‘Jurassic World Dominion’ survives extinction (for now) at the box office amidst lukewarm reviews

How many times are the failsafes going to, you know, fail? How often are the world’s greatest scientists going to reverse engineer a new apex predator — primed to leave a trail of unassuming bodies in its path? How much more dino-themed carnage can we all take before someone finally puts a Tyrannosaurus-sized foot down? Apparently, the latest entry into this long line of cold-blooded sequels is the last straw, and early reactions toward the film are looking a little something like this.

Early reviews of Jurassic World Dominion have begun to prove that fans of the franchise are fed up. With a lackluster opening night, the coming weekend will reveal if this summer blockbuster is headed for extinction or if it has what it takes to survive. After all, if these movies have taught us anything it’s that “life, uh, finds a way.“

Sitting at a less than stellar 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, Jurassic World Dominion is yet another sequel, following a long line of sequels, that have been chasing the same prehistoric magic since the first film’s worldwide success way back in 1993. You know, back when dinosaurs walked the earth. Now what we’re left with is an afterimage, cashing in on nostalgia long enough to dupe fans into thinking something new is going to happen.

If Jurassic World Dominion represents a bunch of unassuming dinos, then Top Gun: Maverick is a meteor hurtling toward Earth. Heading into its third weekend, Top Gun looks to remain king while Dominion gets eaten up by the hype surrounding a film that cashes in its older source material in much more compelling ways.

It might be time for the Jurassic series to take a long hard look in the mirror, and change things up a bit. At this point, what we’d find more interesting is a film where all the dinosaurs don’t horrifyingly break out of their cages. Why not tell a subversive story in that realm? A place where fans can enjoy all the prehistoric vistas while watching a tale of triumph play out amongst the fossils. One thing’s certain — if the filmmakers behind these half-baked movies don’t evolve, they’re going to become fossils themselves.