“Jurassic World Dominion” (Action/Adventure/Science-Fiction): 2 hours, 27 minutes)

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Rated: PG-13 (Language, intense sequences of action and violence)

Movie Review: Something has changed from the original “Jurassic Park” (1993). This movie franchise remains popular but the series is dwindling. This latest movie is an entertaining popcorn flick but one could care less about these characters. They are more annoying here, leaving one to just marvel at the multiple visuals of dinosaurs. 

“Jurassic World Dominion” takes place four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar. Dinosaurs are now living among humans all over the planet. 

Human-dinosaur interactions are happening everywhere, sometimes with devastating consequences. When a corporation begins tampering with new forms of dinosaurs that may threaten the balance of ecosystems, several people endeavor to stop the conglomerate. 

Monster movies still thrill audiences. That is what “Jurassic World Dominion” is. It entertains but it is gibberish, recycled material. 

The characters from two generations have aged but they have not matured over the years to be believable aged people. Despite several big-name stars in the cast, these people do not inspire anymore. They are mere secondary players to the multiple dinosaurs computer-generated and via animatronics. 

A nice message about various animals learning to share the planet exists at the conclusion. It is a poetic moment of sincerity that is more potent than the rest of this screenplay. That environmental inference would be a great way to conclude this franchise that is waning concerning quality.

Grade: C (Not a dominating powerhouse it once was.)

Playing at Valdosta Stadium Cinemas

“Watcher” (Drama/Thriller: 1 hour, 36 minutes)

Starring: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman and Burn Gorman

Director: Chloe Okuno

Rated: R (Bloody violence, profanity and sexual material/nudity)

Movie Review: “The Watcher” is an attention-getting psychological thriller. This is because of the fine performance of its lead, Maika Monroe, and the well-adapted screenplay by director-writer Chloe Okuno. Women writing and directing women in movies has become a solid block of cinema.

Monroe plays Julia, a young American woman. She is new to Bucharest, Romania, having recently moved there with her husband, Francis (Glusman). Days after their arrival, news of a serial killer decapitating women shocks the city. Julia believes a stranger, Daniel Weber (Gorman), living across the street may be the killer. Her paranoia leads to her watching Weber.

Okuno directed movie shorts such as “Slut” (2014) and a movie segment “Storm Drain” in the horror “V/H/S/94” (2021). “Watcher” marks her inauguration as a director-writer to watch. She easily to adapts Zack Ford. Okuno knows her material. She creates a screenplay that teases anxiety-filled moments.

Sure, the moments are predictable — this movie’s noticeable flaw — yet several positive attributes make “Watcher” good filmmaking. Monroe’s performance is good. She carries this photoplay. Gorman plays creepy well.

Moreover, the feature’s greatest asset is its ability to deliver on the concept of feminine intuition. Julia’s suspicions lead her to be just as equally suspicious. “Watcher” thrives on this dynamic, and its works, although Julia’s actions are peculiarly dumb sometimes. Julia’s actions irritate and engage simultaneously. That anxiety creates appealing excitement.

Grade: B (Watch it soon.)

Adann-Kennn Alexxandar has reviewed movies for more than 20 years for The Valdosta Daily Times.