No Dunks: 'Jurassic World Dominion' Rewatch | Jurassic Pals

Date: September 11, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode of their summer spin-off series "Jurassic Pals," the No Dunks crew—Skeets, Tas, Trey, and JD—dissect the sixth and most recent entry of the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Dominion. Known for their basketball coverage, the hosts swap hoops for dinos, breaking down the plot, critiquing characters, poking fun at blockbuster excess, and assessing whether this much-hyped dinosaur saga delivered—or, as most of the panel feels, fizzled. With franchise fatigue setting in, the hosts share their honest (and often hilarious) takes scene-by-scene, highlight the movie’s wildest and weirdest moments, and debate whether this $465 million spectacle does justice to the legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Expensive, Overstuffed Finale

• Budget & Scope:
  Skeets discusses how this was "the most expensive film ever made" with COVID delays inflating costs to $465 million. Despite this, it grossed $1 billion worldwide.
  (00:52) “People just can’t quit these dinosaurs.” – Skeets
• Plot Chaos:
  The panel agrees it’s the hardest plot to follow: too many characters, locations, and storylines.
  (03:54) “This one is—well, do your head in, because we are bouncing around. There’s so many characters. We’re jumping from here to there.” – Skeets (03:48) “In hour two, there are at least four different movies going on at the same time.” – JD

2. “Big Bug Movie”—The Locust Wildcard

• The gang fixes on the decision to center much of the plot on giant, genetically modified locusts. They find this baffling in a franchise ostensibly about dinosaurs.
• (25:51) “I did like the swarm of locusts the first time they did it. I thought it was a cool, frightening scene.” – JD
• (75:27) “This really wasn’t about dinosaurs, Frankenstein, bugs. Yeah, the dinos, they’re fine. We’re just gonna keep letting them live.” – Trey

3. Reuniting the Original Cast

• The cast reunites Goldblum, Neill, and Dern. While the nostalgia pops, hosts feel the movie reduces these legends to “sad sacks” and "dummies" for comedy effects.
• (30:04) “They just made Grant…even Sattler and Malcolm, just the sad sack characters and dummies of this movie.” – Skeets
• JD laments the “worst piece of dialogue” where Sattler’s return is revealed via awkward scene setup.
  (28:48) “Get up here. Like, you gotta see this.” – JD

4. Character Choices and Absurdities

• Dr. Wu’s redemption arc is collectively panned. He’s “exhausted,” “the worst guy I know,” and his late-turn to hero is widely mocked. (46:12) “He does look tired.” – Tas (46:58) “He’s got nothing good. He’s over.” – Trey
• Owen’s “hand trick” with raptors becomes a running joke, described as “the Palm has become the Force.” (15:06) “The palm has become the Force, as we will see.” – Trey (16:12) “This is Star Wars. This is—the Palm is absolutely 100% the Jedi mind trick.” – JD

5. Set Piece Highlights

• Malta Chase:
  The hosts universally praise the extended dino-chase through Malta as the film’s standout.
  (36:33) “By far the best part of the movie for me.” – JD (36:10) “This is even a Jurassic Park movie? Because it ain’t, right? Really. It’s an action movie.” – Trey
• Claire’s Underwater Stealth:
  A rare consensus: Claire’s sequence blocking the dinosaur under water looks “spectacular,” “actually good.”
  (52:13) “I liked the scene when Claire is getting followed by Edward Scissorhands and she sneaks into a pond. …That was pretty cool.” – Trey (54:29) “The shot with Claire underneath the water. Spectacular stuff. It looked pretty.” – Tas

6. Convenient, Illogical, and Often Bizarre Plot Moves

• Paraguay of climate zones within walking distance, hand-waving over geography and logistics, convenient reunions. (52:59) “They’re what, three miles apart? Completely different climates.” – JD
• Amusing discussion about negligible effects of dinosaurs on the ecosystem—cows and horses kill more people per year.

7. Callouts to Franchise Lore

• Dodgson’s return (from the first film) and the Barbasol can elicit laughs and “fan service” acknowledgment. (09:05) “JPIP. Yes. Business is booming…” – Skeets (09:29) “Consider this fan service.” – JD
• Missed opportunities: No “hold on to your butts” callback despite a character who seemed perfectly set up for it. (37:31) “But why not make her Ray Arnold’s daughter? And then she just says, hold on to your butts.” – JD

8. The Ending and Lack of Stakes

• The hosts are let down that none of the main characters die—diminishing dramatic tension.
  (62:08) “There’s seven people hiding together. I was like, wow, kill one of these people off.” – Trey (91:39) “We just want that money shot of having them all together.” – JD
• The new “dino-human coexistence” status quo is dismissed as barely explored. (75:00) “Dinosaurs, we’re just going to let them live. The same way they were living before.” – Trey

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Fan Service & Franchise Satire

• (09:29) JD: “Consider this fan service.” (On returning Jurassic Park characters)
• (28:48) JD on Dr. Grant: “There’s a girl in your tent, man, get up here. Like, you gotta see this.”

