The release of Jurassic World Dominion has brought a story arc that began all the way back in Jurassic Park to a close. The return of Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm, and Ellie Sattler coincided with the adventures of Owen Grady and Claire Dearing for a big-time finale. Since the film features the return of the original cast, there have been comparisons between the Jurassic World trilogy and the Jurassic Park films.

Whether it has to do with the involvement of supporting characters like Henry Wu to villains with greater depth like the Indominus Rex, the Jurassic World series has one-upped Jurassic Park in more than several ways. Since the trilogy is now over, it’s best to look over the aspects that improved upon the original movies.

Large-Scale Effects

A lion and Rexy the T-Rex roaring at each other in Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom

The original trilogy featured practical effects to make the dinosaurs appear realistic, which still looks marvelous. However, Jurassic World movies have used large-scale special effects to up the ante in terms of visual display. Now, dinosaurs have been around the world in various environments.

The second Jurassic Park had attempted to make a dinosaur among humans possible as a concept but it didn’t seem authentic. Meanwhile, the Jurassic World films have featured dinosaurs in close proximity to humans and the danger level seems legit. Moreover, massive set pieces like the island’s destruction in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom are a testament to the larger-than-life effects.

Continuing One Story Arc

Maisie Lockwood standing in the snow in Jurassic World Dominion

The Jurassic Park movie was all over the place with story arcs because every entry shifted the narrative from characters vaguely connected to one another. Jurassic World had done better by continuing the story of Claire and Owen as they deal with the impact of Jurassic World’s breakdown.

In addition, Maisie’s turn as arguably the bravest kid in the Jurassic Park series in Dominion was a continuation of her arc of learning about her past, starting from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Other continuing plotlines included the hybrids Indominus Rex and Indoraptor and how they went on separate rampages in their respective movies by sharing the same DNA.

More Sinister Villainous Characters

Ian Malcolm and Lewis Dodgson looking at each other in Jurassic World Dominion

Villains in the Jurassic Park series weren’t truly malicious, as Dennis Nedry was simply greedy, Peter Ludlow was a greedy executive, and the dinosaurs were just following their natural instincts. Jurassic World dared to make dinosaurs like the Indominus Rex and Indoraptor into full-on baddies, with these animals carrying a thirst for blood and fear.

Dodgson’s villainy was ignored after the introduction of Jurassic Park, but Jurassic World Dominion did him justice by adapting him as the main antagonist. Other sinister characters like Eli Mills and Vic Hoskins wanted to use the dinosaurs for their nefarious schemes and they were willing to kill for it.

Commentary On The Ethics Of Genetic Advancement

Owen Grady bonding with a baby Blue in Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom

One of the major plot points to remember before watching Jurassic World Dominion is that the dangers of advancement in genetics carry a risk for mankind. Jurassic Park had hints of this theme in each entry but never actually explored what the dangers truly were. The Jurassic World trilogy has brought this aspect forward, with the blood transfusion of the dinosaurs leading to terrifying creatures like the Indominus Rex and Indoraptor. 

In addition, the movies have looked into the unethical cruelty humans are capable of when they trap the dinosaurs for testing. The creation of sentient and intelligent creatures like Blue and whether it’s even acceptable to do so are social commentaries that Jurassic World has excelled in.

Romantic Elements

Owen and Claire about to kiss in Jurassic World

There are some characters fans saw a while before Jurassic World Dominion, namely Alan and Ellie. They finally had their romance resolved in the film, which was never fully addressed in the Jurassic Park movies. Of course, the main couple in the trilogy happens to be Claire and Owen.

The pair’s romance progressed from being people in conflict to confronting their feelings and eventually becoming a solid couple who were parents to Maisie. The Jurassic World trilogy has added romantic elements to make viewers care about the characters’ connection, which the Jurassic Park films never quite managed.

Explanation For The Dinosaurs' Enhanced Nature

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A common complaint from the Jurassic Park films was that the dinosaurs didn’t look historically accurate, such as the absence of feathers from raptors. The Jurassic World trilogy rectified this through the explanation of Henry Wu, who revealed that none of the dinosaurs were natural.

The movies took liberties with the way dinosaurs behaved since it turned out that every dinosaur has had DNA spliced by other creatures, meaning they were never supposed to be authentic. This allowed the fantastical feats performed by the dinosaurs to be believable within the context of the Jurassic World films.

Value Of Supporting Characters To The Plot

Henry Wu next to a locust corpse in Jurassic World Dominion

The role of supporting characters was generally to fill up the list of tragic deaths in the Jurassic Park films. Characters like Eddie Carr, Udesky, and Muldoon, among others, all made contributions to the plot but were interchangeable, too, since they just got killed off.

Jurassic World improved upon this to give supporting characters a reason to be on screen. This included the likes of Henry Wu, who turned from a villainous scientist to a person who wanted to redeem himself. Characters that perished like Benjamin Lockwood were important to advance the plot, such as Lockwood’s reveal that he was John Hammond’s business partner and made Jurassic World’s creation possible.

Bringing Resolution To Plotlines

The cast of Jurassic World Dominion stand in terror as they realize another Dino crisis is about to happen

Jurassic Park had a host of unresolved plotlines, such as what happened to InGen, the fallout from Alan’s kidnapping by the Kirbys, the reason for John Hammond’s ill health, and more. Jurassic World made it a point to resolve any cliffhangers by the next film and even answered many from the Jurassic Park trilogy.

Fans finally got to learn what became of Alan, Ellie, and Ian, along with the backstory of how Jurassic Park came into being. Jurassic World’s own stories of Blue’s fate in the human world, Maisie’s truth of being Charlotte’s biological daughter, and Owen and Claire’s relationship were all answered. The movies left no stone unturned by the end to leave fans satisfied with the overall experience.

NEXT: 11 Best Jurassic Park References In Jurassic World Dominion