Looking for validation from fans or even critics can be a double-edged sword. It’s arguably where “The Rise of Skywalker” ran into trouble: by catering too much to some amorphous fan desire. One can’t help but wonder if “Duel of the Fates” would have faced more scrutiny had it moved from the script to the actual screen like that film did. At the same time, Trevorrow’s attitude seems healthy insofar as it recognizes that making movies isn’t a solipsistic exercise — something he’s only doing for himself — but rather a delivery system for ideas and communication with an audience.

Before directing “Jurassic World: Dominion,” Trevorrow helmed a 2018 short called “Battle at Big Rock,” starring André Holland (“The Knick”). In his interview with THR, he also discussed how the positive reception to that film boosted his confidence going into “Dominion:”

“Battle at Big Rock, the short that we made, was received in a way that actually really, really made me feel good because I felt like it was me demonstrating what I love most about Jurassic Park, the essence of it for me, in a very pure, simple and straightforward way. So I really loved the reaction to that. That’s actually the thing that gave me the way forward.”

Reviews for “Jurassic World: Dominion” have been mixed-to-negative out of the gate; it currently holds a 33% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s unfortunate, but given how much Trevorrow seems to care about pleasing audiences, maybe he can take solace in knowing that its audience score rates higher at 80%. Or maybe numbers like these don’t really matter and the important thing for Trevorrow and the other creative people involved is that they got to make a movie — and have a learning experience while doing it.