Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?

This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Jurassic World: Dominion". The extended version, to be exact.

Here's the rundown of this sequel:

After the volcanic eruption on Isla Nobler and the Lockwood Estate incident, humanity and dinosaurs have been forced to coexist for four who years. During this time, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing have secretly been raising Maisie Lockwood, the orphaned granddaughter of Benjamin Lockwood and the world's first genetically-cloned human. The trio also discover that Blue the velociraptor had a baby, to which Maisie names Beta.

However, when a group of thugs kidnap Maisie and Beta, Owen and Claire go on a globetrotting adventure to rescue her. And to discover the intentions behind the kidnapping.

Meanwhile, Dr. Alan Grant, Ellie Satler, and Ian Malcolm reunite to investigate an incredibly bizarre locust problem. Every clue they find appears to be leading them to Biosyn, a world-renowned science corporation lead by Dr. Lewis Dodgson.

I'm well aware of the mixed-to-negative reputation this sequel has, and I understand why people aren't big fans of it. But, when I saw the film in theaters, I remembered enjoying it. The main reason for why I'm going ahead and reviewing the extended version, though, is because I read that it was much more well-received compared to the theatrical cut. I even took the time to make comparisons between the two versions, and I watched the extended version twice in preparation for reviewing it.

And you know what?

Even now, I still found "Jurassic World: Dominion" to be one of the most enjoyable and underrated films I've ever seen. Coming from a guy who also watched the extended version two times, I'd like to say that it's a much more fun, intriguing, and gratifying experience than the theatrical cut.

For instance, the direction by Colin Trevorrow, the story by him and Derek Connolly, and the screenplay by Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael, were amazing.

When it comes to why I believe the extended version is better than the theatrical cut, and why I'd gladly recommend it more, the biggest reason is because of this:

The E.V. contains scenes that not only weren't present in the T.C., but were incredibly beneficial for the story and film in general. The scenes in question cleared up plot holes and deficiencies generated by the T.C., and they helped the flow of the narrative and editing be much more smooth, engaging, & natural. A prime example comes from the E.V. including the prologue that was also used to promote the film's theatrical release. Everything about the scene's reinstating provided a steadier introduction into the story and situations compared to the T.C.'s opening, and it greatly encouraged a desire for seeing what's in store afterwards. It also depicted a greater sense of history between the T-Rex and Giganotosaurus, and the right start for a buildup towards their eventual confrontation in the present day.

The other aspects in the story and direction were well-done too.

In my opinion, Trevorrow did a wonderful job making this sequel a globe-trotting adventure-thriller, and it was amazing how he helped the story keep itself together regardless of the large amount of characters and location-switchings. Plus, the action sequences were fun, the film carried an unpredictable nature, and everything often got so suspenseful that I was on the edge of my seat. The film's humorous and witty moments were also quite amusing, with every one of them being worthy of a laugh; and the dramatic, heartfelt, and emotional aspects were deeply soul-tugging, and the best part was that they all played out naturally.

Likewise, the themes and morals were well-handled.

In regards to the subplot revolving around the locusts, I'm aware that there were many who expressed critical reactions over that part of the story. However, I believe that what many people are forgetting is that the series isn't just about dinosaurs. It's also about genetic power and engineering, as well as what happens when people play God. These factors in question helped the locusts fit pretty well in the concept, and the fact that they were modified with Cretaceous DNA ensured that they weren't disconnected from the dinosaur aspect of the series.

The special effects were spectacular, if I may add.

As with every other Jurassic movie, the dinosaurs were absolutely fantastic to look at, and the effects team didn't mess around with making them look as realistic as possible. The old dinosaurs, such as the T-Rex and Blue the velociraptor, were as splendid to behold as ever; and the new dinosaurs, such as the Giganotosaurus, Therizinosaurus, and Beta the baby velociraptor were brilliantly-made. Plus, the locusts were as realistic-looking as an actual insect would be, and the effects team's work in creating the fire at Biosyn was mind-blowing.

Finally, the acting, characters, and character development were awesome.

When it came to Chris Pratt's reprisal of Owen Grady, I personally didn't think there was anything wrong with either his portrayal or the character himself in this movie. It's true that he didn't make as many witty remarks as he did before, but I believe that this was because Pratt and the film team wanted to show that Owen matured and isn't as reckless as he used to be. Basically, they wanted to show how much Owen grew since the events of "Fallen Kingdom", and that's something I find to be commendable. Similarly, Bryce Dallas Howard rocked the house with her reprisal of Claire Dearing. I loved how she portrayed the character's motherly side and took on every action sequence, because it showed that Claire had advanced greatly as a character.

