The North American premiere of “Jurassic World: Dominion” has officially concluded in Los Angeles and first reactions to the dino-centric sequel are pouring in online, with entertainment writers calling the follow-up everything from a good hit of nostalgia to downright bad. As with most sequels in the “Jurassic” series, “Dominion” is being met with a mixed response.
Universal has positioned “Dominion” as a finale for the franchise, organizing a round-up of “Jurassic” stars old and new. The film reunites Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, who all starred in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 original. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return after starring in 2015’s “Jurassic World” and 2018’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” while series newcomers DeWanda Wise and Mamoudou Athie also join the cast of the new entry.
“Dominion” picks up after the events of “Fallen Kingdom,” with dinosaurs now roaming the Earth and forcing the human race to closely guard their position as the apex predators of the planet. “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow returns to helm the series finale.
Although “Jurassic World: Dominion” doesn’t hit North American theaters until Friday, Universal has already given the sequel a limited global rollout in 15 international markets. The sequel grossed $55.4 million at the international box office over the weekend, with its biggest starts coming in Mexico and Korea.
Variety senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay commended the film, calling it a “roaring fun adventure.” Tangcay also stated that the dinosaurs “are bigger and better than ever.”
#jurassicworlddominion is a big, roaring fun adventure. The dinosaurs are bigger and better than ever. It’s non-stop Dinosaur action. And Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill’s return hit the nostalgic spots. I just love them. pic.twitter.com/Z7kvy3SkpO
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) June 7, 2022
Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis called the film “nostalgia on overdrive,” while cloaking his exact opinion on the sequel under his foregone conclusion that “it’s going to make so much money.”
Let’s be clear…it doesn’t matter what I say about #JurassicWorldDominion – it’s going to make so much money. It defies logic. It’s a movie where things just happen and people know things “because” – smoke a joint, go drunk and have the time of your life. Nostalgia on overdrive. pic.twitter.com/eD7hViPYSd
— Clayton Davis – Stand with 🇺🇦 (@ByClaytonDavis) June 7, 2022
Critic and Variety contributor Courtney Howard summed up her reaction with “BAD,” stating that “Dominion” marks a franchise-worst in quality.
#JurassicWorldDominion = BAD. It ignores the premise it should’ve had from the start, instead synthetically engineering 2 entirely different, uninteresting & hollow stories that it struggles to connect. Some effects look polished, some ropey. Worst of the franchise. pic.twitter.com/0xbyUR6O9d
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) June 7, 2022
Digital Spy’s Ian Sandwell called the film “underwhelming for a finale,” though he highlights the reunion of Neill, Dern and Goldblum’s characters as a strength of the film.
It delivers the spectacle you expect, but #JurassicWorldDominion feels underwhelming for a finale as it treads familiar ground. Lovely to see the OG trio though and their strand is the strongest, even if it unwittingly highlights how bland the JW characters are by comparison. pic.twitter.com/IT2yXfhMFY
— Ian Sandwell (@ian_sandwell) June 7, 2022
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff dug the follow-up, highlighting Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance as a highlight of the film.
#JurassicWorldDominion rocks an excellent mix of practical & digital effects. Dinos look GREAT. Dimetrodon scene is … right up my alley. Bryce Dallas Howard runs away with the movie — & new trilogy for that matter. Claire experiences one heck of an arc & Howard soars with it. pic.twitter.com/5qWYkddi9e
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) June 7, 2022
Insider’s Kirsten Acuna recommends giving the original “Jurassic Park” a rewatch before rolling out for “Dominion.”
#JurassicWorldDominion is at its best when the old and new cast are together. Fans of the franchise should enjoy this. Plenty of nods to the OG. I’d recommend giving that a close rewatch. pic.twitter.com/WfRSqzsM81
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) June 7, 2022
Gizmodo and io9 senior reporter Germain Lussier called the film “overindulgent and pointless,” with the dinosaurs serving as little more than “window dressing” for a couple drab plot lines.
Truly, Jurassic World Dominion is bad. So bad. It’s too long, it’s wildly repetitive & the dinosaurs are window dressing for multiple uninteresting, unrelated stories. The actors do their best but its all just overindulgent & pointless. One of, if not the, worst in the franchise.
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) June 7, 2022
See more reactions to the “Jurassic” finale below:
My gut reaction after walking out of #JurassicWorldDominion is that’s the worst movie in a franchise I adore. It’s too long, action sequences are downright ugly, and overall wayyyy too bloated. Then again, I smiled at nostalgia beats and baby dinos so like, that too? pic.twitter.com/BA1J4uFOMD
— Matt Donato (@DoNatoBomb) June 7, 2022
GOOD NEWS: #JurassicWorldDominion is my favorite film of the new Jurassic trilogy. It’s stuffed w/ thrilling dinosaur encounters & lots more Jeff Goldblum, but it’s also got a great balance of creepy & inventive scenarios w/ some choice nods to what came before. A solid finale. pic.twitter.com/G6bMCDUecL
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) June 7, 2022
It brings me no joy to report that #JurassicWorldDominion is a MASSIVE disappointment. While the film does feature some incredible dinosaur sequences and it is great to see the original cast back on the big screen, the film fails to deliver on what the previous films promise. pic.twitter.com/AsGoqMsrSf
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) June 7, 2022
Honestly, I’m still just rooting for the dinosaurs. #JurassicWorldDominion
— Danielle Turchiano (@danielletbd) June 7, 2022
