As a massive fan of the Jurassic Park franchise, it was difficult not to be skeptical of Rebirth. After all, the “end of the Jurassic era” just occurred merely three years ago with the massively disappointing Jurassic World: Dominion. Why would there be a series reboot so soon afterward, and would it have anything left to say? The casting of Scarlett Johansson, an actress who always puts out interesting work but rarely wows, seemed a poor replacement for the combined starpower of Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill. To my surprise, Rebirth absolutely reinvigorated my passion for the series. Featuring a standout performance from Jonathan Bailey as an adorable nerd and a tightly-knit family that are roped into the action, there’s plenty to love. It might not reach the heights of Jurassic World or Fallen Kingdom, but Jurassic World: Rebirth marks a welcome return to form for a series that appeared destined to close its gates for good.
In the thirty-two years that have passed since the dinosaurs were resurrected for human entertainment, the world has not been kind to them. After multiple incidents involving countless deaths, the dinosaurs still roam the earth, slowly dying out as their bodies can no longer tolerate the harsh climate. One location near the equator still exists where multiple species of dinos thrive—this spot also happens to be the site of genetic testing that birthed the creatures for the original park. Yes, Rebirth has at least two new major hybrids, and also features fan favorites in smaller doses. There’s a sort of greatest hits angle here that makes it exciting to watch, as we never know what unseen foes could be lurking just around the corner. An addition of an absolutely adorable little baby Aquilops, built in animatronic form to emulate the technology of the original movie, adds an extra spark of magical cuteness.
As for the human cast, an essential ingredient in these movies, the fresh blood hold a decent amount of depth that could be further explored in subsequent sequels. Johannson plays Zora, a glorified mercenary who has recently lost a close friend in the line of combat. Rebirth‘s smarmy millionaire comes in the form of Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), head of a pharmaceutical company on the verge of a major breakthrough. Krebs enlists Zora to carry out a mission with a serious payday. If they can collect the DNA of three different dinos with century-plus lifespans, the company can use this to potentially create a revolutionary cure for heart disease. Vital to the journey: Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey)—no, not that Doctor Loomis—a charming, passionate animal lover who has come up with a method to extract the blood in a quick enough way to not be unceremoniously eaten. Zora and her crew (including Mahershala Ali’s Duncan) head out for the equator, straight into a forbidden danger zone.
In an excellent narrative choice that recalls Jurassic Park III, a family of three, plus the eldest daughter’s eternally shirtless stoner boyfriend, end up involved by way of proximity. A giant Mosasaur capsizes their boat, and Zora and her crew pick them up on their way to tracking that very same Mosasaur. Almost immediately, there’s a clash of personalities. While the father of the group, Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), shows concern for their safety, Martin wants to charge full steam ahead. A swarm of dangerous Spinosaurs takes the literal wind out of their sails, causing the whole group to become separated and seemingly stranded on the experimental island. This splits them back into two separate factions: the first is the family, while Zora and her crew make up the second. A wildcard would have been welcome by putting a sole member from either group into the opposing one, yet each side still remains interesting enough to matter.
Of the Delgado family, the youngest, Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and the lazy boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono) are the most fun to watch. The former bonds with that aforementioned Aquilops, whilst the latter has an excellent arc that shows off personal growth. In the other crew, only Henry leaves much of an impression. His wonderment emulates that of Ellie Sattler as he encounters a large group of Titanosaurs. Thanks to Bailey’s performance, his genuine excitement rubs off on the audience. Zora is a bit underwritten, but she could get better if Johansson returns for another entry. Each dinosaur encounter feels dangerous and new. A raft scene pulled straight from the pages of Michael Crichton’s novel plays out in a jaw-dropping manner, and Rebirth‘s wild D-Rex looks horrificly ugly. Each action set piece allows more time to see how this new set of players react to their surroundings. Subsequently, we also get front row seats to Gareth Edwards’s masterful moviemaking. He frames scenes with an assured hand, and nicely paces his movie to leave room for quieter intimate moments.
As far as the tone, this one has far less humor than the previous trilogy, instead shifting focus to a darker edge more akin to the original or Fallen Kingdom. The opening scene gave those classic Jurassic Park vibes without needing to pander to prior iterations. There are plenty of Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout in an organic way that will no doubt please the diehards. Still, they soldiered ahead on this installment to appease to the masses rather than make the concept more insular in nature. This means expecting franchise mainstay cameos will lead to disappointment. Additionally, guessing who will survive and who exists for strictly dinosaur food has never been easier. The stakes do not feel as diminished as they did in Dominion, yet they still could use some work when it comes to killing off major players. Ultimately, while not completely perfect, Jurassic World: Rebirth brings back a cultural, genre-defining adventure flick with a vengeance. Thrilling and endlessly engaging, this Rebirth shows vital promise for future dino-destruction and epic world building.
For the home video release, Universal Home Entertainment truly spared no expense. We have a treasure trove of supplemental materials—namely, an alternate opening and two deleted scenes both with unfinished VFX; a blooper reel; two distinct commentary tracks; an hour-long behind-the-scenes documentary about “Hatching a New Era” of Jurassic; and multiple other featurettes highlighting sound, animatronics, human deaths, and easter eggs galore! While the commentary track I listened to was mostly a more clinical approach to the filmmaking, the behind-the-scenes feels incredibly comprehensive as it highlights the biggest set pieces and the artistry behind them. The easter eggs are also a blast to revisit, including direct wardrobe callbacks. While there’s doubt the next film will continue on with the cast we grew to love here, it’s probably safe to say that the central crew minus the family will return for more. To date, Rebirth has grossed nearly one billion dollars at the global box office—a massive achievement in our post-Covid world. Don’t miss out on your chance to own this exciting new chapter in the ever-expanding saga!
Meddle with the science of franchise DNA along with Jurassic World: Rebirth, spawning Tuesday, September 9th on 4K Blu-Ray.
Great review. I really want to see this soon