If ever there is a film trilogy that needed to be wrapped up it’s Jurassic World. It’s one of those rare series that didn’t understand itself and missed the mark. However, Jurassic World Domination is still a fun action-packed and heart-felt film worthy of the big screen.
The last time we were in the Jurassic World was some 4 years ago dinosaurs were taken from the island and transported to the mainland to be sold to the highest bidder. As expected they escaped and the world as we know had to adapt to live with them.
During this time we meet a young girl, Maisie Lockwood. The granddaughter of Benjamin Lockwood who was Hammond’s business partner. As it turns out Maisie holds very special DNA which will be highly sought after and dangerous in the wrong hands.
Jump to current Jurassic World day and Maisie is living with Claire and Owen in the Forest doing their best to keep a low profile to protect Maisie.
Alas, Maisie is kidnapped and sent to a research facility in the Italian Dolomites. It’s supposed to be a sanctuary for dinosaurs to keep them contained and safe. What we do know is the Sanctuary is run by a questionable organisation BioSyn. They also happen to have created a mutant crop-destroying locust that doesn’t eat BioSyn crops. The locusts are decimating food supplies and the world as we know it is on the brink of collapse.
In an attempt to save Maisie, Claire and Owen find Dr. Henry Wu the mastermind behind everything that has ever gone wrong in modern-day dinosaurs. He explains the only way he can fix his colossal mistake with the locusts is to understand Maisie’s DNA.
Jurassic World Domination marks the final in the trilogy along with Jurassic World and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. If you can cast your mind back to Jurassic World some 7 years ago it was a wonderful welcome back to Jurassic Park. Visually, technology had caught up and the dinosaurs looked even more life-like. It was fun, exciting and big. The trilogy trailed off very quickly after. Sure, these are blockbuster films worthy of the big screen. But what was the point? I’ll tell you, there isn’t. 
This film is a very clear example of where something once popular is having a resurgence. And for a studio, why not cash in on it. But this was not the right story to bring us back to the world of dinosaurs. Domination could have been a great stand-alone film not affiliated with the franchise. Dinosaurs on the mainland. Or a girl with special DNA.
If we just focus on Jurassic World Domination, the film didn’t feel like it really truly knew its journey aside from the whole DNA from a little girl to save the day theme. But when you combine, another failed dinosaur park, dinosaurs on the mainland and a little girl with life-saving DNA it’s a colossal mess. The draw for this film is the cast.
Bringing back the original cast to meet the new is a major pull for the film that might have otherwise been a bit flat. It opened it up for a lot of throwbacks or nods to the original but also created a wealth of comedic opportunities for the original and new cast to drop the same lines or at the same time or offer some advice from some sticky situations from the original park.
The film comes under the helm of director Colin Trevorrow. He also directed Jurassic World back in 2015. That’s also the biggest movie he’s directed to date, which is very trusting of the studio to give so early in his career.
The performances by the new cast, the likes of Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt is a standard performances. Nothing noteworthy in any of their scenes. Not to say they didn’t do a great job, there’s just nothing special about their performances. The original cast, on the other hand, is the performances to steal the show.
Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill as Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm bring back their charming characters albeit a little wiser than the original Jurassic Park films. Their chemistry on-screen with each other is as strong as it was back in the 90s. They also have a wealth of skills to be able to hold their own and create new chemistry with the new cast.
The biggest pull of the Jurassic Park and World films is the visual effects. It’s a big pull for a lot of the audience to feel as if you’re living amongst the dinosaurs. If you’re to compare the first Jurassic Park film to the latest Jurassic World film, technology has come a long way. For the most part, the CGI is outstanding even in the close-ups. There are however some scenes where the demand from the CGI and the green screen is too much and it becomes rather obvious in particular in the scene where Owen and Kayla are fending off a dinosaur on the frozen lake.
Overall, Jurassic World Domination is a worthwhile film to see on the big screen for its big effects and action. Seeing the original cast join the new and all the nods to the original films is a nice trip down memory lane. However, that’s as far as it goes for enjoyment. The storyline is weak and seemingly lost but if you lower all expectations it is worth your time.
