Jurassic World Dominion Review

Disclosure: I attended a screening of this film.

A baby Nasutoceratops, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

There’s something that just feels right about retreating to a dark movie theater and cozying into your seat. The popcorn on my lap always tells me it’s time to get lost in a story for the next two hours. The experience is something I’ve missed. Jurassic World Dominion is the perfect film to celebrate a return to the theater with.

Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are together again, exploring how life has found a way. Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt return as well and DeWanda Wise joins as a new cast member. Wise is a fantastic addition and we need more strong, Black, female characters like hers. Seeing the original and new trilogy casts together is the apex of the franchise.

This film is the sixth in the chain. The original Jurassic Park movie debuted in 1993 followed by The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997 and Jurassic Park 3 in 2001. The more recent dino resurgence kicked off in 2015 with Jurassic World. Then came Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in 2018. Jurassic World Dominion picks up in a whole new time.

Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) and Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

In Jurassic World Dominion, the dinosaurs are living among us, almost peacefully, in secluded parts of society. Genetics gone wrong is another theme and perfectly intertwines with hints at some of today’s real world issues. Though there’s suspense, action and all kinds of crazy situations to escape, much of the Jurassic films still feel fun to me. I’m a grown woman and, outlandish as dinosaurs among us may be, I still need funny one liners to lighten it up a little. This girl can only take so much tension in a film. Dominion has humor from beginning to end, reminding the audience laughter is part the series’ D.N.A.

Jurassic fans will love the nods to the original film. Something I look forward to in every one of these movies is seeing what kind of ridiculous run ins they’ll have with these creatures and the creative ways they’ll escape. Along with new and returning characters, there are new and returning dinosaurs. It’s refreshing to hear one of the old themes slip into the score. Do you ever just think about how John Williams wrote some of the most beautiful music of all time for a movie about a dinosaur theme park? Because I do. I’ve got a sweet little John Williams station going on Pandora that knows Jurassic Park tunes are always getting a thumbs up from me.

My husband says even though Steven Spielberg didn’t direct this film, they went to some very Steven Spielberg locales and I agree. It’s the kind of movie you’ll talk about all the way home. Jurassic World Dominion is thrilling, silly and a prehistoric blast. See it in theaters beginning June 10th.