The dinos are back … one last time? Our JP reviews “Jurassic World Dominion,” the sixth installment in the “Jurassic Park” franchise and the final film in the “Jurassic World” trilogy.
Jurassic World Dominion
(Universal)
- Directed by Colin Trevorrow
- Screenplay by Emily Carmichael, Colin Trevorrow
- Story by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow
- Based on Characters by Michael Crichton
- Produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley
- Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Omar Sy
Synopsis:
Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.
JP.s Take:
It’s been a thirty year trek for the “Jurassic Park” franchise, which seems to show no signs of going extinct anytime soon. It is, however, starting to exhibit some wear around the edges despite its wildly adventurous soul. The trailers suggest that they’ve leveled up on the action, which no doubt they have, but that doesn’t necessarily make up for the baggage it carries within a bygone tale. This time around, the narrative takes on a more dystopic dreary turn of events. As per the first three “Jurassic Park” films, we dive deeper into the underworld of mega corporations, using megabucks to exert control over Earth and its creatures while destroying the environment.
This sixth installment picks up after the events of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” as the second park (called Jurassic World) has gone dead and humans are adapting to life side by side with our giant reptilian friends. It’s not long before we witness some run of the mill baddies poaching dinos for profit, on behalf of the influential bioengineering company, Biosyn Genetics. Hmmm…take a moment to ponder the context of that company name. It is headed by the bumbling CEO, Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), who looks like Tim Cook’s (Apple’s current CEO) clone. Meanwhile, a side story corresponds to the moments where Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) live happily ever after off grid in the woods. Or so we think.
(John Wilson/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
The kidnapping of Maisie and Blue’s offspring (the only surviving velociraptor from Jurassic World) sparks a heady rescue mission that takes on an epic action/thriller persona. Add these elements together and you’ll come up with a mash-up of “Mission Impossible” meets “King Kong vs. Godzilla”…for its battle royale-styled dino brawls and an outlandish espionage plot. The action sequences are certain indicative of those movies, especially in scenes where Claire and Owen get themselves into sticky situations and are chased by henchmen throughout Italy and Malta. Deadly dinos are then unleashed upon the country as they too hunt down their rescue team. As exhilarating as these moments are, at some point, you start to crash from all the commotion as though you’re coming down from a sugar rush after eating a candy bar.
More skullduggery transpires when the new cast meets the old. The second half reunites Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), who return not just for facetime and catching up for old times sake. After an alarming discovery made by Dr. Sattler (genetically altered locusts swallowing up crops across Texas and Iowa and wreaking havoc on crops & food supply), they spring into action. They quickly suspect Biosyn of being the culprit, therefore, launching a valiant effort to take them down. GOOD LUCK. Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is the proponent that stitches the two halves together. He joins Claire and Owen in a mad dash to save both humans and dinos alike.
If it weren’t for the cohesive efforts of the cast holding this monster mash together, the entire show would have fallen apart. Dern, Neill and Goldblum are seasoned actors and all do a fine job here. Although the bubbly reunion between Neill’s and Dern’s characters almost seem too schmaltzy to be taken seriously at times. Goldblum’s Malcolm remains steadfast to the role as he’s designed to be logical and direct. Pratt and Howard are also wonderful to watch on screen and here they breeze into the hero roles they were slated to be. Scott in the role of Dr. Dodgson is not the typical villain, who’s all fire and brimstone, as he’s more the socially inept, tic bearing, Dr. Evil wanna-be who dresses like a model from Steve Jobs’ clothing catalog. You’ll get a chuckle or two from his antics, yet you also know something sinister is brewing in the back of his head. B.D. Wong has been there from the start beginning with “Jurassic Park” and returns to his role of Dr. Henry Wu, the now worn and certainly weary geneticist. In addition, Omar Sy as Barry Sembène, a co-partner raptor trainer with Owen Grady; DeWanda Wise playing former Air Force pilot Kayla Watts; and Mamoudou Athie as Ramsay Col, the Head of Communications of Biosyn. All gave spunky performances.
(John Wilson/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Here we are 30 years later and not much has really changed. The story is pretty much the same prophesied tale of human dominance over all. The action is just louder, more raucous, and the characters seem like they’re over the whole madness in general. There isn’t much suspense nor frightening moments either.
I can remember viewing the first “Jurassic Park,” when it hit theaters in 1993. There was a thrill in the air and mystery and danger hung around every corner. The practical effects were a breakthrough, which allowed our imagination to flourish with glee. Those were exciting times, while “Jurassic World Dominion” mainly serves as simply a commemorative placard in the franchise history. I did get a kick out of some sequences and set pieces, yet, I wanted to like it more. Instead, I feel it’s time to put this old fossil to rest.
