LM23 Rating: Not boring at all but it’s becoming like the Fast & Furious
To this day, I still haven’t seen the first Jurassic Park. I was never a dinosaur fan and I still don’t understand how little kids can be so enamored by reptilian creatures that aren’t cute and will eat you if given the chance. Now, I did pay to go see The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but that’s only because I thought Vince Vaughn was so cute in Swingers and this was his first big Hollywood movie after the sleeper indie hit.
But I’m always down for a big summer blockbuster movie even if I have no allegiance to its gimmicks. Jurassic World Dominion’s new twist is an old one which so many movies are leaning heavily on to come up with “fresh” story ideas. What a better way to lure all fans of all ages by welcoming back the OG cast? And similar to Spider-Man: No Way Home and its old characters, the original trio of Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Alan Grant (Sam Neill), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), have an actual storyline and purpose.
I was waiting for the horribleness of this latest Jurassic sequel to set in as I had read and heard how this movie was terrible. After two hours elapsed and the movie ended, I thought the movie wasn’t too bad. But I can see why many thought it was bad. The introduction of the original cast has to somehow merge with the latest cast of Owen (Chris Pratt), Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), and Maisie (Isabella Sermon). The pace of the movie was great. I was never bored throughout the two hours. But, the way one plot point connects to another was filled with too many unbelieve coincidences and forced action. Things don’t unfold organically and in a believable manner.
The setup for the movie is immediately told to us through a news report. Of course it’s another plotline of a big bad corporation called Biosyn Genetics which is genetically modifying killer locusts to invade and destroy farmland that does not use Biosyn created seeds. The evil genius behind it all, Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), looks like a poor man’s Steve Cook and wears the standard geeky but brainy leader of a tech company of a mock turtleneck sweater jacket and slacks.
Meanwhile, Owen, Claire, and Maisie are living in somewhere in the mountains of Nevada like a family of wanted criminals. But it’s only Maisie and the baby dinosaur Maisie has befriended who are wanted by the bad guys. The bad guys are led by a fashionably dressed, blonde woman named Santos. She for some reason does her work in stiletto boots and flowy white blouses. She’s like a poor man’s Vanessa Kirby who despite the carnage and dirt around her, she is able to keep her white clothes really white. Santos and her crew get the job done by kidnapping Maisie and the baby dinosaur named Beta. The bad guys were contracted by Dodgson as their DNA composition can help them understand why their locusts are going on a rampage. The fear is that someone will eventually trace the killer locusts to Biosyn and they can’t have that. The plane carrying Maisie and Beta lands and the exchange is made along with the payment. The pilot of the aircraft that flew Maisie and Beta to their destination, is Kayla played by DeWanda Wise. Kayla is happy to take the bag of $50,000 cash, but she is concerned when she sees young Maisie being taken away. And that is really the only any hint of why this character who seems like she may be a minor one in passing, will care enough to risk her life to join Claire and Owen to rescue Maisie. More on that later.
At the same time, Ellie has gone to convince Alan to join her in finding evidence of the killer locusts. The reason is that Alan is so well respected and she needs a witness. And how will they break into Biosyn to get a sample of the locust’s DNA? Well, luckily for them, it just so happens that Malcolm is a recent hire at Biosyn where he’s some on campus lecturer and resident master class guy. He will be their ticket into the Biosyn facilities.
And so those are our two storylines. And we switch from one to the other. There’s a lot of dinosaur action in-between of course and it’s all exciting and not boring. It’s totally unbelievable and at times, doesn’t make any sense, very much like the Fast & Furious movies. But, the actors are all around likeable and giving the audience a sincere effort.
Laura Dern is so lovely on screen. You just feel her character’s earnestness and how she really wants to get the evidence against Biosyn. I’m just shocked that the OG’s: Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum all look just slightly older versions of themselves. They all look fit and have all of their luscious locks even after nearly 30 years later. I really don’t think this movie would have been any good if we didn’t have their storyline.
DeWanda Wise is also great in her role which is essentially the we’ll need someone who can fly a plane or else none of the characters are getting out of Biosyn alive. Despite us never quit knowing her character’s motivations and why she would be willing to be the designated pilot, she comes off genuine in her role. We see at one point a faded photo of what looks like her parents in the center of her plane’s controls, but nothing is ever said about it. We do learn that she was in the Air Force and so maybe we’re made to come to the conclusion that if she volunteered to join the service, then she has that type of personality to want to help people. Owen even asks her point blank why she’s willing to risk her life for people she doesn’t know and all she says is that seeing the picture of Maisie made her want to do the right thing. Again, doesn’t really make sense, but okay.
