Jurassic World Rebirth Review: Scarlett Johansson Stars in Love Letter to Series

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Prepare yourselves, as just three years after the release of Jurassic World Dominion, touted as “the grand finale of the Jurassic era,” another sequel is in the works due to Hollywood’s insatiable appetite for exploiting intellectual properties. Jurassic World: Rebirth functions as a reboot, focusing on a fresh group of protagonists who embark on a mission to recover dinosaur DNA samples from the original Jurassic Park research facility on an island. However, if you’re familiar with the Jurassic series, you’ll understand that venturing into an island teeming with dinosaurs is not advisable if you want to avoid becoming someone’s lunch.

Dominion serves as an acceptable addition to the series. It’s not groundbreaking nor disappointing; it effectively delivers the Jurassic Park experience with grand spectacles and a striking visual aesthetic. This movie is helmed by Gareth Edwards, who has previously directed films like Godzilla (2014), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and The Creator. His signature style is evident, particularly in the opening scene that echoes his work on the Godzilla opening, where a character must prevent a glass door from being opened, potentially sealing someone’s fate to doom.

Edwards consistently ventures beyond boundaries, demonstrating exceptional skills as a visual storyteller. Notably, he utilized the Sony FX3, an economical cinematic camera that numerous aspiring filmmakers can afford, for most of The Creator. For Jurassic World Rebirth, however, he reverted to shooting on 35mm film, which gives the movie a nostalgic vibe reminiscent of the original films, particularly those directed by Spielberg. This approach results in a film that seems like a revival of late-20th century blockbusters, notably Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. One of the early scenes in the film appears to pay homage to the “creature in the water” sequences from Jaws. A scene featuring our main characters extracting dinosaur DNA from eggs seems to draw inspiration from the visual style of the opening scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Initially, it’s evident that Edwards holds a deep affection for this series, as evidenced by the numerous Easter eggs he’s included. For instance, we get a quick glimpse of “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear,” a character passes by “Crichton Middle School,” a nod to the author Michael Crichton who wrote Jurassic Park, and even the famous “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth” sign is shown. The story then catches us up on the current state of this series post-Jurassic World Dominion. We discover that dinosaurs are gradually becoming extinct due to their inability to adapt to our modern ecosystem impacted by climate change. Most surviving dinosaurs now live isolated in distant, tropical regions far from civilization.

In a simpler, more conversational style: The “back-to-basics” strategy of confining dinosaurs on an island in the latest Jurassic World movie seems to take a step back from where the series has been going – exploring a world where humans and dinosaurs need to live together. The recent movies have pushed the boundaries of the franchise, but unfortunately, Dominion didn’t quite live up to that concept as much as we hoped. While Rebirth is generally better than Dominion, it seems like the scope of the world isn’t as expansive as what the idea of coexisting species could offer.

As a gamer, I embark on this fresh adventure with a new crew. I’ve got Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), my go-to gal for covert operations, joining me at the behest of pharmaceutical rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). We also have Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) aboard, our resident paleontologist, and Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), who’s leading the charge. These actors are undeniably gifted, but there are moments when I feel they could be giving more depth to their characters, perhaps due to some underdevelopment in the scripting.

As a die-hard Jurassic Park fan, I can’t help but be awestruck by Bailey’s portrayal of Henry. His genuine fascination with dinosaurs is palpable, and it’s clear that he yearns to get up close and personal with these prehistoric creatures. It’s a bit odd that he hadn’t had the chance to witness dinosaurs in person throughout the events of any of the previous movies, but his excitement mirrors the wonder Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler felt when they first laid eyes on the brachiosaurus in the original Jurassic Park.

In this role, Johansson is charming, but Zora as a protagonist lacks intrigue. Her character doesn’t stand out distinctly from others due to her abilities, personality, or beliefs. Her primary motivation for going to the island is financial gain, which feels unoriginal and the film could have offered something more captivating instead. Both Zora and Duncan have backstories, yet these are not effectively utilized within the plot. The movie attempts a character development arc where Zora makes a noble decision at the end, but her transformation feels inauthentic because she doesn’t undergo substantial change throughout the film. The movie fails to provide sufficient depth for the growth from the beginning to the end of Zora’s character, making it challenging to appreciate the high point she reaches at the end since there was not enough struggle or progress shown initially.

Though this isn’t a poorly assembled cast, it underscores the immense impact Chris Pratt had on this series, highlighting why he thrives as a leading actor. Despite Mahershala Ali, a two-time Academy Award winner, finally breaking free from Marvel Studios (it seems we’ll never see that Blade movie), this film doesn’t fully capitalize on his abilities. To put it simply, each character appears interchangeable, and the movie wouldn’t have been substantially altered if someone else had played their roles. Essentially, they all seem replaceable.

In essence, the second act primarily unfolds around two distinct narratives. One chronicles the journey of Zora, Duncan, Henry, and Martin as they scour for dinosaur DNA samples, while another focuses on a stranded family struggling to endure. Initially, these stories seem unrelated, but they later intertwine, offering some remarkable moments. A standout sequence is the one where characters navigate a jungle river on an inflatable raft, barely escaping encounters with dinosaurs – this scene was not included in the 1993 movie adaptation, but it’s been incorporated into the new version by writer David Koepp, and it truly shines as the most thrilling sequence in the entire film. Watching it had me gripped to my seat, making it a truly captivating experience.

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel my heart race when a helicopter soars skyward, accompanied by that iconic John Williams melody filling my ears. Alexandre Desplat delivers a score that fits this film like a glove. Jurassic World Rebirth seems to be a blend of the original and third Jurassic Park flicks in terms of storyline. Compared to other Jurassic movies, this one takes a more straightforward approach, placing us in a perilous setting where survival is key for our characters.

The film functions quite well, delivering some truly tense moments, especially during the gas station scene. However, it might not offer as much narrative complexity as some viewers might expect, given its focus on being a classic creature feature. Compared to the original Jurassic Park movie, which was an action-packed blockbuster brimming with thought-provoking themes about creation, nature, and scientific ethics, this new installment, Jurassic World Rebirth, does not delve into those concepts; instead, it sticks to its creature-feature formula but excels in its sequences. It’s important to note that this film has a smaller budget compared to the 2018 release, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($432 million vs $180 million), and it strives for a more straightforward approach, which it generally achieves successfully.

Despite finding the plot and characters not as thick as I’d prefer, Jurassic World Rebirth still managed to provide some enjoyable entertainment for me. The film boasts a striking visual style and presents some truly awe-inspiring scenes, which director Edwards handles admirably. His knack for showcasing scale is second to none, making tiny humans seem insignificant next to monsters like Godzilla or the Death Star. His selection as director for this dinosaur movie was spot on, and while this installment might not be the most ambitious in the franchise, it’s a heartfelt tribute to what makes the Jurassic World series so captivating.

SCORE: 6/10

According to the review guidelines at ComingSoon, a rating of 6 translates to “Average” or “Decent.” Unfortunately, it falls short of its true potential and offers an ordinary, unremarkable experience.

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2025-06-30 19:11