The “Palm Trick” and Star Wars Parallels

• (15:06) Trey: “The palm has become the Force, as we will see.”
• (16:12) JD: “This is Star Wars. The Palm is absolutely 100% the Jedi mind trick.”

On the Plot’s Sprawl

• (03:54) Skeets: “Thank God for IMDb plot synopsis and Wikipedia and all that. …This one will do your head in...”

On the Malta Setpiece

• (36:33) JD: “By far the best part of the movie for me. … The chase through the streets. Actually good.”

On Dr. Wu’s Exhaustion

• (46:12) Tas: “He does look tired.”
• (46:56) Trey: “He’s got nothing good. He’s over.”
• (73:31) JD: “He was only so happy to do that, too. …That’s the happiest you’ve ever seen him.”

On Missed Callbacks

• (37:31) JD: “Why not make her Ray Arnold’s daughter? And then she just says, hold on to your butts. …That never gets said in this movie.”

Malcolm’s Zingers

• (81:26) Trey: “Prometheus got gourd. So will you, you rapacious rat bastard.” (Malcolm on Dodgson)

On the Stakes (or Lack Thereof)

• (62:08) Trey: “There’s seven people hiding together. I was like, wow, kill one of these people off.”
• (91:45) JD: “We want the Avengers shot, and it’s still a kids movie, so we can’t kill anybody in their minds, which, really, I don’t…”

Important Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & Setup; Movie Costs & Box Office: 00:00–03:40
• Movie Plot Setup & Structure Talk: 03:41–08:32
• Fan Service (Dodgson, Barbasol, Cameos): 09:00–11:08
• Jurassic News Report Gimmick & Poll: 05:29–07:44
• Malta Black Market & Action Scene: 32:06–39:44
• Claire’s Underwater Scene: 52:13–54:29
• Biosyn Facility, Locust Plot, and Sattler/Grant Reunion: 26:42–31:04
• Gigantosaurus & ‘Avengers’ Ensemble: 60:47–62:57
• Final Act, Dino Showdown, and What’s Next: 68:08–71:02
• Random Observations & Franchise Fatigue: 80:31–86:00
• Critics'/Audience Ratings; Crew Rankings: 87:32–93:01

Hosts’ Final Thoughts and Rankings

• Tas:
  Liked the action but overwhelmed by the mashup of plots; gives it a 5/10. ("I'm going five.")
• Trey:
  Finds it poorly structured but likes some silly moments and Malcolm’s lines; 3/10. ("Three out of ten for me.")
• JD:
  Calls it the worst of the franchise, missing stakes and dramatic payoff; 1/10. ("This is a one. If I could go lower, I would.")
• Skeets:
  Also ranks it last, wants real character stakes and emotional payoff; 2/10. ("I'm going two out of ten.")

Wrap-Up: Tone and Takeaways

The No Dunks crew’s tone is candid and comedic, mixing affection for the franchise’s history with critical exhaustion at this latest, overstuffed entry. Their scene-by-scene banter highlights plot absurdities, misplaced priorities (big bugs over big dinos), missed opportunities for satisfying callbacks, and the diminishing magic of dinosaurs on screen. A few action setpieces and comedic lines pop, but most of the episode reflects on Dominion as a spectacular but hollow spectacle, leaving the hosts (and probably many listeners) longing for a tighter story and a more satisfying conclusion to the dino saga.

Highlights Table

| Segment | Time | Highlight/Quote | |---------|------|-----------------| | Opening, Crew Intros | 00:00–03:41 | “I wish I never had [seen this one].” — Skeets | | Dodgson & Franchise Callbacks | 09:00–11:08 | “Consider this fan service.” — JD | | Malta Action Scene | 32:06–39:44 | “By far the best part of the movie...” — JD | | Claire's Underwater Escape | 52:13–54:29 | “Spectacular stuff. It looked pretty.” — Tas | | Criticism of Plot & Stakes | Throughout | “There’s no stakes.” — JD | | Crew Rankings | 87:32–93:01 | 1–5 out of 10 range; “Worst of the six movies.” — Skeets |

For listeners wondering if they can skip this entry in the Jurassic series—the No Dunks crew would suggest, yes…unless you’re a diehard dino completist, or just want to hear some friends crack wise about blockbuster chaos and franchise fatigue.