Jurassic World: Rebirth brings back the primal terror of dinosaurs with impressive visuals and a return to the franchise’s core, but falls short on character depth and emotional investment. Read our full review.
🦖 Jurassic World: Rebirth – Dinosaurs Rule Again, But the Roar Is Muffled
The Jurassic franchise has survived for over three decades, evolving from groundbreaking thrillers to bloated blockbuster spectacles. With Jurassic World: Rebirth, director Gareth Edwards attempts to hit the reset button, dialing back the chaos to its roots—vulnerable humans vs. untameable dinosaurs. While the film succeeds in reclaiming some of that primal suspense, it stumbles with flat characters and an uninspired plot.
🎬 Story Overview: Familiar Premise with a Genetic Twist
Set years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, the narrative unfolds on Ile Saint-Hubert, a remote InGen facility where scientists are tasked with retrieving dinosaur DNA samples. The team, composed of Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), and Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), embarks on a dangerous expedition that pits them against land, sea, and airborne dinosaur species.
However, the plot loses its edge when a stranded family joins the mission, adding unnecessary weight to an already lean storyline. While the film avoids the militarized melodrama of previous Jurassic World entries, it doesn’t offer enough freshness to justify a continuation of the franchise.
🧬 Back to Basics: Man vs. Dinosaur, Again
One of Rebirth’s best moves is enlisting David Koepp, the original Jurassic Park writer, who brings back the classic “man vs. nature” tension. Dinosaurs are no longer controlled or weaponized—they’re back as unpredictable apex predators.
Gone is the battle of corporate villains and bio-engineered hybrids. Instead, we return to a straightforward yet effective formula: humans intruding into dinosaur territory and paying the price. It’s a welcome change, but it feels like a nostalgic retread rather than a narrative reinvention.
🎭 Performances: Star Cast, Surface-Level Roles
Despite a stellar cast, character development in Rebirth is shallow. Only Scarlett Johansson’s Zora gets a somewhat fleshed-out arc, though even that feels rushed and unearned. Her sudden shift from profit-driven explorer to ethical whistleblower is more convenient than convincing.
Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend lend gravitas, but their characters remain one-dimensional. The added subplot of the Delgado family—meant to evoke empathy and tension—ultimately feels redundant, distracting from the central mission without contributing meaningful stakes.
🌍 Visuals: Stunning But Story-Driven
If there’s one area Rebirth truly excels in, it’s the visual design. The film’s dinosaur encounters span land, sea, and sky—each rendered with breathtaking detail. The Mosasaurus underwater sequence is especially thrilling, a clear homage to Spielberg’s Jaws. These set pieces are not mere eye candy; they serve story progression, offering logistical hurdles for the team to overcome.
From dense jungles to foggy cliffs and glowing underwater realms, every environment feels alive—and dangerous.
❌ What Doesn’t Work
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Underdeveloped characters with little emotional connection
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Forced subplots (like the stranded family) that don’t add value
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Zora’s character arc feels rushed and unexplained
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No real innovation beyond returning to the old formula
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Too safe for a reboot effort; lacks narrative boldness
✅ What Works
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Return to classic Jurassic thrills
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Breathtaking visual effects and dinosaur designs
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A refreshingly non-weaponized portrayal of dinosaurs
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Subtle commentary on corporate exploitation and environmental ethics
🦕 Final Verdict
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.5/5)
Jurassic World: Rebirth is a respectable attempt to realign the franchise with its primal roots. It offers visually rich dinosaur mayhem and avoids many of the sins of its recent predecessors. However, it plays things too safe, failing to provide compelling characters or new narrative directions.
It’s a nostalgic ride that entertains momentarily but leaves little lasting impact. If Universal is planning more films, it will need more than just a visual facelift—it needs a bold new vision.
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