Jurassic World Dominion review: ‘dismal’ script stifles Dern-Neill-Goldblum reunion
Disappointing sixth instalment of the dinosaur franchise is an ‘extinction-level event’
Last month, Tom Cruise showed the world exactly how you breathe “new cinematic life into a much loved old classic”, said Matthew Bond in The Mail on Sunday. But sadly, this sixth film in the Jurassic Park franchise “is no Top Gun: Maverick”. While there’s a “certain pleasure” in seeing Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill reunite for the first time since Steven Spielberg’s original 1993 movie, Jurassic World Dominion has “nothing in the way of emotional heart”, and it doesn’t offer many thrills either.
Starting where the last instalment left off, dinosaurs are roaming freely around the world, and a “sinister biotech company” in the Italian Dolomites has resurrected an extinct breed of super-locusts in order to wreak havoc on the world’s food systems. There are some decent set pieces, but the plot is baffling and the actors never really make it out of second gear. “I came out unshaken and entirely unstirred.”
Director Colin Trevorrow “cannot be faulted for effort”, said Tom Shone in The Sunday Times; he has thrown “everything into the blender to see what sticks”. But the result is “the kind of mess you get when you gene-splice a blockbuster not just with the previous five films in the series, but all the other blockbusters within a 50-mile radius”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Whatever fun might have been had with the Dern-Neill-Goldblum reunion is stifled by the “dismal script, which peppers every scene with corny asides”, said Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph. And the dinosaurs themselves – formerly “star attractions” – are now “humiliatingly surplus to requirements”, left to mill about with no real part to play in the plot. The film will no doubt make a fortune, but “in credibility terms, it’s an extinction-level event”.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - pointed commentary, Haiti in trouble, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the RNC's MAGA takeover
Cartoons Artists take on RNC funding, Lara Trump, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump's presidential run: a bad bet for Republicans?
Talking Point The GOP is taking a 'big gamble' on former president's 2024 White House bid
By The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: properties with income potential
The Week Recommends Featuring a converted windmill and a country house with medieval origins
By The Week UK Published
-
Angelica Kauffman: 'shrewd and entertaining' exhibition
the week recommends One of two female founders of the Royal Academy, time was 'not kind to her reputation'
By The Week UK Published
-
High & Low: John Galliano – rise and fall of the 'ignominiously sacked' fashion genius
the week recommends Forced out of Dior in 2011, he has since engaged in a 'process of rehabilitation'
By The Week UK Published
-
Starter for Ten: 'very fun' musical adaptation of One Day author's debut
the week recommends 'Top-notch' cast combined with 'energetic and fun' songs makes for a 'feel-good' show
By The Week UK Published
-
6 well-thought-out homes with libraries
Feature Featuring a Tudor Revival in Texas and a condo with illuminated bookshelves in Illinois
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rebecca Serle's 6 favorite books about interpersonal relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by J.D. Salinger, Dolly Alderton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Príncipe: an island paradise off the west coast of Africa
The Week Recommends The remote island isn't easy to get to, but the journey is 'well worth it'
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: pistachio, lemon and coriander seed cake
The Week Recommends The unconventional coriander seeds 'make the flavours sing'
By The Week UK Published