*** Caution: Spoilers Ahead***
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. In a two-hour and twenty-six-minute tale for the ages, Jurassic franchise forces unite to offer up an exciting ride that has us asking a thought-provoking question: Is it possible we could all learn to get along?
The long-awaited film (which marks the sixth full-length motion picture overall) brings back longtime favorites Laura Dern [Ellie Sattler], Jeff Goldblum [Ian Malcolm], and Sam Neill [Alan Grant]. They partner with Chris Pratt [Owen Grady], Bryce Dallas Howard [Claire Dearing], and Isabella Sermon [Maisie Lockwood], in an effort to save humankind from extinction.
Blue (everyone’s favorite raptor) also returns, and standout performances by DeWanda Wise [Kayla Watts], Mamoudou Athie [Ramsay Cole], BD Wong [Dr. Henry Wu] and Campbell Scott [Lewis Dodgson] make for some pretty entertaining scene-stealing moments.
The Universal Pictures/Amblin release has already garnered big bucks at the box office. The film earned $18M in previews on Thursday and, as of its Friday, June 10 release, has already taken in more than $55M internationally. While projections are mixed, Jurassic World Dominion has the potential to stomp out its competition this weekend.
Nostalgia hits hard for most, and it seems that’s what filmmakers here are banking on. The original movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, brought to life the characters of Ellie Sattler [Dern], Ian Malcolm [Goldblum], Alan Grant [Neill], and Wu (played by Wong in Jurassic Park in 1993 and Jurassic World in 2015). In this final installment, Colin Trevorrow returns to his role as director (he helmed the 2015 iteration), bridging the gap between both worlds and generations.
The storyline Trevorrow penned for Dominion is not anything we haven’t seen before. It’s about humans versus dinosaurs, but in an interesting take, will have you rooting for the latter. The original cast reunites when Grady and Dearing (Pratt and Howard, respectively) fail to contain the real problems that pit the two species against each other – greed and self-preservation. The movie follows a predictable path: Greed, kidnapping, attempted murder, and a scheme to take over the world, followed by the likelihood of extinction for every living creature on the planet. The result of which naturally brings together allies from unconventional places.
Without comparing the film to its predecessors, it stands on its own in the CGI department, and the action-packed sequences will suck you in. Dominion, quite literally, feels like a ride. As a viewer familiar with the franchise’s history, you can’t help but be invested in the story and its final outcome. Both the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World casts have unfinished business, and as the plot of “good guy” versus “bad guy” unfolds, fans inevitably get rewarded with the closure they want. Each cast, respectively, holds its own.
As every ride has its ups and downs, parts of Dominion were somewhat anti-climactic. Scenes that held higher expectations (such as the two generations finally meeting) felt a little underwhelming. And newly-introduced characters such as Kayla Watts (played by DeWanda Wise) needed more screentime than the two-and-a-half-hour film allowed for. While she did shine on screen, Wise’s character didn’t have much chance to flourish, barely scratching the surface of her potential. Although, a spin-off (one that might include Mamoudou Athie) would be a big win. One could even expect Jeff Goldblum to be tapped for a cameo in that project.
While it wasn’t hard to tell which side you were on when it came to the human versus human fight, the dinosaur versus dinosaur caveat gave the film an unsuspecting point of view. That message was hammered home with the notion that coexistence, not only between species but with each other, is essential to our survival. It’s something that can be taken away and meant to be applied to the real world – sans dinosaurs.
Was Dominion predictable? Yes. There were no unexpected losses or wins. Nothing is left open-ended (except the hope for a spin-off), and it gives fans the outcome we all want. Even the messaging was precise in conveying the idea that peace begins with understanding and the desire to do good can be the key to our survival – if we could only learn how to all get along and live in harmony; even when we live in fear and don’t always understand each other.
All in all, it rates about a 7.5 out of 10. While it may leave you wanting a little more from it, Jurassic World Dominion packs a hard prehistoric punch into roughly two-and-a-half hours of action-filled awesomeness. It’s definitely a ride you want to experience in theaters.
