Wednesday, August 24, 2022

[Blu-ray Review]—Jurassic World Dominion (2022)


Jurassic World Dominion is now available in physical (4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD) and digital formats from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. It is the third and final installment in the Jurassic World trilogy, and the sixth overall in the series, which began in 1993 with Jurassic Park. (Adapted from Michael Crichton's thriller of the same name.) The Extended Edition includes both the 147-minute theatrical and the 160-minute extended versions of the film.

Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) returns to direct the film, which he co-wrote with Emily Carmichael (Pacific Rim: Uprising). Jurassic World Dominion debuted in Mexico City on May 23, 2022, and in the United States on June 10, 2022. Mainstream critics gave the film mixed to negative reviews, but it received an A-Cinemascore. It grossed $985.5 million at the box office against a budget of $165–185 million.

Blu-ray Bonus Content includes: 
  • EXTENDED VERSION – An extended cut of the film with 14 minutes of additional footage featuring more dinosaurs, action, iconic character moments, and an alternate opening.
  • BATTLE AT BIG ROCK – Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the short film takes place one year after the events of JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM in Big Rock National Park.
  • A NEW BREED OF VFX – VFX supervisor David Vickery and the magicians at ILM discuss the incredible visual effects work featured in JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION.
  • DINOSAURS AMONG US: INSIDE JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION
    • TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME Cast and filmmakers discuss the evolution of the franchise and the special union of characters from JURASSIC PARK and JURASSIC WORLD.
    • UNDERGROUND DINO MARKET- Join filmmakers for a tour of the amazing dino market set and discover how they brought it to life.
    • MAYHEM IN MALTA A behind-the-scenes look at the Atrociraptor rooftop chase and Owen’s harrowing motorcycle ride through the narrow streets and alleyways of Malta.
    • SCARY REAL
      • SPIT TAKE: THE RETURN OF THE DILOPHOSAURUS - Live-action dinosaurs supervisor John Nolan and his team reveal how they created the impressive Dilophosaurus animatronic.
      • INSIDE THE DIMETRODON Learn how the filmmaking team operated the terrifying Dimetrodon animatronic and hear from Laura Dern and Sam Neill on what it was like working with it.
      • CREATING A PLAGUE Laura Dern and Bryce Dallas Howard discuss the enormous locusts featured in JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION and the creature effects team reveals how they were created and deployed.
      • PASSING THE BATA..N Discover the craftsmanship behind the realistic-looking Beta animatronic and hear from Chris Pratt and Isabella Sermon on why they enjoyed working with it.
      • GIGA-BITE Go behind the scenes with the cast of JURASSIC WORLD DOMINIONas they are introduced to the biggest star of the film, the Giganotosaurus, for the very first time.
    • FINAL NIGHT - Witness the emotional final night of filming with the cast and crew of JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.




Final Thoughts


In 2018, I saw the previous film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, in theaters. I thought it was a total flop, and I lost interest in the franchise. Because Jurassic World Dominion received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, my hopes for the supposedly final sequel were low. The return of the stars of the original trilogy (Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum) wasn't enough to entice me to see Dominion in theaters. 

From start to finish, the film is a bloated mess with too many ideas that don't mesh. Seriously? Massive locusts? Is this the only way the filmmakers can connect all of the characters? Oh no, there's more. A baby velociraptor and the cloned Maise Lockwood are kidnapped. Why? I can only think of one explanation: plot convenience. The villain, Dr. Dodgson, had no use for the raptor or the cloned human. Dr. Wu (again played by BD Wong), who has no real power within Biosyn other than being a scientist, was the only person with any reason for the kidnapping. Dr. Wu was set up as the franchise's villain in the Jurassic World films, but for whatever reason, the writers decided to recast him as an antihero. LOL! There was nothing but bad writing.

Despite their negative reviews, most critics praised the visuals. I'm thinking in the opposite direction right now. The CGI didn't really impress me. Yes, there were occasions when the dinosaurs appeared to be lifelike. After that, subsequent sequences appeared cheap, particularly the hasty and unsatisfying Giganotosaurus vs. Tyrannosaurus (and Therizinosaurus) conclusion.

The extended version is 13 minutes longer than the theatrical version. The original planned first five minutes (a preview on IMAX in 2021) have been restored. The remaining scenes are minor character moments that have no bearing on the plot.

Simply put, Jurassic World Dominion is a mindless CGI extravaganza featuring a cast of endearing characters doing foolishly-written nonsense. Please search elsewhere if you're hoping for a thought-provoking science fiction thriller. It resembles the Fast & Furious and Jumanji movies more than the original Jurassic Park. If that's your thing, you might find ample entertainment in this cloned dinosaur adventure. -- ★★½✰✰


2 comments:

  1. I probably don't even remember Fallen Kingdom that clearly. I remember being fairly unimpressed. I'm so disappointed to hear about this. I don't get the locust thing either (I knew about it because I spoiled myself reading somereviews and comments). And not to get to off on a tangent but this makes me wonder- didn't colin Trevorrow get dropped from Star Wars? Maybe there was a reason. I hate to be mean spirited but...

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    Replies
    1. Fallen Kingdom's problem is that it crammed two stories into one film. The first half of the film revolved around their efforts to save the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar from an impending volcano eruption. The second half focused on the surviving dinosaurs housed in Lockwood's mansion's basement. There was also the subplot involving Lockwood's cloned granddaughter.

      Dominion is better compared to Fallen Kingdom, but it's nothing more than a series of mindless chase scenes with CGI dinosaurs. 

      Because of his commitment to Star Wars IX, Collin Trevorrow did not direct Fallen Kingdom. Even after several rewrites, it was reported that Lucasfilm didn't like Trevorrow's script, and he was later dropped from the film. Dual of the Fates, his script, was leaked online around the same time that Rise of Skywalker was released in theaters. 

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