“Jurassic World: Rebirth” Review: A Fun, Edge-Of-Your-Seat Return To The Good Ol’ OG

After three years of waiting, fans can finally sink their teeth into the latest installment of the beloved “Jurassic” movie franchise. “Jurassic World: Rebirth” explores what life is like when humans have no choice but to co-exist with dinosaurs – a fascinating premise. No longer bound to just museums or picture books, the prehistoric giants are roaming the streets – with the biggest of them living on an isolated area near the equator. 

Set in the modern day, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” follows a team of mercenaries looking for the biggest and baddest dinosaur in search of a solution that would extend human life. Though the team is educated about the resurrected beasts, they are thrown a curveball when they encounter something they are not prepared for. Directed by Gareth Edwards and written by David Koepp, it stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, Audrina Miranda, David Iacono, and Ed Skrein. Does this ragtag crew, and the film as a whole, have what it takes to continue John Hammond’s work and do the “rebirth” portion of the film’s title some justice, or will this film walk the way of the dinosaurs?

Set five years after the events of “Jurassic World: Dominion”, Earth’s environment has proven to be inhospitable for the remaining dinosaur population. Now, the remaining members of the dying species are located on a remote tropical island, with the largest of them holding the key to extending human life.

Zora Bennett (Johansson), Duncan Kincaid (Ali), and Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) are recruited by Marin Krebs (Friend) to visit the island and extract DNA from three of the largest dinosaurs on the island in exchange for a handsome reward. However, much like most visits to the dinosaur-infested island, things go awry quickly as something far more menacing than most stirs behind the shadows.

With a run time of 2 hours and 14 minutes, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is a visual and action-packed treat for those looking for a good – but not too terrifying of a scare. From swimming with the mosasaur to flying high with the quetzalcoatlus, the characters have magnificent encounters with the majestic creatures which define the movie – and without them or the skilled direction of Gareth Edwards, this entry would have flopped hard.

Known for his work in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and 2014’s “Godzilla”, Edwards once again flexes his skill when it comes to making massive beasts and equally massive set pieces.

Of course, this dinosaur narrative would not matter if it weren’t for the human cast. In our firm opinion, they are a solid upgrade from the Chris Pratt-led trilogy, as they are far more likeable characters and have better chemistry with one another. Johansson does a pretty convincing job as a covert operation specialist with a sense of humour, rather than some stuck-up badass-for-the-sake-of-badass role. Because of that, she can easily mingle with the rest of the crew, such as Ali’s Duncan. In a brief scene, we actually get to explore how deep this relationship goes fluidly, with few to no hiccups or forced interaction.

Johansson also enjoys far more chemistry with Bailey’s Loomis than the previous installment’s dynamic duo did. Sure, you can see some sparks fly, but there is no forced interaction between the two. This leaves plenty of potential for future installments (if any) but also gives the film plenty of breathing room for the audience to just enjoy what they’re there for: big dinosaurs.

Friend’s Krebs is also an amazing addition to the cast. He adds a lot of friction to the film, but some of it is unwarranted. Since he is the corporate bad guy figure – as in the OG “Jurassic Park” – he is immediately compared to previous bad guys in the franchise. Though it is not necessarily off-base, it still seems unfair, as he isn’t a total sleazebag like previous human antagonists. Out of all the characters, he is the one we have issues with the most, as he is capable of being a good guy, but it feels as though the writer just decided the film needed a human antagonist and made Krebs take the fall for it.

The supporting cast also delivers an excellent performance, with Garcia-Rulfo, Blaise, and Miranda adding exciting tension to the film. But among them, the most likeable supporting character has to be Iacono’s Xavier Dobbs, taking the lead as one of the side characters who has one of the better character arcs throughout the movie. 

However, if we were to pick out any flaw, it would be the idea of “rebirth” – or the lack thereof. There’s not a single scene that alludes to the film’s title; in fact, it is quite the opposite. The biomaterials the team is extracting do not resurrect people, nor do they usher in some sort of rebirth, which is completely confusing. Perhaps it is one of those instances where they just couldn’t find a proper subtitle for this entry.

Many online have even argued that this entry is actually quite pointless, and to some degree, they are not wrong, as it does not really explore much of the previously-established mutated dinosaur aspect, or the fallout of Biosyn, if any. It is a standalone movie, yes, but some deeper continuity would still be greatly appreciated. And if it is indeed a standalone movie, the least it could have done is lose some scenes and story beats that it shamelessly copies from the original.

Overall, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is a fun entry in the storied “Jurassic Park” franchise, but not without its flaws. It features a far stronger and more likeable cast than the previous installment but is also, arguably, an unnecessary entry all the same, with its pointless plot and lack of continuity. However, it is still a step in the right direction, with a sequel all but sure to keep this legacy franchise alive. We just hope, if a follow-up is slated, that it will continue to go up from here.

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” will roar its way into theatres on 3rd July.