Jurassic World Dominion first reactions are seriously mixed

Jurassic World Dominion
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Jurassic World Dominion reactions are in – and they're seriously divided. 

The film sees Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill return as their iconic Jurassic Park characters, while Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are back as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing. This time around, the dinosaurs aren't confined to a theme park and are roaming free among humankind. 

"Jurassic World Dominion is a big, roaring fun adventure. The dinosaurs are bigger and better than ever. It's non-stop dinosaur action. And Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill's return hit the nostalgic spots. I just love them," says Variety's Jazz Tangcay

Collider's Perri Nemiroff also enjoyed the movie: "Jurassic World Dominion rocks an excellent mix of practical & digital effects. Dinos look GREAT. Dimetrodon scene is ... right up my alley. Bryce Dallas Howard runs away with the movie – & new trilogy for that matter. Claire experiences one heck of an arc & Howard soars with it."

"Jurassic World Dominion is at its best when the old and new cast are together. Fans of the franchise should enjoy this. Plenty of nods to the OG. I'd recommend giving that a close rewatch," is Insider's Kirsten Acuna's verdict. 

Comicsbeat.com's Heidi MacDonald thinks the standout is DeWanda Wise's Kayla Watts: "I had zero expectation for Jurassic World Dominion but it was a rollicking fun time with lots of dinosaur action, human action, call back humor and a spectacular star making turn by DeWanda Wise. When is she getting her own movie!"

"GOOD NEWS: Jurassic World Dominion is my favorite film of the new Jurassic trilogy. It's stuffed with thrilling dinosaur encounters & lots more Jeff Goldblum, but it's also got a great balance of creepy & inventive scenarios with some choice nods to what came before. A solid finale," says Fandango's Erik Davis

But it's not all positive. "It delivers the spectacle you expect, but Jurassic World Dominion feels underwhelming for a finale as it treads familiar ground. Lovely to see the OG trio though and their strand is the strongest, even if it unwittingly highlights how bland the JW characters are by comparison," says Digital Spy's Ian Sandwell

Critic Courtney Howard also did not enjoy the film: "Jurassic World Dominion = BAD. It ignores the premise it should've had from the start, instead synthetically engineering 2 entirely different, uninteresting & hollow stories that it struggles to connect. Some effects look polished, some ropey. Worst of the franchise." 

"It brings me no joy to report that Jurassic World Dominion is a MASSIVE disappointment. While the film does feature some incredible dinosaur sequences and it is great to see the original cast back on the big screen, the film fails to deliver on what the previous films promise," says critic Scott Menzel

Discussing Film's Andrew J. Salazar also has mixed feelings: "Jurassic World Dominion doesn't really live up to its global premise. You've already seen this movie plenty of times before. But at least they used more animatronic dinos this time around! That's one of the nicest things I can say."

"It pains me to say this, but I did NOT like Jurassic World Dominion – the story was convoluted & all over the place, and it didn’t feel special. There's no magic or heart to it, and it doesn't capture the awe-inspiring feeling of the original at all. Not sure who it's even for," is critic Scott Mantz's thoughts. 

Critic Witney Seibold also wasn't a fan: "Jurassic World Dominion is a jumbled nightmare. Sloppy, contrived, enervating. A butt-numbing 147 minutes of bland, shrieky mayhem that arouses no fear, wonderment, excitement. A grab-bag of generic action setpieces huddling together for warmth. Echoes of Emmerich's GODZILLA."

Jurassic World Dominion hits theaters this June 10. In the meantime, check out our roundup of all of 2022's upcoming major movie release dates for everything else coming soon – and see our interview with director Colin Trevorrow on how his scrapped Star Wars movie helped him make Dominion. 

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.