Jurassic Park has always held a special place in my heart.
It is the first film that I have memory of as a child. I absolutely loved it! Now that I am significantly older, I have a much larger appreciation for the film, from the incredible score to the ground-breaking special effects and animatronics that still hold up, almost 30 years later. Since then, there have been four films in the Jurassic franchise including two films from the Jurassic World ‘reboot’ series. Both of which have led to the final instalment in the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion. But is the film worth seeing?
Set four years after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom where several dinosaurs were sold to criminals and the rest escaped Lockwood Estate, these prehistoric creatures now roam the planet. Not only are most of them running freely and safely in forests, but there is also a lucrative black market for these animals. Governments around the world have put their trust in bioengineering firm, Biosyn, to rescue these animals to transport them to a sanctuary where they are free to roam.
After discovering she is a clone at the end of the previous film, Masie Lockhart (Isabella Sermon) is living in exile along with Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard). With Biosyn searching for Masie for research purposes, Owen and Claire are doing their best as pseudo parents to protect her.
Meanwhile elsewhere, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is investigating the emergence of newer prehistoric creatures and their impact on the greater ecosystem. Her investigations lead her to a reunion with Alan Grant (Sam Neill). After a tip off from Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), the pair find themselves visiting Biosyn to gather evidence of this new threat to life on Earth.
You would think the return of the original trio of Dern, Neill and Goldblum would mean that the third and final film would hold up against the original. Sadly, it is far from it. If anything, Dominion is the weakest film of the whole franchise and is only slightly enhanced by their appearance. There are essentially two storylines here that are thrust together in a seemingly happy coincidence. It was extremely predictable and not nearly as exciting as the previous films. There are only one or two redeeming qualities of the film, and this resides in two of the characters.
Whilst all those previously mentioned were okay on screen and did the best that they could with the script, it was the portrayal of the Dr. Wu by BD Wong that stood out. Wu has been a recurring character throughout the franchise and his appearance in Dominion is by far the strongest. BD Wong is absolutely fantastic, and the evolution of his character in the film had me empathising with him the most.
I would also like to give a shout out to Campbell Scott for his portrayal of another returning character and main villain in Dr. Lewis Dodgson. Scott put on an impressive performance of a super-rich guy that is running a shady operation. Although, I could not help but picture him as Apple CEO, Tim Cook. When you see the film, you will see what I mean.
So, is the final instalment in the Jurassic franchise worth seeing? Well, if you are a Jurassic Park fan like me, by all means, go and see the film. The only reason it is worth seeing is so that you can complete the franchise. If you are not a huge fan of the films, nor a completionist, then you can give this one a miss as it isn’t really anything special and is extremely forgettable. If anything, you will most likely be disappointed by the beloved film franchise’s weak conclusion.
With all the great films I have seen this year, Jurassic World: Dominion is by far the weakest. Most films make me want to see them again and again, but Jurassic World: Dominion is not one of them.
Whilst it was great to see the original trio on-screen together again, this film still left me disappointed. There are so many plot points and themes in this film that are completely ridiculous and unbelievable, making Dominion a plague (pun intended) on the Jurassic franchise.
For the curious, the completionists, dinosaur enthusiasts, or those that just want to inhale popcorn in a dark room to a mediocre flick, Jurassic World: Dominion is for you. The film opens in cinemas around Australia on Thursday, 9th June.