9 Improvements Dominion Made Over Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World Dominion has a larger scale compared to Fallen Kingdom. So what ways did the final film in the trilogy improve upon its predecessor?
This article contains spoilers for Jurassic World Dominion
The release of Jurassic World Dominion marks the end of the story that began seven years prior in Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard’s debut in Jurassic World. While the film hasn’t received the best reviews from critics, this doesn't mean that the franchise's hardcore fans agree, with many believing that it had actually made some significant improvements over its immediate predecessor.
Whether it’s about the way they structured the narratives to how they incorporated the use of dinosaurs, it’s does appear that the creative team involved with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom listened to the complaints and tried their best to make Dominion an epic movie. It might not be perfect but fans do appreciate the effort Colin Trevorrow has gone to give them the franchise the best sendoff possible.
Splitting The Main Characters To Their Own Arcs
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom suffered from carrying several main characters onscreen and having to juggle them all at the same time. Since they were together for the adventure, it meant that scenes felt overpacked and distracting.
Jurassic World Dominion improved on this by dividing the characters into their own adventures - Alan, Ellie, Ian, and Maisie were together at the Biosyn facility, while Owen, Claire, and Kayla battled to get to Biosyn so they could rescue the others. Having different arcs for the characters enabled the movie to devote enough time to each character without overloading them onscreen.
Leaving Out Unnecessary Characters
The involvement of Franklin, Zia, Mr. Eversoll, and Ken Wheatley, among others, was hardly necessary in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom because the movies could have functioned just as well without them. The follow-up realized this and kept unnecessary characters to a minimum.
While Franklin and Zia did show up, they didn’t participate after their importance to the plot was over. Keeping the characters to a concise level where everyone made valid contributions was among the strengths of Jurassic World Dominion since the people present at the climax were all important to the story.
References To The Original Trilogy
There were a few nods to the original films in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, such as the reveal of Benjamin Lockwood being the business partner of John Hammon. However, fan service elements were lacking in the film, with not much else to connect it with the franchise’s history.
In contrast, there were a whole lot of Jurassic Park references in Jurassic World Dominion, with even minor aspects like Ian Malcolm’s open shirt being alluded to. Things like Lewis Dodgson’s role in causing the original movie’s events, Alan, Ian, and Ellie’s history with Jurassic Park, and the overall aesthetic were all found in Jurassic World Dominion.
The Climactic Dinosaur Fight
The climactic fight in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom involved a clash between Blue and the Indoraptor, which was very small in scale to what fans of the series are accustomed to. Jurassic World Dominion took things to the appropriate size by having three massive dinosaurs duking it out.
As it happened, the Giganotosaurus was confronted by the T-Rex and a Therizinosaurus, who teamed up to defeat the bigger dinosaur. The final fight carried a high-impact feel that the previous film hadn’t brought forward, with the clash leaving no doubt about the stakes involved.
Implementing Brutal Deaths Only Where Necessary
There are usually quite a few deaths to be found in Jurassic Park films but the previous entry was particularly trigger-happy with offing people onscreen. The Indoraptor’s rampage led to several brutal deaths, which was relatively unnecessary since these characters were added just so they would die.
Jurassic World Dominion has among the least deaths in the series alongside Jurassic Park III. The only characters that were killed off were those who either attempted to kill the heroes or villains like Dodgson who had it coming. Keeping the kills to a minimum kept the focus on the core cast and made the deaths that did occur stand out instead of just being added for dramatic effect.
Better Explanation For The Existence Of Maisie Lockwood
While Maisie proved she was among the bravest kids in the Jurassic Park series during her debut appearance, her backstory was extremely convoluted. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom inferred that she was created by Benjamin Lockwood to replace his deceased daughter through some mysterious scientific means.
This bizarre explanation for her creation was something Jurassic Park fans didn’t really take to and Jurassic World Dominion rectified it by retconning a simpler answer. As it turned out, Maisie was naturally born to Charlotte Lockwood, who created a cloned child through her scientific research. It’s still a very sci-fi reveal, but a lot better than the previous film’s justification.
Leaving Out The Modified Killer Dinosaurs From The Plot
The first two Jurassic World films were dominated by the plotline of genetically enhanced dinosaurs, with Fallen Kingdom taking this further to make the Indoraptor something of a horror movie villain pursuing the heroes in a mansion. The enhanced dinosaur aspect was starting to get a little out of hand and Jurassic World Dominion did away with it entirely.
The dinosaurs in the third film weren’t exactly natural, but the story was never about a new version specifically made like the Indominus Rex and Indoraptor. In its place, the dinosaurs were treated as animals in the wild as part of the movie’s attempts to drive home the point of dinosaurs co-existing with humans.
Heartwarming And Wholesome Moments
One of the areas where the Jurassic World trilogy did better than Jurassic Park was to present wholesome moments. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had some of these like Owen and Claire’s reconciliation, but the latest entry carried a whole lot more.
The film brought heartwarming elements like Claire, Owen, and Maisie becoming a family, Alan and Ellie becoming a couple once more, and Ian rescuing the group from the Giganotosaurus, among other moments that had a wholesome quality. These worked well to establish a genuine bond between the protagonists.
A Balanced Plotline That Leads Into The Climax
One of the main criticisms that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom faced was the striking contrast between its two acts. The first was set during Isla Nublar’s destruction like a standard Jurassic Park film while the second became a horror film in the mansion where the Indoraptor stalked the protagonists.
Jurassic World Dominion went for a straightforward story where things began with Maisie’s abduction, which led to Claire and Owen arriving at Biosyn to rescue her. The simple narrative kept Jurassic World Dominion to one genre rather than play around with multiple styles that didn’t mesh well.
