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A life long cinephile from the Bay Area in Northern California. Aside from having written for various outlets since 2019, I've been podcasting since 2020.
(Currently Co-Hosting the Geekly Goods Roundup)
When I'm not indulged in a ridiculous amount of media consumption or losing track of days on my Nintendo Switch, I can be found at concerts or playing basketball.
The latest film franchise to cater to nostalgia and legacy has finally roared into theaters. While Jurassic World: Dominion has some entertaining and intriguing parts, the film as a whole doesn’t quite stick to the landing. It also doesn’t necessarily crash and burn either. The end result is really a mixed bag, which has more or less been the case for all of the Jurassic sequels.
One thing for sure is our beloved characters from the original Jurassic Park definitely didn’t have a whole lot to do here. However, they made their moments count and were one of the few highlights of Jurassic World Dominion.
EDITOR’S NOTE: There are no spoilers in this review, but please be alert in case any possible ones show up in this review.
Somehow Finding A Way
It’s hard to imagine that the original Jurassic Park came out 30 years ago, but here we are with this new and final entry in 2022. Uniting the key players from the Jurassic World films with the original trilogy was a daunting task for director Colin Trevorrow and company.
While some fans may complain about the lack of dinosaur intrigue, the main hook of Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) investigating prehistoric locusts decimating the nation’s food supply accomplishes this task. Dr. Sattler recruits Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and her investigation eventually leads her to the world’s largest dinosaur sanctuary. It is here that all of our heroes finally cross paths.
In his typical rock star fashion, Jeff Goldblum steals the show as Dr. Ian Malcom. His presence alone elevates a convoluted and winding journey to this point.
Meanwhile, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) spend most of the film in desperate pursuit of both their adopted daughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon) and the offspring of velociraptor “Blue”, who get kidnapped. This was definitely the more interesting of the two storylines and the one I found myself invested in the most. Their part of the adventure introduces exciting new faces like Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) and brings back familiar old faces in Barry Sembene (Omar Sy). The very best action sequences take place in their part of the story as well, as they also eventually make their way to the dinosaur sanctuary mentioned earlier.
Fun But Uninspired
When all is said and done, there are laughs to be had and a few thrilling moments; with that said, this is a franchise that has definitely run out of steam. Trevorrow both tries to do too much story-wise while also providing audiences very little in character development or originality.
The most “unique” section of the film feels like something out of the Mission: Impossible films while the last hour or so borrows heavily from the original Jurassic Park. As noted earlier, Jeff Goldblum makes a delightful return to the saga after a 25-year absence. However, jokes and monologues aside he is mostly relegated to just that.
Fans of this franchise surely will find things here to enjoy and may very well love this film. There have been numerous memorable moments even in the worst films of this series. For better or worse, Jurassic World: Dominion will be the final chapter in the said saga, and personally, it may be for the best.
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A life long cinephile from the Bay Area in Northern California. Aside from having written for various outlets since 2019, I've been podcasting since 2020.
(Currently Co-Hosting the Geekly Goods Roundup)
When I'm not indulged in a ridiculous amount of media consumption or losing track of days on my Nintendo Switch, I can be found at concerts or playing basketball.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.