After six movies the Jurassic era comes to it conclusion with this epic final installment in the multi-billion dollar franchise. ‘Dominion’ is a hefty watch, a two-and-a-half-hour-plus monster epic which sadly doesn’t quite satisfy despite its huge ambition.
It’s safe to say that there is a lot going on in Jurassic World Dominion and the film really does take its time in setting the scene and this continuation of the story up – the first hour, in fact. Recapping from the last movie, the world is now living alongside dinosaurs. They’re literally everywhere, from the oceans to the skies and, obviously starting to claim lives. However, the world has adjusted to this new way of being, and as well as people doing good to protect species, there are those attempting to capitalise on it. Specifically, there’s a probable billionaire – a familiar-looking Campbell Scott as Dr. Lewis Dodgson, head of Biosyn Genetics, whose intentions in the public eye might not match what’s going on behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) are still together living in a mountain wilderness keeping now fourteen-year-old Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) largely isolated on their farm to protect her from kidnapping – her DNA extremely valuable to all and sundry. Claire is helping with the effort to make sure dinosaurs are ushered into the right environments for their own wellbeing, while Owen is doing the same. He’s also looking out for his mate, Blue, the friendly ‘raptor who is still around and who too has managed to have an offspring.
Then there are the legacy characters, Ellie Sadler (Laura Dern), Alan Grant (Sam Neill), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), back in the franchise for the first time in two decades (save for Goldblum’s brief cameo in the last film). They’ve got their own individual things going on, Sadler investigating the intentions of some genetically modified locusts, Goldblum teaching and consulting at Biosyn, and Grant, well, pretty much doing what he was doing at the beginning of the very first movie – dusting for fossils in Utah.
As the film progresses, the various subplots and characters obviously come together, but there is oodles of stuff to get through before then. There are some pretty decent action sequences, naturally, but they are few and far between at least for the first act. Things really take off when the story reaches the streets of Valletta in Malta where we are treated to one of the best action sequences of the franchise. This has more of a Bourne or Bond vibe to it than a ‘Jurassic’ movie, and really did have me on the edge of my seat throughout. This is where we are introduced to DeWanda Wise as Kayla Watts, a former Air Force pilot and easily the best character and performance in this new movie.
Sadly there are more troughs than peaks. There’s simply too much going on with the story jumping around all over the place continuously. It’s confusing to say the least and, in the end, I just sat there twiddling my thumbs waiting for the next big action sequence which, past that first hour, wasn’t too far away, thankfully.
Despite there being lots of dino action and the film largely delivering what the masses would have come to expect, I couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied with the end result. The culmination of a near thirty-year-old franchise that redefined the blockbuster genre, I wanted more and, in summer where you’ve got the likes of Top Gun: Maverick flying high and hitting all the right notes, this is miles away from anything like that.
That’s not to say it’s a bad movie entirely. It is a popcorn movie full of spectacle that will no doubt please the majority of lovers of the series, especially the younger members of the audience, and, no doubt take a colossal amount of cash at the box office. I was just looking for more.
Jurassic World Dominion is in cinemas from 10th June.
Jurassic World Dominion
Summary
Slow in places but big in spectacle when it wants to be, this third movie in the series is a feast for the eyes but ultimately left us unsatisfied.
