A definition of dominion is a human’s attempt to control nature. Now imagine having to control nature filled with dinosaurs. This question has been an ethical conundrum since Jurassic Park was released, over five movies and almost 30 years ago in real-time. The final entry to the current trilogy in the Jurassic World Series, Dominion, sets out to combine everything that built this current world with the foundations of the originals in a climactic finale. Thanks to Universal Pictures, we at MKAU got an early screening and there is a lot to unpack in this Tyrannosaurus-sized blockbuster.

The front of the current franchise sees the return of Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), this time as a more put-together and mature pair, but this character growth isn’t a run-of-the-mill progression. It has been influenced by attempting to create a safe harbour for Maisie (Isabella Sermon) whose existence alone creates a whole host of moral implications. These characters, however, wouldn’t have a platform to perform on if it weren’t for the foundation created by those that came before them.

The big three from the original film, Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Ellie Sattler (Laura Derm), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), all collide to actively contribute to this film, rather than be paraded around for a boost of nostalgia. As a kid from the 90’s with a fond memory of the original films, I was fully committed to keeping them in my memories, as to preserve what they represented, even if that meant not bringing them back at all.

Whether it was an active course correction after dramatically underutilizing Jeff Goldblum in the last film, combined with misleading advertisement, their involvement was a natural evolution of where they would have left off, with goals, ideals, and motivations that lead them directly into the path of the younger generation.

With quite a few characters to juggle, we face the challenge of sharing the screen time between them all, including the dinosaurs as well. As such, the opening acts of the film will load your plate up with a fair bit to digest early on. Wanting to maintain the more action-oriented beats of Jurassic World and Fallen Kingdom, both Owen and Claire blast onto the screen in their own daring set pieces that sees them riding the edge of recklessness. Scraping by the skin of their teeth, both characters get to show they still got it, and that they were willing and able to lay it all on the line for what they believe in.

While the young Maisie struggles with her own identity at a sequestered hut on the snowy hillside, her inner turmoil over the revelation that she was cloned still haunts her after her escape in Fallen Kingdom. This is the driving force that sees the three characters interact in compassionate, reactive, and sometimes compulsive acts, but all of it is founded on love for one another. I was worried at one point, as these opening acts all pointed towards a direction I felt would have been a bit too preposterous, even for a film with dinosaurs walking the earth again.

Early interaction with the dark, seedy underbelly of the black market for dinosaur dealings gave a bit of a cheesy action movie vibe; a feeling as if they were trying to artificially raise the stakes. This was where the intertwining storylines of Alan and Ellie became integral to grounding the story in a setting much closer to the original trilogy. As activists and experts in their field, they assimilate their way into the too good to be true haven of Biosyn.

After back-to-back set pieces that see our young heroes escape imminent death with some ‘on the nose’ strokes of luck, both storylines converge around Maisie, with the secrets of her DNA being the ticket to humanity’s salvation.

Throughout the film there remains one constant; that being there are plenty of dinosaurs ready to rip and tear at any given moment. Interestingly enough, this was both the highest and lowest points of the film with varying degrees of emotional investment. In one instance, there were some spine-tingling moments in claustrophobic or dark environments that haven’t been matched since the original film.

In other moments they were so dramatically over the top and always managing to miss the target by inches, over and over until I felt numb at the thought of them actually being a threat. Despite my feelings about the threat level, they were hands down the best looking they have ever been and blurred the lines of what was real and what was animatronic.

With all of the ups and downs and clashes of personalities, I was consistently engaged over the two and half hour run time. A healthy blend of new and old was made easier with an awe-inspiring musical score by Michael Giacchinno and a sprinkle of the original theme graciously woven into the set-piece and intimate moments gave nods to the roots of the franchise. It could have easily felt forced, but instead, it elevated the mood and gave a sense of comfort to long-time fans.

Jurassic World Dominion hits hard at its highest moments, yet didn’t leave me feeling content with the end of an era. Seeing the original cast off was a fitting end, yet lingering thoughts about what happens next still remain. If this truly is the end, then you will be in for a wild ride with larger-than-life characters and even bigger dinosaurs.

Written by: Shane Fletcher