The Big Picture · Review · Rankings
June 10, 2022/ 66 min/ Sean Fennessey · Bryan Curtis
Sean and Bryan Curtis review 'Jurassic World: Dominion,' the legacy-sequel finale that reunites the original cast, then rank all six Jurassic films from worst to first.
7 films across 2 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
'Jurassic World: Dominion'
Colin Trevorrow's globe-trotting trilogy-capper: Owen, Claire, a clone daughter, and the returning Grant/Sattler/Malcolm trio versus a biotech CEO and giant Cretaceous locusts. The hosts read it as the franchise's 'Rise of Skywalker': pre-sold, callback-stuffed, not boring but not good.
The Jurassic Movie Rankingsworst to first (No. 1 first)
No. 1, unanimous. The Spielberg original: 'oh my God, they created dinosaurs' as both plot and moviegoing miracle. Dean Cundey's photography, Stan Winston and Phil Tippett's effects.
Curtis's No. 2, to Sean's disbelief. Joe Johnston's blessedly short 90-minute chase movie; screenplay credit to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. Sean calls it mediocre but concedes it's the one you'd throw on.
No. 3. Trevorrow's 2015 reboot: the gyrosphere balls, a new dino or two, 'a copy of a copy' but fun. Made $1.67 billion.
No. 4 for Curtis, who calls it a lazy, badly lit cash-out with some of Goldblum's worst acting; Sean would rank it higher. Kaminski replaces Cundey; the San Diego Godzilla finale lands for neither host.
No. 5. A Bourne/Mission: Impossible/'give me back my daughter'/bug-horror mash-up that piles on one animal too many with the locusts.
Last. J.A. Bayona's haunted-house-plus-dino-auction entry that both hosts basically blacked out on; the movie that started the running 'what even happened' bit.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Legacy sequels and franchises compared Top Gun: MaverickStar Wars: The Force AwakensStar Wars: The Last JediStar Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullThor: Love and Thunder
Cast and crew filmographies Terminator 2: Judgment DayThor: RagnarokAliensSafety Not GuaranteedThe Book of HenryE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialClose Encounters of the Third KindSchindler's ListA.I. Artificial IntelligenceWest Side StoryRambling RoseThe OrphanageThe ImpossibleA Monster CallsThe RocketeerOctober SkyHoney, I Shrunk the KidsJumanjiThe PagemasterHidalgoThe WolfmanCaptain America: The First AvengerWho Framed Roger RabbitSidewaysNebraska
Crichton and other name-drops CongoSphereDisclosureIn the Mouth of MadnessHunt for the WilderpeoplePopeyeThe Karate KidClerksShrekElvisDie Hard: With a Vengeance
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV WestworldJurassic World: Camp CretaceousParks and Recreation
Podcasts / other The Press BoxThe RewatchablesThe Business (KCRW)Call Her DaddyHigher Learning
Ads Boar's HeadNetflix FIFA World Cup Launch EditionWhite ClawNespresso