“Jurassic World: Dominion” (2022) takes place four years after “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (2018) when Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) released the dinosaurs from captivity. It shows the impact on old and new characters, both dinosaurs and human beings, with a new threat to the food chain.
I usually watch this franchise for the dinosaurs, but the people held their own. Unlike prior installments, “Jurassic World: Dominion” had the vibe of an international adventure thriller with lots of globe-trotting and car and motorcycle chases as if we were watching a Bond movie with dinosaurs. Many of the old characters come back, and the new characters fit in seamlessly.
“Jurassic World: Dominion” does a good job of finding a reason to introduce the “Jurassic World” regulars to the “Jurassic Park” regulars. The biggest surprise is that Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) is finally memorable in this installment. After years of dealing with dinosaurs, her character has become tough, principled and interesting—growth. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) kind of gets lost in the shuffle and hits the same note as his prior appearances. He ends up being the comic relief. His one hand out, intense stare stance gets better treatment from another character in the denouement. While he initially strikes an iconic pose as a Dinosaur Cowboy meets modern horse whisperer in a sci fi Western, Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) overshadows him as a Hans Solo/Firefly type character of disrepute who decides to help them. It is my first time seeing Wise in any movie-she is gorgeous, relatable, and action-packed. She could be the future star of any subsequent installments, including a series.
“Jurassic World: Dominion” reintroduces the “Jurassic Park” regulars, Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) by having them investigate a possible new threat, Biosyn head, Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), who seems to be modelled on Apple CEOs, at least aesthetically. Sattler is the moral heart of the film, but this portion is devoted to rekindling the romance and rivalry though Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) seems more content to poke fun at himself with his lectures. Malcolm works as a double agent for Biosyn to help his buddies. Side note: he has five kids. Shouldn’t they all be adults by now, and he would not have child support anymore OR is he such a good absentee dad that he is paying for grad school? Sattler and Grant’s scenes interrupted the momentum without Ian Malcolm’s antics. As much as I loved to see them reunited, it felt done.
“Jurassic World: Dominion” introduces the new villain by using a news segment. The televised news report also serves the same function as the “previously on” device. It is a nice way of poking fun at how corporate culture promotes its public image and reminds old viewers of what happened since the last film. My favorite moment with Dodgson is when he asks his security guy for assistance, and the security guy just shrugs, “Dude. I can’t do shit with this.” Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie), Dodgson’s right-hand man and the regulars’ Biosin handler, is supposed to be an ambiguous character whose loyalties are uncertain, but I predicted correctly. Cole is a great addition, and I hope that Athie gets the love that Adam Driver does because Athie’s voice bears a resemblance, is a great actor and is more attractive.
The henchmen were terrific, but underutilized. What is the point of casting Dichen Lachman for one sequence!?! I get that she is mostly a tv action sci fi legend (“Dollhouse,” “The 100,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), and I am delighted to see her on the big screen, but we needed more! If a criminal is wearing white, watch out. Glynis Davies makes a cameo, and I suspect most of her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. I would have cut Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze) and beefed-up Lachman and Davies roles, but Delacourt gets dispatched in such a memorable fashion that I would not want to see happen with Lachman and Glynnis that I will sign a waiver.
If “Jurassic World: Dominion” had a flaw, it introduced so many new dinosaurs that it was hard to keep up with their names so I will only use descriptions with nicknames. There are no hybrids, and unless told otherwise, I will assume that they are not entirely a product of the writers’ imaginations. The dinosaurs are clearly place holders for animals, and the film chastises human beings for our exploitation of them. This installment is more optimistic than its antecedents and ends with an image of utopia: mutual respect and coexistence. Considering that we are currently living in a dystopia, I do not mind being provided images of joy to aspire to even if they are unrealistic.
Blue and Rexy are back! Mama Blue only makes bookend appearances, but she makes the most of them. She is trying to raise her child wild and free, a zero-sugar diet, with as little human contact as possible because they are problematic though she occasionally checks in on her adopted dad. There were rumors that Blue’s appearance was severely curtailed because of her issues with Pratt, but perhaps those rumors were rooted in a scene where she was acting as if she was sick of her dad’s shit with the hand up thing. “That does not work! I only don’t eat you because I have a soft spot. Just shut up and get things done.” I agree, Blue. I agree.
Rexy is getting older and has roommate troubles. Giganotosaurus eats all the food, cooked or raw—not picky, fights, and takes the spotlight, but when Giga starts messing with her human beings, Rexy does not back down. Also points to the human beings for finally repaying Rexy for all the times that she helped them and gave her a minute to breathe. Nails, a new character who gives vulture vibes, is a homicidal vegetarian who kills anyone who gets in her way. Do not mess with her food or her look! I felt bad for the dinosaurs who have generational trauma and probably thought, “Are meteors hitting again!?! I just want to live. TF!”
Maisie is also back, and I’m counting her as a dinosaur because I do not want to deny her heritage. She gets more of a backstory, which is supposed to be heartwarming, but unintentionally evoked “I Am Legend” (2007). She is still into freeing her people. She is more like a living, breathing MacGuffin who is important for reasons. I agree with Blue that Maisie is a bad influence and would keep my kid away.
Shoutout to the writers of “Jurassic World: Dominion” who revealed more about themselves and their attitudes about romantic relationships than they ever intended. If this film has a clear practical lesson in every storyline, do not have kids with the person that you are romantically interested in because it will ruin the relationship. Better to have kids by yourself even if you must become a scientist!
“Jurassic World: Dominion” should have shortened some scenes and lengthened others, but it is the perfect summer movie. It was hard to watch some scenes of dinosaur exploitation, but as long as you can remind yourself that they are not real, and you’re a hypocrite as a meat eater, you will be entertained.