“Is it possible for humans and dinosaurs to coexist?” Jurassic World Dominion’s lone question is a last-ditch attempt to milk the nostalgia gold bestowed to it by Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic Jurassic Park. The third instalment brings back the beloved franchise’s OG trio – Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, and Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcom – with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their roles as raptor trainer Owen Grady and former Jurassic World park manager Claire Dearing. Is the film’s conclusion, however, on par with that of a dinosaur? Let’s see what we can find out!

Jurassic World Dominion takes set four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, with two parallel narratives merging at Biosyn Genetics, a corporate dinosaur laboratory with malevolent ambitions of an oncoming ecological disaster. Dinosaurs now coexist with humans, and a little cloned human named Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) is kidnapped by Biosyn Genetics CEO Dr. Lewis Dodgson’s (Campbell Scott) goons because she is “valuable intellectual property.” Owen and Claire, Maisie’s adoptive parents, go on a globe-trotting odyssey to save her, facing terrible dinosaurs and cunning people. Maisie is intrigued by her enigmatic origins and family history. Gnarly, massive locusts, on the other hand, represent a severe threat as they wipe away crop fields, threatening a global famine.

The locust outbreak, which has ties to Biosyn, brings Ellie and Alan back together, along with Ian, who has intimate knowledge of the nefarious business. As one might assume, the past and present collide to untangle the Biosyn mess, while the dinosaurs become hunkier and nastier than ever imagined. Steven Spielberg expertly interweaved the terrifying dinosaur danger with emotionally complex characters in Jurassic Park. Colin Trevorrow, on the other hand, fails to capitalise on either in Jurassic World Dominion. The dinosaurs, who deserve to be the ultimate tourist attraction, are overshadowed by a bloated plot that offers plenty of thrills but at the cost of a soul.

When it comes to the performances in Jurassic World Dominion, it’s the original trio who bring some much-needed energy to a chaos-driven tale, especially Jeff Goldblum, who continues to steal the show with his dry humour remarks. Laura and Sam maintain their endearing chemistry, but Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard’s relationship, as well as their close-up shots, feels skewed throughout. The duo works hard to make you care about Owen and Claire, but the character development is almost non-existent. They never emerge as the hero of the story that is supposed to be about them! Isabella Sermon, likewise, suffers from a lacklustre concept, while Campbell Scott’s shady Steve Jobs-like villain is hilarious. Dr. Henry Wu is played by BD Wong, and dinosaur smuggler Soyona Santos is played by Dichen Lachman. Surprisingly, it’s series newbies Kayla Watts as Han Solo-rescue pilot DeWanda Wise and Ramsay Cole as Biosyn Head of Communications Mamoudou Athie that pique our interest with their intriguing characters.

With a cash cow in their hands, Jurassic World Dominion writers Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly take the Jurassic Park franchise’s devoted following for granted. The movie plays more like an action-thriller than a riveting sci-fi movie about dinosaurs, taking obvious inspiration from other big franchise players like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond, and countless others. Furthermore, the plot overuses the nostalgia theme, which may alienate new fans while OG loyalists continue to demonstrate their support. It’s the polar opposite of what Spider-Man: No Way Home gave its audience, focusing on fan service rather than a compelling past-meets-present story. Regardless, don’t be surprised if Jurassic World Dominion becomes a box office smash!

When it comes to action sequences in Jurassic World Dominion, the explosive adventure in Malta is a definite “edge of your seat” highlight, with Owen and Claire racing to the finish line in motorcycles and pickup trucks while facing horrific dinosaurs and awful humans. It’s here that you see the ramifications of a possible co-existence between humans and dinosaurs, with the latter being displayed to the former’s whims and fancies in the guise of a brutal black market set-up. There are a few of these sequences, but the momentum is short-lived, and the confusing plot is wholly to blame. It never delves deeply into the “co-existence” issue, as promised in prior instalments. While the CGI dinosaurs are more elegantly rendered this time around, something to marvel at especially, the anticipated duel is lacklustre at best, with T-Rex and Giganotosaurus, an even more carnivorous threat.

In the end, Jurassic World Dominion is a forgettable ‘extinct’ conclusion to a renowned saga. “Life manages to find a way.” Unfortunately, Jurassic World Dominion does not!

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