THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
We have an interest in dinosaurs because they look cool in comparison to the animals that roam the planet now. When Jurassic Park came out, it definitely felt great that they weren't around anymore. When the franchise got new energy in the 2010s, we got back to the feeling that things will always look cool. But to me, we need to be reminded that these creatures were the most dangerous.
PLOT
The 2019 short Battle at Big Rock takes place one year after the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar were released into the world when a black market auction went awry. The story follows a blended family have a camping trip in Big Rock National Park. The family includes: Dennis, his wife Mariana & their children Kadasha, Mateo and their unnamed infant son. Their trip goes swell until they have their first encounter. Like other campers nearby, they hide inside their RV and witness a dispute between the predator Allosaurus and the herbivore Nasutoceratops family. When the Dino family leaves, the carnivore turns its attention on Dennis’ family when his son begins to fearfully cry. Just when it destroys the RV to get to them, it chooses to retreat after the young Kadasha defends her family by shooting at it with a crossbow. As the family embraces after a shocking turn of events, the short film ends with a slew of found footage clips showing other dinosaurs make their way and begin adapting to the new world out there.
THOUGHTS
After having mixed feelings over Fallen Kingdom, I was uncertain on whether or not to be excited about Dominion. However, this short refueled my excitement as I enjoyed what was shown for a total of 10 minutes. Returning to the director’s chair for the series, Colin Trevorrow succeeds in making a bone chilling experience to remind viewers that it is a bad idea if dinosaurs were to ever live in the same period as 21st century Homo sapiens. While this statement is clear, he further uses this scenario to explain that you must prepare for change because change doesn’t prepare for anyone. If you don’t do that, you’ll never see it coming. When we focus on the family led by Andre Holland’s Dennis and Natalie Martinez’ Mariana, they are indeed a loving family, but their decision to not overthink their new era of history, it led to such a traumatizing moment. Of course, the visual effects were a big selling point for keeping the dinosaurs appear as realistic as they’ve appeared in the prior full length films. Aside from the carnivorous Allosaurus that proved to be relentless creature, the Nasutoceratops definitely gave a moment of intimidation since the herbivore always attacked when feeling threatened. Knowing that there are more dinosaurs out there, you bet your ass that they’ll remain self aware for other threats that could come their way. To wrap up, Battle at Big Rock was a smart prelude to show audiences that this change in the franchise’s world is bigger than one would realize. If you’re still a fan of the Jurassic Saga at this point, I hope you enjoy this as well.
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