Bourne type action tossed in. It’s a weird blend of movies, and genres and even seems like it questions itself at times. This doesn’t make the movie unwatchable, but it does take some of the luster off this dino action film.
While the movie does play a lot to fan service with small Easter Eggs and the original actors returning, and making sure that the main characters get closure to their story – it does seem awfully light on dinosaurs for what we expected it to have.
Things the Jurassic World Dominion Got Right
Compared to the original Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World Dominion pulls out all of the stops. Part of this is due to the updates in science and technology overall. The original Jurassic Park came out in 1993 and used cutting-edge graphics at the time with animatronics that wowed and scared audiences. The franchise overall has grown with technology and in Dominion, the graphics have been kicked up another level. This brings with it more realistic dinosaurs, great battle scenes, and even action scenes.
But it’s not just the CGI that has improved in the last 29 years, it’s what actual scientists have learned about dinosaurs. Jurassic World Dominion not only shows different dinosaurs we haven’t seen on the big screen before but ones that are covered in hair and feathers. The franchise continues to grow with science and technology and has moved leaps and bounds over the past three decades. This will win over audiences again, much as the original movie did. Seeing scientific discoveries updated and changed throughout the franchise is one thing that the series does well overall.
Where This Sequel Falls Apart
At a whopping run time of 2 hours and 26 minutes, you’d expect Jurassic World Dominion to not only tie up any loose ends the last movie had but also give you plenty of dinosaur action. Yes, the movie brings the big dinos back to the screen, but they don’t take the focus of the film. Instead, the movie revolves mostly around Maisie Lockwood, the young clone girl first introduced in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. But viewers are given just a flash news story reminder of her importance to the franchise, while the whole movie and action revolve around her in one form or another.
Fans will be looking for a lot of dinosaur action in this film, but the story focuses mostly on another genetically modified issue created by scientists and a megalomaniac billionaire who only has his own profits on his mind. This leads to a bit too close to a real issue that the audience will relate to. Yes, the scientists are messing with stuff with dino stuff and creating world-ending issues – again. Because the last five movies and issues weren’t enough evidence they shouldn’t be doing that.
Even the science or at least reasoning of their safety protocols are a bit questionable for common sense. We’re not talking about the whole experimenting on prehistoric DNA – that’s without a question. But the fact they use an electric pulse to herd all the animals into one area, prey and predators at the same time. This would help prevent issues with humans but can cause worse ones for the dinosaurs in the complex.
Jurassic World Dominion is playing in theaters this Friday. Despite the loopholes in the story, checking out the action scenes and the dinosaur on a large screen will be a must-see for fans of the franchise and dino lovers alike. We just wish there were more dinosaurs in a movie in a franchise built on dinosaurs, but I guess this is what you can expect from the sixth movie in a series.
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About Jurassic World Dominion:
This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.
From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.
Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.
The film features new cast members DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The film’s returning cast includes BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez and Omar Sy as Barry Sembenè.
Jurassic World Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who steered 2015’s Jurassic World to a record-shattering $1.7 billion global box office. The screenplay is by Emily Carmichael (Battle at Big Rock) & Colin Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) & Trevorrow, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Jurassic World Dominion is produced by acclaimed franchise producers Frank Marshall p.g.a. and Patrick Crowley p.g.a. and is executive produced by legendary, Oscar®-winning franchise creator Steven Spielberg, Alexandra Derbyshire and Colin Trevorrow.
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Perfect World Pictures, a Colin Trevorrow film. jurassicworld.com