Ever since Jurassic Park came out in 1993, fans have been obsessed with the idea of a real life dinosaur park. Like going to a movie, there is something otherworldly about going to a theme park. It's a place one can't go everyday, and therefore has the ability to make one desire it out of unattainability. It's also a place associated with family, so it attracts a lot of people.
Perhaps this is the reason why the first Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films have both been the more successful installments within their trilogies so far. The sixth film titled Jurassic World: Dominion has a release date of June 10, 2022. Will it break the curse and be a successful film despite not being set directly in a developed theme park, or will it be an unenthusiastic ending to a beloved franchise's second trilogy?
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Along with new characters played by actors Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, some old favorites will be returning for the final chapter in the Jurassic World book. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum will be returning to reprise their roles as Allan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm. In case fans were wondering, producer Frank Marshall has already confirmed that this will not be the last film in the franchise, but rather it will be the start of a new era. The film will show the effect of the dinosaurs having been released from their containments in the previous film by a little girl named Maisie (who is actually a human clone). This will be the first film in the franchise that will have an entire movie dedicated to society and dinosaurs reacting to one another, though Jurassic Park: The Lost World had a few scenes with this premise.
Jurassic Park and Jurassic World are by far the highest-rated and most well-liked movies in the franchise. Both movies focus on the theme park itself, whether it be trying to get approval and endorsement from lawyers and scientists, or actually showing the park up and running in all its glory. The original film from 1993 is still the highest-rated among the films, and its setting and family element made it the most appealing. The 2015 Jurassic World film had similar elements (family and setting), although much more modernized. Perhaps it is the nostalgia for the original film, but these elements seem to be essential for the success of any of the installments. But with the return of characters from the 1993 film, can they fill in those missing elements needed leftover from nostalgia?
Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum are an iconic trio that will definitely give Jurassic World: Dominion something the previous film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, didn't have. But it is hard to know if that will be enough to satisfy the fans. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was an original entry into the franchise, as it showed the dinosaurs facing a similar fate to one they received millions of years ago. But the rest of the film felt unnecessary and didn't provide any grand or memorable moments. Jurassic Park had several larger-than-life, grand moments with an exceptional score by John Williams, so if Jurassic World: Dominion hopes to be successful, it will have to have those grand moments.
It can be hard to please people because of how much audiences have been exposed to. The average moviegoer is much more thoughtful and critical now than 25 years ago. They are aware of the technical aspects of filmmaking as well as the creative ones, and they expect to be entertained from start to finish of a movie. And although it would be impossible to meet the demands of every viewer, most of what is needed for the third Jurassic World film to succeed is a good story that isn't trying to replicate itself but instead is focused on creating its own identity. The key to a successful sequel is to stay simple in the story while reinventing the characters and to create those grand epic moments organically.
The IMAX only preview shows that Jurassic World: Dominion will have a prologue that will show a mosquito sucking the blood of a dinosaur, which fans know is how the dinosaurs were able to be cloned. Audiences will get to see a modern reenactment of some memorable moments from the original 1993 film. And there will be plenty of people reacting to the chaos by taking video recordings on their phones.
Although this movie will not be set in a traditional park, it does look like it will be a fun and exciting movie to watch in theaters in the summer of 2022. Perhaps Jurassic World: Dominion may even break the Jurassic Park sequel curse and be the start of a new era in the franchise where man and dinosaur coexist. Will man have dominion over nature, or will the dinosaurs rule?
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