What also doesn’t make much sense is how Ellie and Alan manage to find their way into the secret labs where the killer locusts are being harvested. Their Biosyn host who is showing them around the place, Ramsay (Mamoudou Athie) who is also the chief of communications, randomly says how they can feel free to walk around the place on their own before their pod car comes to pick them up. You’d think that a place like Biosyn that is doing top secret scientific work that’s also not exactly legal would not allow visitors to wander around as they please. But, apparently you can. Ellie and Alan also happen to find biosuits to wear and they found exactly where those locusts are being held. There’s no sign of security guards or even security cameras tracking their moves in these restricted areas. Maybe that’s what happens when you spend all your extra money on hiring goons to kidnap people and dinosaurs. There’s none left for on-premise security.
While Ellie and Alan are sneaking around the lab, Maisie meets with Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) who is telling her a bit about her mom, Charlotte Lockwood. Dr. Wu worked with Charlotte and Maisie is not a bioengineered version of Charlotte. But rather, she’s her daughter. They were able to figure out a way for an individual to self-procreate and that’s what Charlotte did. However, Charlotte had a genetic disease that ultimately took her life. But, she was able to modify Maisie’s DNA, so she won’t have to suffer the same fate. Dr. Wu believes that if he can analyze Maisie’s DNA, he can copy what Charlotte did, but on the locusts and save the world and Biosyn from any blame.
Maisie of course manages to get away and she also of course frees Beta. Maisie runs into Ellie and Alan, so they all try to escape together. Malcolm later joins them with the help of Ramsay. Ramsay turns out, is on their side and does not support what Biosyn is doing. It’s also quite a stretch for us to believe that as it’s discovered that Alan and Ellie broke into a lab and Maisie has gone missing, that Dodgson and his team would never suspect that Ramsay may have something to do with it. After all, he was the chaperone for the day for Alan and Ellie. And he’s the one who walked Malcolm off the premises after he was fired for colluding with Alan and Ellie. But yeah, I guess just because they hire goons with guns to kidnap people, they won’t bring that type of nonsense into the actual workplace.
Malcolm, Ellie, Alan, and Maisie eventually meet up with Claire, Owen, and Kayla. And now all of them have to escape the carnivorous dinosaurs that are lurking at every turn on their way to escape. Amazingly, all seven of them make it out alive. The only main character to get eaten by a dinosaur is the evil Dodgson. He’s so annoying with his weird quirks that you’re relieved he’s killed off. We don’t understand why Dodgson behaves strangely like when he talks to Ramsay about one thing, then cuts himself off to ask about food. Nor when he has a weird meltdown. I thought this guy may be suffering from some disease and that is why he wants to fiddle around with the DNA of Maisie who had her DNA modified and free of disease. But nope, we never understand why he’s awkward, but we’re forced to accept that that’s just him.
The movie ends on a happy note for everyone. Ramsay speaks out against Biosyn. Kayla uses her money to buy herself another plane as her original plane was damaged. Beta returns to his mom dinosaur. Claire, Owen, and Maisie live their lives as a family. Ellie and Alan finally kiss. And Malcolm…I forgot what happened to him, but I’m sure he’s fine.
Jurassic World Dominion is not boring, but there also doesn’t seem to be much of a story to it. The main bad guy, Dodgson, is one of the worst parts. Besides his want to conquer the farmland of the world, we never really understand him and why he cares so much. And why is he so awkward?!? The dinosaurs are also not really the main characters. Unlike the other Jurassic Park movies, it’s always been the dinosaurs are bad and eating everyone and they have to be stopped. Or something like that. This time, it’s giant killer locusts who have to be stopped. Isn’t this supposed to be a movie about dinosaurs?!?
I hope if there is another sequel, we see more of Ellie, Alan, and Malcolm. I also want to see a storyline that doesn’t have to do with some evil corporation wanting to make money off of DNA technology. Top Gun: Maverick managed to have a wholly original story that didn’t need tropes and so I’m certain someone can think of something to do with dinosaurs and people for the next Jurassic Park. See this movie if you’re a fan of the actors. Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, DeWanda Wise, and BD Wong are all excellent.
Comments