In addition to this, BD Wong was terrific in his reprisal of Henry Wu. Without a doubt, Wong gave perhaps the most emotionally-invested performance out of everyone, and the way he portrayed Wu as a newly found sympathetic & tragic individual brought a sense of something unexpectedly new to the character. The fact that Wu apparently realized the mistakes he made beforehand, and wished to make up for all he did, helped the character be all-the-more likable and three-dimensional.

Along with this, the reprisals of Sam Neill as Dr. Grant, Laura Dean as Ellie Satler, and Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm, were marvelous. Each of the aforementioned performers showed that they clearly didn't lose their touch, and their characters were as colorful as ever. Grant and Satler in particular had dynamic development, and the rekindling of their less-than-obvious romance from the first "Jurassic Park" film came so naturally in Dominion.

When it came to which returning character that I believe had the most compelling of the character arcs, though, it'd definitely be Maisie Lockwood. Not only were her personal situations and conflicts incredibly relatable, but Maisie herself had the greatest amount of character growth. Isabella Sermon was marvelous in her reprisal of Maisie, especially because she successfully translated the character as a three-dimensional human being. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing her return for a future Jurassic movie or more at some point, because I believe there's so much to go on with her.

The film's new characters and cast members were enjoyable too.

In regards to Lewis Dodgson's return as the main antagonist, I didn't think there was anything wrong with how he was being portrayed or his overall characterization. As I looked back on the theatrical cut, though, I found that it really never gave much insight into who Dodgson is as a character rather than a mere corrupt businessman.

In the extended version, there's a scene depicting Dodgson having to find a new hard drive to delete the "Hexapod Allies" files, leading to a confrontation between him and Ramsay. In the scene, it's revealed that Dodgson initially intended for the locusts to spread genetic modifications on crops to protect them from disease, harsh climates, and pests. After the locusts were eating the rival crops instead, though, Dodgson saw this as an opportunity to gain more business for Biosyn in the crop department; regardless of the danger the locusts posed on the environment and humanity. Some of his backstory is also detailed, in that he's someone who started from the bottom and worked his way to the top, just like any employee of a company would.

As a whole, this very scene openly gives a more in-depth look and understanding of who Dodgson is as a character: An opportunist. Someone who turns any kind of catastrophe or tragedy into a business-benefit for himself and Biosyn, and exploits another's talents and passions for his own gain. He's also someone who wasn't willing to share his research with others or admit to his wrongdoings, which makes Dodgson surprisingly realistic as a corrupt businessman.

Taking the place of Cameron Thor from the first "Jurassic Park" film, Campbell Scott did a fabulous job portraying Dodgson for Dominion, as well as making the character his own and successfully carrying the part for more than just one scene. Dodgson himself wasn't without development or personality.

A couple other performers that I enjoyed watching were DeWanda Wise as Kayla Watts and Mamoudou Athie as Ramsay Cole. Both cast members were amazing in their parts, and the characters of Kayla and Ramsay had brilliant personalities and developments. In fact, Kayla and Ramsay had a great amount of potential for helming their own "Jurassic" film, and it's a prospect that I'm very interested in seeing Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment tackle at some point in the future.

In spite of my overall positive assessment of this film, I would like to note that there's one particular flaw I noted. The flaw in question mainly revolves around Maisie Lockwood's origin story as depicted in this sequel.

Don't get me wrong, I thought that the reveal of Charlotte Lockwood being Maisie's actual creator and mother was quite interesting. It made a lot of sense, the filmmakers clearly put a great amount of thought into the whole thing, and the revelation that her grandfather lied about creating Maisie himself as a cover-up for Maisie's mother was logical story-wise. But, the part where it's revealed that Charlotte modified Maisie's DNA in order to cure her of a genetic disorder, and that it was successful, went completely against the series's message that dabbling in genetic engineering is a bad thing and should never be messed with, and that doing so always comes with consequences.

Granted, I can see that without Charlotte's research on the matter, Henry Wu would never have found a way to destroy the locusts. But even on that ground, it seemed to cause the film's messages to be conflicted over whether it was saying meddling in genetics is a good or bad thing.

In conclusion, aside from the flaw I mentioned just now, "Jurassic World: Dominion" is an amazing and severely underrated film. It served as a fitting conclusion for the 6-film saga while also providing a possible start for something new in the future, and it carried all the right qualifications to be something worth watching. The extended version is the one I highly recommend giving a watch more than the theatrical cut, that's for sure.

So, I rate the extended version of "Jurassic World: Dominion" 4½ out of 5 stars.