An Open Letter to the Director of Jurassic World Dominion
Dear Mr. Trevorrow,
Jurassic Park holds a special place in my heart.
Along with being one of my all-time favorite movies, it was also the first movie I ever saw in the cinema.
Though I’m not a big fan of the two sequels that followed, I got pumped when I heard that the franchise was being kick-started. But my excitement was short-lived as the first two movies in the rebooted trilogy failed to capture my imagination like the 1993 original did.
Regardless, I had massive expectations from the latest release, mainly because the OG trio was back together in a movie for the first time in almost three decades. So I bought two tickets to the morning show last weekend, wanting to experience the spectacle on the big screen with my mother. She had also accompanied me during Jurassic Park’s viewing in 1994.
When the film ended, I wasn’t sure what I’d seen. And the grim expression on my mother’s face made it clear she didn’t have a clue either. Don’t get me wrong — the film began on a high note. But what followed in the next two hours, save for a high-octane chase scene, seemed cluttered and overly complicated for a genre film.
In countless interviews, you’ve mentioned that Jurassic World Dominion is the culmination of this beloved franchise. But if the studio execs decide to continue milking the franchise, can you please keep the points below in mind while developing the script for the next set of movies?
- Stick to the theme. When they see a Jurassic movie, the audience isn’t expecting an Indiana Jones-meets-Free Willy-meets-Erin Brockovich potboiler. All they want is a good ol’ disaster movie with dinosaurs running amok. Just give them that — nothing more, nothing less.
- Less is more. Mr. Spielberg’s masterful direction made Jurassic Park what it is, but it’s such a fan favorite because its breathtaking set pieces still hold up to this day. Dominion certainly had those moments, but none of them were edge-of-the-seat stuff. No offense, but the Pyroraptor scene was cringe-worthy. Also, there were one too many homage scenes which, if I’m being honest, didn’t add anything to my movie-watching experience.
- Giant locusts!?! Did you watch Peter Jackson’s King Kong when it came out? There’s a great fight scene where Kong saves Naomi Watts’s character from not one, not two, but three T. Rexes. And the scene lasts only five minutes. I believe that’s how cameos or subplots should play out — add something to the movie but not take the spotlight away from the main draw. So weaving the dangerous locusts into the narrative was, undoubtedly, a clever piece of writing. But the deadly swarm overstayed their welcome. Let me ask you this: you wouldn’t expect Godzilla to make an appearance in a King Kong movie, would you? Oh, wait.
- Contrived romance. The subtle romance between Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler is one of the best things about the 1993 movie. But their chemistry in your film, for some reason, just seemed off. I squirmed in my seat when the pair kissed at the ending. I don’t get this age-old Hollywood practice of shipping two heterosexual characters just for the heck of it. Sorry, I digress. But thanks for reuniting this lovely on-screen pair — I bet a lot of folks in the audience came just to see them.
There are some more things like Claire’s insane parkour skills, genetically-engineered raptors (that respond to laser!?!), and Omar Sy’s short screen time I wanted to discuss, but I’ll save them for another day.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
A concerned fan of the franchise
