What to Watch Verdict
Jurassic World: Dominion teams nostalgic moments and some thrilling new dinosaurs to put an emotional end to the much-loved franchise.
Pros
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It was great to see the original trio back!
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Exciting new dinosaurs like the Giganotosaurus and Pyroraptor get their time to shine
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Michael Giacchino's score elevates the film
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Gorgeous CGI that's best experienced on the big screen
Cons
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A bit longer than it needed to be
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Some pacing issues in the first act that could've been tighter
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The key focus is taken away from the dinosaurs in favour of a subplot at times
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It's predictable in places, but it's still fun to watch
Jurassic World: Dominion is the conclusion to the much-loved Jurassic franchise that has delighted fans around the world since the 1990s, and long-time fans get plenty of nostalgia as we answer the big question: can dinosaurs really co-exist among humans?
Following the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, dinosaurs are now living in the wild instead of being contained in enclosures, something that causes numerous problems and divides public opinion.
In Jurassic World: Dominion we follow Maisie Lockwood, a clone of Benjamin Lockwood's daughter that he originally raised as his granddaughter. In the previous film, she released dinosaurs on the U.S. mainland, and when we see her this time she has been adopted by Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) who hide her "for her own safety".
Maisie isn't too happy about this, of course, and she ends up rebelling against Claire and Owen, something that puts her in danger when she's kidnapped by an unknown group of mercenaries who take her to a scientific facility called BioSyn. Maisie is kidnapped alongside a young raptor, who is revealed to be the daughter of Blue from the original Jurassic World film, and it's up to Claire and Owen to rescue them both.
BioSyn serves as the main location for this film, as it's also where Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) happens to be lecturing and fans will be pleased to know that this beloved character gets a lot more screen time here than he did in Fallen Kingdom! On top of this, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) reunite after the former finds a weird-looking locust that has been attacking crops, and the two head to BioSyn to seek answers.
It's the reunion Jurassic Park fans have been waiting for and it delivers, even though it takes a little while for the three of them to share the same scene, but when they do it's a welcome dose of nostalgia that takes us right back to the beginning, especially since BioSyn is headed up by Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott) who fans will know from the original trilogy.
The original Jurassic Park trio's return is definitely a highlight, but they aren't the only new additions to the Jurassic World series as this film also brings in some brand new dinosaurs which are certainly crowd pleasers, including the huge 14 foot Giganotosaurus that's even bigger than the famous T-Rex!
We also have a new character, Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise), a former Air Force pilot who aids Owen and Claire on their mission after learning the location of Maisie, and she brings her own wit and badass abilities to the rescue mission while they encounter prehistoric creatures along the way.
While there are some heart pounding dinosaur chase scenes, and the CGI is gorgeous and really brings these creatures to life, sadly there could have been more focus on them instead of drawing out the subplots longer than they needed to be. However, the addition of new dinosaurs big and small is still fun to watch but it would've been even better if we'd been with them a little longer.
Pacing wise, the film could have benefited from being a little tighter, especially when it came down to the first act but when it gets going it's a thrilling ride especially once Claire and Owen catch up to Dr. Malcolm, Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler. Seeing the main characters from both parts of the Jurassic franchise felt like a fitting end and it was a nice way to tie the two together.
Some fans may find the film predictable and it isn't hard to see what direction it's going in, but it's highly entertaining and you can expect classic Ian Malcolm quips, loud dinosaurs and action sequences that feel like they're straight out of a James Bond or Indiana Jones film at times, before coming to a heartwarming conclusion.
Best experienced on a big, loud screen so you can properly enjoy Michael Giacchino's score and the roars of the dinosaurs, Jurassic World: Dominion doesn't do anything revolutionary but it's an entertaining cinema visit and concludes the saga in an emotional way you might need tissues for!
Jurassic World: Dominion hits cinemas on June 10. Check out our new movies in 2022 guide for more films coming soon.
