Audiences have big hopes for Jurassic World: Dominion, and with all the hype surrounding what is presumably the final chapter, the movie has to be one epic close. The film won't satisfy everyone regardless of how phenomenal it is. There are, however, a couple of things this chapter in the franchise can accomplish, one of which may simultaneously rectify a continuity error in Jurassic Park 3.
Before anything, this isn't a critique of the worst-rated Jurassic Park movie. The third installment possesses positive qualities that deserve recognition, and it's not as bad as the reviews make the movie out to be. Nevertheless, there's a crucial flaw in the storyline that we can't ignore, and it has to do with Elle Sadler (Laura Dern) and Allen Grant (Sam Neill).
In the third film, audiences learn Grant kept on digging for more bones while Elle married elsewhere. She also had a pair of kids, which we suspected Dr. Sadler would have with her former lover. The truth, unfortunately, is they broke up, remaining friends in the end. What's strange is that the first installment implied the exact opposite would happen.
Allen Grant Didn't Like Children
To recap, Allen Grant possessed a unique disposition towards children at the beginning of Jurassic Park. He even used an opportunistic exchange to frighten a rude kid beyond measure. Their interaction suggested Allen would never like kids or come around to Elle's subtle hints that she wanted to have some. Those expectations, however, quickly shifted.
Allen's harrowing journey with Tim and Lex through the park bonded them quite strongly. He went from not wanting to spend any time with them to willingly playing surrogate father. Because not only did he protect them, but Dr. Grant comforted them. He made the kids feel safe when the brachiosaurs reared their heads. Allen didn't have to, yet something compelled him to, which showed evolution in his character.
From a mean old grump to a compassionate, caring person, Grant changed quite a sum in a short time. Those developments continued to show as the film progressed, finally coming to a head in the last scene.
In it, the park survivors are aboard a helicopter on the way back to the mainland. Allen and Elle exchange looks of relief as they escape the dinosaur-ridden island to go on with their lives, and then they share a different thought expressed only by their facial expressions.
The camera pans to Elle, looking downward with a smile on her face. It's at Allen who has Lex and Tim nuzzled in his arms. They acknowledge the sight together, followed by Grant grinning, knowing what is to follow: children of their own. While audiences know the story didn't unfold that way, the expectations were always present. Everything about Allen's adventure through the park led us to believe he changed his mind about having children. The final scene should've sealed the deal, but the screenplay writers went in a different direction when Allen and Elle returned for the third film.
Potential To Rekindle Past Love
The good news is that Dominion possesses the potential to bring these lovebirds back together—the way they were supposed to. While the context surrounding their respective returns is still unknown, it's safe to assume they'll be back in each other's arms soon. Elle has a husband to consider. Of course, in a survival situation, he'd probably wind up as dino-chow. No one expects Elle's husband from Jurassic Park 3 to survive very long, and once he's out of the picture, that opens the door for Allen and Elle to rekindle an old romance. Keep in mind that they won't just fall for each other at the drop of a pin.
While an instantaneous declaration of love from either of them isn't in the cards, getting cornered by a vicious carnivore could muster up some unresolved feelings between the two. There's no guarantee, but facing death would motivate them to say everything that needs to be said.
Whether it happens or not, the hope is Dominion's director gave some thought to Elle and Allen's love story. The third Jurassic Park movie didn't do them justice, and it's about time that this onscreen couple gets the ending they deserve, one where they ride off into the sunset together. There's no way to say with certainty, but once a trailer for the movie drops, the case may be different. Perhaps a montage of scenes will show the couple holding hands as a shelter around them shakes in anticipation of a dinosaur breaching. Watching them cower as death stalks them sounds like something Universal would be an ideal suspense builder. We'll have to wait and see, though.
Jurassic World: Dominion premieres in theaters everywhere on June 10, 2022.