Ready for extinction: 'Jurassic World: Dominion' is a dino-sized letdown

Humans run around with horrified expressions in a world where dinosaurs live among us. Some people get eaten. Some don’t. That’s the gist of “Jurassic World: Dominion,” the (alleged) final entry in the iconic dinosaurs-run-amok saga that was unleashed by Steven Spielberg in 1993.

“Dominion” picks up in the wake of 2018’s “Fallen Kingdom.” Dinos now freely roam the Earth, forcing humans to coexist among the “unpredictable” and “hungry” beasts. A TV reporter calls the situation a “frightening new reality.”

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Colin Trevorrow, who directed 2015’s “Jurassic World,” is back for another bite after sitting out its 2018 sequel. He and co-writer Emily Carmichael (“Pacific Rim: Uprising”) are tasked with bringing the 30-year franchise to its roaring finale. To that end, they introduce a Giganotosaurus, a dinosaur more menacing than a T-rex. But bigger, fiercer dinosaurs are no match for the same old implausibilities and contrivances. Alas, “Dominion” ends with a thud.

Chris Pratt as raptor-wrangler Owen, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire, now a vigilante dinosaur protector, are on the hunt for their kidnapped charge, 14-year-old Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), the clone of Charlotte Lockwood. She’s been snatched by nefarious biotech guru Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), founder of Biosyn. He considers the girl the “most valuable intellectual property on the planet.” He seeks to study her cloned DNA because it might help him rule the world. Yup, all he needs is a mustache to twirl.

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The film is also a reunion of sorts, with Sam Neill (paleontologist Alan Grant), Laura Dern (paleobotanist Ellie Sattler) and Jeff Goldblum (chaos theorist Ian Malcolm) reprising their roles from Spielberg’s original. This time, they are tasked with saving the world from genetically engineered locusts. The entire food chain could collapse! It’s as  dumb as it sounds. The two storylines eventually converge. And what ensues is little more than a retread of what came before: Last-second escapes from the clutches of a raptor’s mouth, dino-on-dino battles, children in peril, double-crosses, scientific mumbo-jumbo, slimy dinosaur fluids, and all the paleo-pandemonium one can stomach. Fifteen-year-old boys will lose their minds.

Admittedly, the baby dinos are cute, and there’s a mildly thrilling fight and chase through the narrow streets of Malta with Velociraptors in hot pursuit. The return of the three original characters add gravitas and a sense of nostalgia, but the rest brims with missteps, contrivances and overall ridiculousness. Pratt’s roguish charm is practically neutered. The script doesn’t give him much to work with. I haven’t seen him this wooden since the last “Jurassic” movie. The payoff after enduring 147 minutes of histrionics and heavy breathing carries the emotional heft of a video game.

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Series newcomers DeWanda Wise as a kickass pilot and Mamoudou Athie as an employee at Biosyn are welcome additions. BD Wong reprises his part as Dr. Henry Wu, getting one of the more satisfying resolutions. Goldblum lends much-needed humor and levity. However, that does not overcome a predictable thriller that offers nothing but a few jump scares and tiresome sound effects. It’s the same old ride, just louder. Where is Spielberg’s adventurous spirit when you need it?

‘Jurassic World: Dominion’

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action, some violence and language

Runtime: 2 hours, 27 minutes

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Isabella Sermon

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Writers: Colin Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael

Where to see: In theaters June 9

Grade: C

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Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Chris Pratt's 'Jurassic World: Dominion' is a dino-sized letdown