Too much plot. Too many dinosaurs. But somehow it works.
(This is not a production still)
Premise
There are two main stories in this film, united by the fact the dinosaurs now roam the earth in competition with man and his environment, and by an evil Biosyn Corporation which schemes genetic atrocities.
In the first story Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have a daughter, who they seek to protect because in reality she is a genetic clone. Adventure calls when she is kidnapped along with the baby of Blue, Chris Pratt’s semi-tame velociraptor.
In the second story Laura Dern inveigles Sam Neill into helping her track down the source of some enormous locusts which threaten to destroy the planet’s food-sources (all that is except the ones genetically engineered by Biosyn).
The stories come together at the end when all the chief protagonists of both the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises unexpectedly meet in a face off against the malevolent proprietor of Biosyn.
It works. Just.
Opinion
It looks from the opening weekend grosses that audiences are predisposed to overlook the flaws in this film. After all, what people want from a dinosaur film is dinosaurs, and that is what you get in spades. The CGI is near exemplary, an exercise in perfection, and perhaps if there is a real winner here it is this.
That said, it is interesting to speculate whether this would have been a better film if Colin Trevorrow hadn’t been director, writer, producer and executive producer. Who did he have to second guess him? Who did he have to bounce ideas off? I’ve heard of hyphenates but that is ridiculous. Better a truly collaborative venture than this prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner affair.
Jurassic Park Dominion lacks two things. It lacks the wow moment akin to the reveal of the brontosaurus in Jurassic Park. And, until about two thirds of the way into the film it lacks the feel of a Jurassic World/Park effort. At one point, during the Malta sequence, I even wondered had I wandered into a James Bond film. Or, given the “Cantina” feel of one of the scenes, an out-take from Star Wars.
The reason for this is because Trevorrow chooses to do the same thing that ALIEN COVENANT did with ALIEN. In ALIEN we barely see the monster, only the odd adrenaline-fuelled glimpse, so that we are fascinated and intrigued to know what it looks like. In ALIEN COVENANT, however, we almost immediately see a full anatomical cinematic description of the alien. So, the mystique – the wonder – immediately vanishes.
It's the same with JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION. Almost from the off we see full shots of dinosaurs – lots of dinosaurs – so the mystique and wonder is lost. Conflict scenes also arguably resolve too early so there’s also a sense of loss of general tension that is only recovered about two thirds of the way into the film in the jungle sequences.
That said, JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION is overall an enjoyable watch. Solid performances from the whole ensemble make it a memorable movie for Jurassic Park/World fans, with lots of self-referential moments where expectations are sometimes turned on their heads.
The ending is satisfying, too, and the plots of the two stories efficiently intertwine at last to justify their risk in the same film.
There is indeed no brontosaurus moment in JURASSIC PARK DOMINION; but there is a moment involving Chris Pratt at the end which makes up for that. It brought a tear to my eye. I won’t spoil it but look out for it. In movie terms is a great example of how a short scene without dialogue can paint a thousand words.
Conclusion
An enjoyable movie with flaws that has so many dinosaurs it’s hard to know on the whole which is which and which ones to root for.
The critics have been quite hard on this film, and Empire (which I greatly respect) only gave it three stars. I’m going to stick my neck out and give it four if only because of the joy of the ensemble cast and the magnificence of the near flawless CGI.
If JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION were a bowl of stew, to watch it is to dunk your head into it completely. It may not be the most subtle or perfect experience, but you know you’ve watched a movie.
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