Jurassic World Dominion (2022) Review

 

Dinosaurs partly live alongside humans around the world, but an extinct giant swarm of locust mysteriously re-emerge threatening the worlds food supply and ecological system. After a kidnapping two groups cross paths while trying to put things right. 

 Director Colin Trevorrow offers a visually slick outing and even with its lengthy run time moves it along at a fast pace with some impressive staging. 

 The ensemble cast are great, even if the script is more focused on the espionage-like sets up. It includes Jurassic World favourites Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Isabella Sermon along with Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. BD Wong also returns bridging the to trilogies as well as a few familiar faces from Fallen Kingdom and World. DeWanda Wise is particularly notable even if the character feels more from a James Bond or a Mission Impossible film.

 It should be said that’s it’s great to see Dern, Goldblum and Neill reprise their roles appearing together for the first time since the 1993 film. However, Emily Carmichael and Colin Trevorrow’s dialogue is spread a little thin. The main issue with Derek Connolly and Trevorrow story is the same issue as its predecessor, once you move them away from the West World-like Jurassic park setting or confines of a small Island the fear and intrigue is diluted. It ‘jumped shark’ with human cloning and even more so in Dominion especially durning the Malta underground dealing shenanigans. Unfortunately, it’s simply too outlandish and over the top, rather than a dino-adventure, it’s more messy spy thriller with dinosaurs. 

There’s wonderful cinematography from John Schwartzman, the effects are also impressive, the action is complimented by Michael Giacchino’s music and John Williams themes. It’s nice that they used the character of Dodgson, here played by Campbell Scott replacing Cameron Thor from Jurassic Park (1993). Both the Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Alan Grant get fitting closure. Also we finally see what happened to the canister lost by Dennis Nedry in the original. 

 Overall, it’s a wonderfully looking fun film, jam packed with dinosaur hi-jinx and show downs. But it just lacks the simplicity, also the emotional weight of the original trilogy; and Jurassic World to some extent. It’s just not the direction maybe some viewers wanted it to go, to change the taste of Coca-cola means you have to change the recipe; and over the last two films they changed the taste of Coca-cola. Recommended with cola caution.