Jurassic World: Dominion

REVIEW:

The extended cut of Jurassic World: Dominion is the only version of this film you should be watching. Go buy the Blu-Ray and just ignore the theatrical cut. Fourteen extra minutes may not sound like much, but the added prologue and extra character beats genuinely enhance the film in ways that make the theatrical version feel hollow by comparison. The prologue, in particular, is the crown jewel, a breathtaking sequence set 65 million years ago where a T-Rex and Giganotosaurus battle before the infamous mosquito lands on the Rex. It is a clever, visually stunning nod to the very origins of the franchise and makes you wish Universal had the courage to make a feature-length film focusing solely on dinosaurs in their natural environment.

On paper, Dominion had all the right ingredients: the return of the legacy trio (Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm), Dodgson stepping back into the frame (albeit recast), Biosyn finally taking centre stage after years in the shadows, and a world still reeling from the fallout of dinosaurs being unleashed after Fallen Kingdom. That is the recipe for a bold, chaotic, and thrilling conclusion to the Jurassic saga. But somewhere along the way, the story pivots into strange territory and that is where things unravel.

The prologue sets expectations sky-high, and the film opens strongly. We see dinosaurs integrated into the black market, with hints of illegal breeding facilities and global trafficking, fertile ground for an exciting story about humans adapting to life with prehistoric predators. Then, inexplicably, the narrative shifts to giant locusts engineered by Biosyn to wipe out competing crops. This storyline feels like it belongs in an entirely different film. Jurassic fans wanted the chaos of dinosaurs co-existing with humans. Omar Sy even mentions underground dinosaur markets in regions across the globe. That is the story begging to be told, not insects the size of a large raccoon threatening the food chain.

That said, there are moments where Dominion shines. The Malta sequence is easily the standout set piece, a thrilling chase through narrow streets and rooftops as trained Atrociraptors hunt Owen and Claire. Blue and Beta’s connection to Owen’s cabin is another highlight, never fully explained, but emotionally resonant. Blue’s reduced screen time is a disappointment, but her bond with Owen remains quietly powerful. The decision to finally retcon Alan and Ellie’s relationship was also welcome, giving fans closure they had been hoping for since Jurassic Park III.

Visually, Dominion is often stunning. The franchise has always blended animatronics and CGI to varying degrees of success, but here, the imagery feels rich and memorable. Claire’s tense evasion of the Therizinosaurus in a swampy woodland plays like a survival horror sequence, primal and unsettling. The Dilophosaurus makes its long-awaited return, and there is a genuine spark when the legacy cast crosses paths with the new generation. These moments tap into the awe and nostalgia that the Jurassic franchise thrives on, even when the overarching story stumbles.

Unfortunately, not every character arc lands. Henry Wu’s redemption arc feels unearned, a rushed patchwork conclusion to a character whose role across the trilogy has been inconsistent at best. InGen’s absence since the first film remains baffling, especially given their last-minute rescue of Wu in Jurassic World. Dodgson’s portrayal also falls flat, his one-note performance as a heartless corporate villain pales in comparison to the more interesting antagonists the franchise has had before.

The finale delivers spectacle but falls short of greatness. The T-Rex versus Giganotosaurus showdown has all the right ingredients to be a franchise-defining moment but is too brief to carry the weight it needed. While the imagery of dinosaurs fleeing fire toward the Biosyn complex is visually powerful, the so-called “epic conclusion to the Jurassic era” never quite materialises. It is fun, it is loud, and it is exciting, but it never feels like the Endgame-level send-off the marketing promised.

I find myself conflicted with Dominion. On rewatch, especially in the extended cut, I enjoyed it more than I initially did, but I cannot shake the feeling that the film squandered its potential. There is more dinosaur action than the locust subplot might suggest, but that only begs the question: why include the locusts at all? As a spectacle, it delivers. As a conclusion, it wobbles. For a franchise that started with Jurassic Park, my all-time favourite film, this was not the epic finale I hoped for. But even with its flaws, Dominion still finds ways to entertain, and for that, I cannot fully dismiss it.