Jurassic World: Dominion

How far can one take two musical notes? The trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion seems determined to answer that question. The B-flat / A / B-flat motif has been a part of almost every film in the franchise since its 1993 debut, but usually the melody is harmonized in a way that emphasizes wonder. Not so for this trailer: it takes about seven seconds for a note in the lower register to indicate a much more dour, even sinister mood. The melody then veers into new territory around 0:15, moving upwards as epic percussion batters the senses.

The next section punctuates a series of actors’ lines and action sequences between chordal stabs, with some emphasis also on diegetic sound effects. This proves to be more of a bridge to the next section featuring the Jurassic Park theme, with the famous motif returning at 1:07. This time, however, it’s stilted and broken up further, keeping the upwards half-tone motion but playing with the rhythmic expectations while omitting the initial note. In other words, it’s recognizably riffing off the main theme, while also subverting expectations by rendering it in a way more befitting a horror movie. It certainly fits the sublime spectacle of seeing so many dinosaurs now out in the open, in urban areas, across the world—which is certainly a key part of this film’s approach and attraction.

It’s not without the occasional reprieve, however, with the music pausing in the tradition of the comedy trailer to allow Jeff Goldblum’s character get a word in edgewise. Even this, however, is just a springboard for the sharpest ascent in musical drama yet in the trailer, as the latest salvo unleashes all the previous elements. The haunted theme, raucous percussion, and orchestra come at full bore—until an audiovisual blackout at 0:51, which sets up one more action scene, placing the emphasis on sound effects and the diegetic scene. Two more repetitions of this decidedly insidious iteration of the main Jurassic Park theme round things out alongside the main title card.

Whether done in an effort to keep things somewhat fresh or simply because it fits the overall ethos of the new film, this latest Jurassic Park trailer is arguably taking something of a risk. It intentionally subverts the emotional feel of its main theme, rendering a motif associated with adventure and wonderment into something else, something darker and more menacing. This shift is arguably counterbalanced by the fact that many of the original cast members are in this latest sequel (see the aforementioned Goldblum, among others). In any case, the trailer makes some effort to be distinct, even as the sixth entry in the series.

— Curtis Perry