Film Review: "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022).

"The epic conclusion of the Jurassic era." This is Jurassic World: Dominion. This science fiction action film directed by Colin Trevorrow, written by Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael and based on the characters created by Michael Crichton. It is the sequel to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), the final film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and the sixth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. The film takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

In February 2018, before the release of Fallen Kingdom, Universal announced a third film, known then as Jurassic World 3, with Trevorrow as director and co-writer with Carmichael and a June 11, 2021 release date. In March, Trevorrow was confirmed to direct the film after he left directing and writing duties on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in September 2017. By late February 2020, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill were confirmed to reprise their roles from both the Jurassic World and Jurassic Park films, with DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Campbell Scott, Scott Haze, and Dichen Lachman rounded out the film's cast as newcomers. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early November. Filming took place throughout British Columbia, Canada and Malta, and at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. The film was shot under the working title Arcadia and on a combination of 35mm film, 65mm film, and VistaVision. The production utilised more animatronic dinosaurs than the previous Jurassic World films. Approximately eighteen animatronics of varying sizes were created for the film. In March, the production was put on hiatus in as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A decision on when to resume production was originally expected within several weeks. Following the delay, the filmmakers saved time by doing post-production work on the footage that was already shot. Most of these scenes featured dinosaurs, allowing the visual effects team to get started on the creatures. In early July, filming resumed. But, in early October, filming was partially halted after several people tested positive for COVID-19.

The film stars an ensemble cast that includes Pratt, Howard, Sy, Sermon, Smith, Pineda, Dern, Goldblum, Neill, Wise, Athie, Scott, Haze, and Lachman. The returning cast were terrific choices once again for the film and they once again prove why they deserve to be in this blockbuster. The same goes for the new cast members.

The latest installment to Spielberg's clever, scary franchise is even less necessary than all the borderline nonsensical (but still pretty entertaining) follow-ups. Almost all of the magic of cinematic dinosaurs is gone, even though further attempts are made to increase the magnitude and intensity of gargantuan reptiles on the loose.

Simon says Jurassic World: Dominion receives:

Also, see my reviews for Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.