Jurassic World Dominion: A Nostalgia-Fueled Disaster That Fails to Deliver
Jurassic World Dominion, the long-awaited conclusion to the Jurassic World trilogy, is a cinematic disappointment, failing to live up to the legacy of its predecessors and squandering the thrilling possibilities it sets up. While the film boasts a star-studded cast and impressive visual effects, it ultimately falls flat in its narrative, failing to create engaging characters and offering a predictable, unsatisfying story that feels more like a cash grab than a truly compelling conclusion.
The film’s biggest misstep lies in its abandonment of the intriguing concepts established in the previous films. The captivating idea of human cloning, explored in the preceding film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, is conveniently brushed aside while the implications of dinosaurs living amongst humans, a concept promised in the intervening short films, Battle at Big Rock and Prologue, is largely ignored. Instead, Jurassic World Dominion opts for a familiar narrative focused on a multinational corporation’s pursuit of profit and a mother’s love, leaving the potential of a truly captivating world unexplored.
Lackluster Narrative and Character Development
The film’s narrative feels disjointed and predictable, relying heavily on nostalgia to engage viewers rather than creating compelling new characters and storylines. The new characters, such as pilot-for-hire Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) and Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie), fail to capture the same level of attention as the original cast. While Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) return, their development has stalled, leaving them as shallow, one-dimensional figures struggling to hold the film together.
The film also struggles to incorporate the original characters from Jurassic Park — Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Alan Grant (Sam Neill), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). While initially promising a return to the roots of the franchise, these characters feel underdeveloped and largely sidelined, their appearances serving more as fan service than meaningful contributions to the story.
The Dinosaurs: Mere Spectacle, Not Characters
The dinosaurs, the franchise’s main draw, are reduced to mere spectacle. Rather than showcasing the awe-inspiring intelligence and complexity of these creatures, Jurassic World Dominion portrays them as mindless animals, their presence limited to elaborate action sequences and CGI spectacle. This misses the opportunity to explore the unique characteristics and behaviors of these majestic creatures, offering an emotionally distant and unengaging portrayal.
A Missed Opportunity for Real World Exploration
The film’s biggest missed opportunity lies in its failure to fully explore the impact of dinosaurs living alongside humans. The brief moments in Malta, where dinosaurs are traded on a black market, showcasing their impact on society through things like dino kebabs, hint at the potential for a much richer narrative. But these glimpses are fleeting, leaving the audience with a lingering sense of disappointment.
Conclusion: A Shadow of its Potential
In the end, Jurassic World Dominion ends up feeling like a pale imitation of its predecessors, failing to capitalize on the potential to deliver a thrilling and provocative exploration of the impact of dinosaurs on humanity. While the film boasts impressive visual effects and a nostalgic reunion of familiar faces, it ultimately leaves viewers feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.
"Jurassic World? Not a fan." Dr. Ian Malcolm’s words ring truer than ever.
This film represents a considerable missed opportunity for the franchise. Despite its shortcomings, it’s clear that the Jurassic World franchise has a considerable audience, and a future filled with possibilities. Hopefully, should a future installment occur, it will be one with a truly original vision and a story worthy of the enduring legacy of Jurassic Park.
