Jurassic World: Dominion closes two dinosaur-munching trilogies by bringing together the original primary cast with the new stars. Director/co-writer Colin Trevorrow aims for a narrative that logically incorporates the characters, classic story elements, and a spirit of adventure. He bombs with a terrible script but achieves thrilling, CGI-fueled action. The film is essentially a rehash of the same plot structure we've seen from the franchise for nearly thirty years. Jurassic World: Dominion works as a popcorn cinema event picture with blockbuster visual effects. It's a known commodity at this point. You'll be sorely disappointed if looking for anything new or interesting.
Set four years after a volcano destroyed Isla Nubar, dinosaurs have crashed the party on every continent. They have integrated themselves into the human ecosystem with dangerous interactions. World governments have given Biosyn, a competitor to InGen, the exclusive right to capture and move problem dinosaurs to a secure habitat in the Italian Dolemites Mountains. Biosyn's CEO, Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), promises to use dinosaur DNA to herald a new era of scientific breakthroughs. He's hired a combative Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) as an advisor to "keep him honest" and stave off critics.
In California's remote Sierra Nevada, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt) have gone to great lengths to hide Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), the clone of Charlotte Lockwood. The fourteen-year-old chafes in isolation. Her adoptive parents fear she'll be taken if discovered. Meanwhile, Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) reconnects with Allan Grant (Sam Neill). She's got a plague of prehistoric locusts and needs to find out where they came from. All paths collide after ruthless dinosaur hunters target the offspring of Blue, the clever Velociraptor trained by Owen.
Coincidence as a Crutch
The film relies on laughable coincidences to connect the all-star team for mayhem. The characters, supposedly dinosaur experts, continually have problems dealing with them. The Dolomites' sanctuary is pretty much another park for the ravenous critters to run amok. As expected, duplicitous baddies seeking power and fortune underestimate their control. Death and chaos predictably ensue.
Isabella Sermon's "Maisie Lockwood" is the only character with a genuine arc. Everyone else is collecting a hefty paycheck while going through the running and screaming motions. It's hard enough finding yourself as a teenager. Maisie struggles existentially as a clone. She views herself as a science experiment like the dinosaurs. Maisie realizes that her value goes beyond genetic design. She is unconditionally loved by Owen and Claire. I have no doubt that her character will be the focus of future films.
Jurassic World: Dominion is an Action Juggernaut
Enough of the story bashing. There are swaths of this film that audiences will rightly gobble up. Jurassic World: Dominion is an action juggernaut. Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World) amps up the voltage with spectacular chase scenes. Raptors pursuing Owen and Claire through the streets of Malta looks amazing. The dinosaurs fighting each other for apex predator status delivers the monster goods. Children will especially get a kick out of the creature carnage.
Jurassic World: Dominion continues to be a check your brain at the theater door experience. The big-budget spectacle does not disappoint. Die-hard fans of the franchise will appreciate the original characters. I didn't have a nostalgic response. My issues with a lackluster script are mitigated by pure entertainment value. Who doesn't enjoy watching a Pterosaur rip a plane out of the sky?
Jurassic World: Dominion is a production of Amblin Entertainment and Perfect World Pictures. It will be released theatrically on June 10th from Universal Pictures.