Jurassic World: Rebirth Dir: Gareth Edwards (13th Floor Film Review)
Jurassic World: Rebirth is the seventh incarnation of the franchise and it delivers blockbuster action and strong performances from its core cast—but ultimately, it is more sad than exhilarating.
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein.
Let us take a moment to reflect upon the OG Jurassic Park—the one that changed movies forever and birthed my favourite cheesy dinosaur joke*.
It was a cinematic experience for the ages: completely original, utterly thrilling. Who can forget that iconic “first look” moment? The swell of John Williams’ soaring score, the expressions of shock and awe on Laura Dern’s and Sam Neill’s faces?
Sadly, Jurassic World: Rebirth has less of the shock and awe and more of the we’ve seen this all before.
Set 20 years after the reintroduction of dinosaurs into the ecosystem, familiarity has bred contempt. People have grown jaded and ambivalent to the presence of these magnificent creatures. Dinosaurs have been reduced to languishing in zoos and forgotten theme parks—or occasionally taking a leisurely stroll through city traffic, possibly in search of their agents.
One of the opening sequences features a bewildered Brontosaurus looming over the Rockefeller Center, and instead of running and screaming, the people are more “Get outta the way, Barney, ya dickhead.” How very New York of them.
Enter our core cast:
- Rupert Friend as Martin Krebs, the almost comically evil big pharma guy;
- Scarlett Johansson as Zora Bennett, a mercenary for hire who just happens to be really, really good-looking;
- Jonathan Bailey as dinosaur expert Dr. Jonathan Lumis—who, oddly enough, has never actually seen a dinosaur in person. But it’s Jonathan, so we forgive him. He’s turning out to be one of those actors who elevates every project he’s in, and we’re just happy to see him. He is also really, really good-looking.
Naturally, the evil pharma guy has an evil scheme: to harness dinosaur DNA and develop a cure for heart disease, which he’ll then sell to the highest bidder in a move of Martin Shkreli proportions.
The problem (apart from, you know, ethics) is that the dinosaurs he needs are not the tame, has-been city dwellers trying to stay relevant like the cast of And Just Like That. No, he needs the Mosaurus (Seasaurus), Titanosaurus (Landsaurus), and Quetzalcoatlus (Skysaurus).
And where do they live?
Surprising no one: a remote island—Île Saint-Hubert—formerly a Jurassic Park research facility. Because in a misguided attempt to MAGA (Make Archosaurs Great Again), some rogue geneticists had been creating hybrid mutations there. Which is exactly as nasty as it sounds.
Obviously, there was a terrible accident, and the facility was shut down. The island is now overrun by these grotesque “Freakasaurs.”
With $10 million on the table, Zora agrees to assemble her crack team of soldiers of fortune, featuring:
- Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kinkaid, still reeling from personal tragedy;
- Ed Skrein as brash and unlikable Bobby;
- Philippine Velge as Nina whose character is sadly so underwritten that her arc carries little emotional weight.
On the way to the island, the crew rescues a family whose boat was capsized by a Seasaurus. They’re mostly there to provide a “child in peril” subplot and introduce Delorus, the cute baby dinosaur who bonds with Isabella (Audriana Miranda), aka “the cute child.”
There’s also a subplot involving Manuel Garcia-Rulfo connecting with his teenage daughter’s stoner boyfriend played by David Iacono. It’s sweet, if a little on the nose—and could’ve been lifted from a dozen other adventure flicks.
Bailey, Johansson, and Ali are the heart of Jurassic World: Rebirth, and they carry it well. But they’re weighed down by a premise that brings nothing particularly fresh to the franchise.
That said, there are some great action moments—especially the aquatic pursuit of the Mosaurus, which delivers big-screen thrills. And the climactic showdown with a grotesque mutant dinosaur (the “WTAFsaurus”) manages to be more sad than scary—a fitting metaphor for what happens when humans try to bend nature to their will for ego and profit.
(Not that there was anything natural about bringing dinosaurs back in the first place—but still.)
There’s a sense of joy and wonder in the original films that’s largely absent here. This reboot, while competent, feels more generic than Jurassic.
Jurassic World Rebirth is not a terrible movie. Plenty of people will enjoy it. Apparently, ScarJo is a longtime fan of the franchise and called this role a dream come true—and I’m genuinely happy for her. I just wish she had better material to sink her teeth into.
*And that dinosaur joke?
What do you call a blind dinosaur?
A Doyouthinkhesaurus.
Jo Barry
Jurassic World Rebirth is in cinemas now. Click here for tickets and showtimes.
