Jurassic World: Rebirth

2025
Directors: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, and more…

Five years post-Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

There’s something almost poetic about Jurassic World: Rebirth reviving a franchise that suggests the world is now bored of dinosaurs. That tension between spectacle and fatigue ends up setting the tone of the film.

On the surface, it looks like a return to what made the original film so great. There’s a new cast, a stripped-down mission, and a remote island packed with prehistoric danger that all aim to recapture the magic of the original Jurassic Park. To be fair, when the film leans into that formula ofhumans running, dinosaurs hunting, and chaos unfolding, it works for a time. The action sequences are stunning, the visual effects are impressive, and the dinosaurs still command attention in a way few cinematic creatures can.

It still just feels familiar. The reviews for this one have been pretty divisive. Honestly, Rebirth is still a lot of fun. The film wasn’t a disaster, but it also wasn’t an exciting new invigoration of the franchise. 

The dinosaurs aren’t the problem here. It’s everything going on around them. The characters aren’t fully realized and feel a little like avatars. The story moves quickly without a lot of emotional investment, making you feel like a bystander instead of emotionally investing you in the story and its world. Still, you can enjoy the spectacle even if they don’t fully sell the story.

Most people will enjoy Rebirth as a crowd-pleaser in the most straightforward sense. It offers thrills, chases, and giant creatures doing what they do best. It just doesn’t do much new with them. Somehow, the film felt like a theme park ride. It was fun in the moment and visually stimulating, but it doesn’t stick with you when the credits roll. It’s a visit to a fond nostalgic memory. On it’s own, not particularly memorable.

Jurassic World: Rebirth doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it keeps it moving. If you’re here for dinosaurs, you’ll get your money’s worth. If you’re hoping for something deeper or more daring, you may be disappointed. 

The film is rated PG-13 for action, bloody violence, and the expected dangerous dinosaur sequences. It’s a little over two hours and it goes by quickly. 

Isy