Once More, with Squealing
By Mark Fields
The purported finale of the Jurassic saga, Jurassic World: Dominion is the cinematic equivalent of a premium roller coaster. There is a story (or at least a premise), but everyone knows, filmmakers included, that we are there primarily for the thrills. A good thing, because the story is desultory at best and the “science” behind this science fiction fantasy film is laughable if not downright ridiculous. But no matter, there are adventures to spare in director Colin Trevorrow’s culminating movie, provided not only by the fantastically detailed and realistic CGI dinos, but also by the nostalgic return of the trio of original Jurassic Park stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, re-united for the first time since 1993. This sequel suffers from many of the same maladies that curse most follow-up franchise films: the unavoidable urge to ramp up the excitement, the ever-growing cast of characters, and tons of backstory that has to be explained or re-explained. But no matter, the special effects and parade of new dinosaur species keeps us sufficiently entertained to set these qualms aside for a few hours of unapologetic roller-coaster thrillseeking.
