Jurassic World: Dominion - A Movie Review

Who said living with dinosaurs would be easy.

Jurassic World: Dominion is a 2022 film. Four years after the last film's events, humans and dinosaurs struggled to live together in peace. This balance will only determine how humans and predators can share the planet in this new era.

Every time the Jurassic Park theme music plays I have a huge smile. I have always enjoyed Jurassic Park films but with the last installments, the films have failed to establish the same dramatic tone as the original. Jurassic World: Dominion is scattered in its plotline, relying on the actors who sell their performances.

Returning to their iconic roles, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum did not miss a beat. This movie should have focused on them. They did a great job, it’s just the cringy dialogue they were given. Goldblum is the highlight with his charming personality and witty comebacks.

Like most Jurassic Park movies lately, they’re more about the action than character development. Based on how the characters quarreled, questioned, and uttered famous callback lines, writers didn’t have a concise idea about the direction of this film.

Still going about with their usual bickering and on-again-off-again relationship, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard aren’t given much time to develop.

The characters (old and new) don’t meet up until the third act of the film. This movie is over two hours. The ensemble should have met up earlier. The dynamic between the new cast and the old cast is the most exciting part of the film. The whole theater lit up in excitement. And that’s where it felt like the film finally began.

Writers struggled with the characters, mainly Maisie Lockwood (Isabelle Sermon). She deserved a better storyline than what she was given. Joining the Jurassic World: Dominion cast, DeWanda Wise has become popular among audiences. BD Wong returns again. \

The cast also includes the talents of Mamoudou Athie, Campbell Scott, Omar Sy, Justice Smith, and Danielle Pineda. No Jurassic Park film goes without an ensemble of screaming individuals.

There is so much filler in this movie. I don’t know why each film has to have a villain. Having a villain in these movies is pointless. In some ways, the dinosaurs are the villains because they chase after people.

Speaking of dinosaurs, based on what the trailer showed us, the subplot about dinosaurs and humans living together is hardly given any attention. This film could have been another film entirely. There are hardly any dinosaurs in the film. It’s evident that Jurassic World: Dominion was rushed based on the weak special effects.

Colin Treverrow’s main area of focus was the action scenes. There’s no real story. It’s just action, revisiting nostalgia, and running from danger. The chase sequence in the middle was a well-directed sequence.

Writers made strange choices, like having one very minor character from the original film return as the villain. There’s so much skipping around to subplots that it’s hard to stay focused. The subplot with the locusts was unnecessary. This film is about dinosaurs. A lot of the story is so predictable that you know how it's going to end.

There were tense scenes. My favorite scene of all was Claire crawling away from a predator and hiding underwater. The was the best cinematic shot in the entire film. I wish it wasn’t spoiled in the trailers.

Jurassic World: Dominion is worth a watch in theaters. I wish it could have been an epic conclusion like the director entailed. It’s not the strongest but I still had a fun time.