Jurassic World: Dominion

The third and final roaring instalment of this latest trilogy in the Jurassic saga has finally arrived to kick off 2022’s summer of blockbuster movies. With Isla Nublar totally destroyed by the volcanic eruption in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the world has had to adjust to a new normal, where dinosaurs roam the planet alongside humans. Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen (Chris Pratt) and Maisie (Isabella Sermon) are living an isolated and secret life, hidden away from hunters from the Biosyn organisation, who seek to take Maisie away for genetic testing. Much to their despair, that fateful day arrives as their daughter gets older and more curious about the outside world, so Claire and Owen must once again battle the odds to rescue her.

Simultaneously, Dr Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is now working as an environmental scientist, and calls upon her old friend, Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and old flame Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to help her investigate a growing infestation of giant locusts that is threatening to wipe out the world’s food supply. Before too long they also discover that all roads lead to Biosyn.

We’ve already seen how this movie plays out: a new dinosaur park – world, kingdom, lab, whatever – has sprung up and it’s guaranteed that at some point it’s all going to fall down. The question for Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion is: does it play with its concept to the best of its ability? Getting the old gang back together and reuniting them as early as possible was probably the best move as this second trilogy in the saga comes to its conclusion. Laura Dern brings a significant amount of heart to the film, alongside her brains and brawn, while Jeff Goldblum provides the laughs, bathing in the warm glow of his own charisma. 

The use of two different character triangles brings two storylines forward and ultimately makes the two-and-a-half-hour marathon easier to digest, broadening the scope of the production. But it all works best when every single character, old and new, is on-screen at the same time, creating an intoxicating concoction of nostalgia, excitement and crowd-pleasing fun as dinos roar and our heroes battle. Some of the action sequences are among the best the franchise has ever seen and, despite the villain appearing to be modelled on a stereotypical “rich tech guy”, the real-world issues and threat to the Earth’s food supply do prove to be interesting plot mechanisms.

For all its positives, Jurassic World: Dominion does not come without flaws. Pratt and Howard are relegated to supporting cast members – more specifically, parents – still taking part in a number of action sequences, but with their previous motivations quashed to protector roles. Also, for all it is worth, there are far too many easter eggs as the movie relentlessly pays lip service to the fanbase, breaking certain moments with calls back to the 1980s films. Naturally this is to be expected, but it does neuter any sense of originality in almost every sequence. Perhaps this really is the final song that states the saga has been exhausted.

Jurassic World was triumphant success, opening doors to a brand-new audience with fresh faces and new challenges; what followed was a fairly disastrous sequel with no other purpose than to appease the fans – a feature with little substance. Jurassic World: Dominion has a warm feel to it, oozing nostalgia, but accepts that the end is nigh and it’s welcome. Watch this space in 20 years’ time for a reboot likely entitled Jurassic Planet.

Guy Lambert

Jurassic World: Dominion is released nationwide on 10^th June 2022.

Watch the trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion here: