As a massive dinosaur fan, it’s difficult to overstate how important Jurassic Park is to me. Even as certain elements of the original film have either been proven to be accurate (such as the theory that dinosaurs are closely related to birds) or exposed as fiction (the franchise’s iconic Velociraptors, for example, are based on the anatomy of the real-life Deinonychus), its impact on paleontology and pop culture is undeniable.
However, not all the sequels have the same impact. The most recent entry, Jurassic World Dominion, has faced criticism for its writing, a bizarre subplot involving locusts, and the shoehorning in of several original cast members as blatant nostalgia bait.
Given some of these concerns, I went into Jurassic World: Rebirth expecting little more than a few enjoyable moments with dinosaurs, and I was certainly not disappointed on that front.
Set a few years after the end of Dominion, Rebirth retcons a significant part of its ending: dinosaurs are no longer coexisting with humans. Due to outside environmental factors and disease, they are limited to several islands around the equator, where humans are strictly forbidden from setting foot. However, when a multinational pharmaceutical company needs samples from live dinosaurs to potentially synthesize a drug that can cure heart disease, they are willing to pay quite handsomely to access these dinosaur reserves. Executive Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) hires Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a former military operative, to assemble a team of mercenaries and a single paleontologist (Johnathan Bailey). This motley crew, along with a family of shipwrecked civilians they pick up along the way, heads to the islands to collect the DNA.
The biggest strength of this movie is its ability to tap into the sense of wonder and joy present in the original film. The way a Mosasaurus and several Spinosauruses (a semi-aquatic dinosaur) work together to fight humans invading their territory is both frightening and awe-inspiring. A scene with a herd of Titanosaurs (the largest class of sauropods ever to walk the earth) that echoes the beautiful Brachiosaurus reveal by the watering hole in the original Jurassic Park had me smiling right along with the movie’s characters. These moments showcasing the power and beauty of dinosaurs are essential for the movie’s pacing, and reminded me why I’ve stuck with this franchise in the first place.
However, I grow tired of how Jurassic World has decided that regular dinosaurs aren’t interesting enough. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with trying to expand upon what genetic mutations can do—and the introduction of the series’ Indominus Rex in the first World movie was genuinely well-done—in this case, it feels tacked-on.
Rebirth introduces us to yet another T. Rex variant: Distortus rex, a four-armed creature with a bulbous head reminiscent of a whale; the result of a failed genetic experiment. Flanked by several “Mutadons” (a hybrid of Velociraptors and Pteranodons), this strange creature serves as the principal saurian antagonist of the film. However, “dinosaur” is a bit of a stretch: these creatures resemble the latest Alien film more than anything. I didn’t find these deformed animals particularly horrifying or interesting: the viewer doesn’t get much backstory, and they barely appear in the first two thirds of the movie. This film could have easily used dinosaurs based in reality without much of a change.
As for the characters, I was charmed more than I’d anticipated. While a couple of characters die before we even get to know them, the main cast is compelling. Dr. Henry Loomis’ optimism and advocacy for both the dinosaurs and humanity are heartwarming, and his dynamic with the cynical Zora develops naturally. I also found an unexpected favourite in David Iacono’s Xavier, the civilian slacker boyfriend of the family’s teenage daughter, who was brought along on their sailboat at the last minute. While somewhat obnoxious, he has quite a few genuinely funny moments, and he is sincere enough that his stupidity is endearing rather than grating. For a standalone film, Rebirth does a good job of giving its characters complete arcs alongside the intense action sequences.
If you’re looking for a loud and exciting movie that stands well on its own, then Jurassic World: Rebirth is worth a watch. This is a promising addition to the franchise, mainly because of its lack of focus on the mutant dinosaurs (though I still wish they weren’t there at all). While this isn’t my favourite film from the Jurassic Park universe, it’s certainly the best one that’s come out in the last several years. I can only hope that they’ll continue to tell new stories without overly relying on gimmicks and keep their focus on the stories of real dinosaur species. After all, isn’t that what we’re here to watch?