Jurassic World Dominion opened strong at both the domestic and international box-office, but it let down most critics performing with the lowest rating consensus of the franchise. It is seen as a film that does not spark with the same flame of the original Jurassic Park, especially when it saw the return of its main principal cast. But, would it be fair to expect that from Dominion?
The Jurassic franchise was destined to eventually get a major change. The idea of humans being chased by dinosaurs on an island in every chapter had to end at some point. When Fallen Kingdom proposed countering that idea by releasing dinosaurs into the world and further exploring the implications of genetic research, the premise went in a new direction. Now, Dominion is here to prove that the franchise has changed forever, but remains strong in balancing nostalgia with evolution.
Jurassic Park opened almost three decades ago, and it changed cinema forever. It presented unprecedented visual effects, a story that echoed into society while mixing horror with adventure, and a legacy that would inspire many other filmmakers' work. To try to match or top that would be an incredible challenge, so to continue a franchise that has so many fans around the world would mean drawing a line of development from its original take. Filmmakers understood that, so The Lost World and Jurassic Park III worked within what was previously established by Jurassic Park as audiences were already familiar with the dangers of escaped dinosaurs.
When Jurassic World premiered in 2015, audiences were drawn to theaters by a mix of nostalgia and novelty. Director Colin Trevorrow combined a story based on the original Jurassic Park, which was both a continuation and a reboot. The fact that it'd been 14 years since the last film, and that Jurassic World starred Chris Pratt, who became a prominent actor during that time, certainly helped boost its box-office numbers. It earned an impressive $1.67 billion worldwide. Moviegoers were still craving for dinosaurs, but the format needed a change.
There isn’t much connecting the mood of the first Jurassic Park to the fast-paced thrill of Dominion, besides the return of familiar characters and a few well-structured nods. It’s not about an old man’s obsession with playing god, but how genetic modification can irreversibly change our future. Ian Malcom’s motto, “Life finds a way”, serves the narrative as well as the real-world implications of an evolving franchise. And both Fallen Kingdom and Dominion are proof of that. If anything, the franchise could only evolve like every other franchise, to match our world.
To expect Dominion to measure up to Jurassic Park would be the same as to expect that suddenly our world could regress to prior standards of living. You can’t deny evolution as much as you can’t expect any film to repeat the feat of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece. Jurassic World worked in 2015 because it knew how to bring the franchise into the 21st Century, and Dominion is the apotheosis of that evolution. The faster moviegoers accept this idea, the more they will value Dominion just by sitting back, relaxing and enjoying a ride never before experienced in the franchise.
Jurassic World Dominion is currently playing in theaters.