3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Jurassic World Dominion’:

1. It was pure nostalgic joy to see the original cast together after all these years. Their chemistry is still magic, and they were _clearly_ the highlight of this film. I even liked the direction they went in with [spoiler]Grant and Ellie[/spoiler]. I was hoping for _that_ outcome since the beginning. We _JP_ fans are lucky to see our OG trio finally reunite.

2. Despite a few solid action scenes and some brief moments of greatness, this ultimately did not FEEL like a _Jurassic Park_ film, something the earlier sequels still managed to somewhat achieve. And that’s what bothers me the most. The first half felt very much like a _Mission: Impossible_ flick. I could have done with less espionage and over-the-top characters like Santos.

3. That plot didn’t deserve Ellie, Alan, and Ian. For a film that was meant to bring together two generations and serve as an epic Jurassic finale, it was sadly a fail. So many missed opportunities. There was no sense of true closure. No impactful full-circle moments. I tried explaining the storyline to my sister and it proved difficult. I may have lost her at kidnapped clones. All a bit forgettable. It wasn’t _terrible_, but it missed the mark for such a beloved franchise.

Bonus Thought: They should have stuck with the classic dinos. These hybrids left zero impact. And I would have been pissed off if [spoiler]T-Rex died in the end[/spoiler].

Extra Bonus Thought: Was it just me or was Dodgson terribly-acted with the worst dialogue? There were so many moments from him that fell so flat.

Extra Extra Bonus Thought: One blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment I appreciated was when the T-Rex walked behind a circular structure and provided a brief nod to the iconic _JP_ logo.

Jurassic World Dominion fails to impress as a dinosaur movie, as the plot seems to be a poor choice. The dinosaurs are present but not the main focus, giving the impression that they are only there to extend the franchise. Even the inclusion of Alan Grant seems to be more for nostalgic purposes than contributing to the story. Chris Pratt's character also appears to be underutilized and serves more as a prop rather than a leading character.

The camera work in the movie is particularly shoddy, with cuts from one angle to another creating confusion, especially in fast-paced scenes like the one in Malta. The depiction of Malta in the movie is also disappointing, with the country portrayed as a dirty, third-world Arabic nation covered in desert sand, which is not an accurate representation of the country. The use of Arabic style music in the background also seems out of place and unnecessary.

Overall, Jurassic World Dominion seems to be a movie that was made to extend the franchise rather than being a well-planned and executed story. It is disappointing that a franchise that should have stopped by the third installment continues to churn out mediocre movies. Although the movie is not a complete disaster, it falls short of being an enjoyable watch.

Additionally, the length of the movie seems to be excessive, and the dragging plot does not help in holding the audience's attention. The story's predictability adds to the monotony, leaving little to surprise or engage the viewers.

As if to acknowledge the franchise's overreliance on gimmicks and sequels, Ian Malcolm's line, "Jurassic World? Not a fan," serves as a meta-commentary on the movie itself. It is a nod to the fans who have been disappointed by the franchise's recent offerings, and unfortunately, Jurassic World Dominion does little to change that sentiment. 5/10

The course of the modern series of Jurassic Park films has become completely different from the old series, lost in the wind and far from the path of success. The story has become weak and lacks events that attract the viewer, and illogical imagination has been introduced excessively, which we are not used to in the old series.

With _Jurassic World Dominion_, a _Jurassic World_ film where dinosaurs are now free and interacting with the modern world shouldn’t feel this long-winded or this tiresome. There are a few action sequences that are worthwhile and Jeff Goldblum has a few great one-liners (“You made a promise to a dinosaur?”), but the film is a monumental disappointment overall.

The film has already made over $415 million at the worldwide box office, so the interest in the franchise is still there. But the chemistry between the cast is almost non-existent and it feels like the film is running on fumes as it tries to offer something new from what is otherwise dried up fossil fuel. If the _Jurassic Park/Jurassic World_ franchise is to continue, it desperately needs to go in a refreshing and unseen direction. Now that all of the nostalgia is out of the way, fans deserve a refreshing and unique adventure over what is otherwise a glorified rehash.

**Full review:** https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Jurassic-World-Dominion-2022-Review-You-Cant-Squeeze-Fun-From-a-Fossil

**_The Jurassic Park protagonists come together in Marvel’s Savage Land, minus Ka-Zar_**

As dinosaurs freely roam the Earth, Owen & Claire (Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard) seek to find their kidnapped adopted daughter (Isabella Sermon), which takes them to Malta and then a remote dinosaur preserve in the Dolomite Mountains of northeastern Italy. Meanwhile Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant (Laura Dern and Sam Neill) have serious concerns about the remote facility wherein they reunite with Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum).

"Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022) isn’t great like the previous “Fallen Kingdom” (2018) and is arguably the least of the second trilogy. There are some Indiana Jones elements in the Malta segment and James Bond bits at the technologically advanced lair in the mountains, both of which I appreciate.

Yet I strangely never bought the characters as real people. They always struck me as actors performing according to a contrived script, which tries too hard to check the diversity boxes. Still, there’s certainly enough here to entertain if you’re interested in a dinosaur-oriented sci-fi adventure.

The film runs 2 hours, 27 minutes, with the Extended Version running just over 12 minutes longer (I viewed the latter). The primary shooting locations include British Columbia, Malta, Hawaii and the UK (Pinewood Studios).

GRADE: B-/C+