Jurassic World: Rebirth attempts to evolve the franchise by blending modern-day chaos with dino-sized nostalgia. Humanity is once again doing the absolute most—science goes rogue, dinosaurs are on the loose (surprise!), and the plot splits into two survival storylines: one team is fully loaded with gear, and the other survives off candy and vibes. Sounds fun, right? Well, kinda.
Big names like Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali headline this dino-drama, but unfortunately, their talents are buried deeper than amber in a mosquito. Scarlett plays c grade Black widow, Mahershala channels his inner “cool soldier dad”, and then we get the predictable supporting cast: the snake-like corporate guy, the curious kid, the anxious scientist… it’s all very template, very déjà dino. They’re not bad, just bland. At a screening I attended, a guy had an animatronic triceratops puppet that showed more range than half the cast—put HIM in the sequel, please.
Visually, the film is decent. The landscapes are lush, the action is tight, and the camera work delivers enough swooping drone shots to make you dizzy with grandeur. The classic Jurassic Park score pops in at the right emotional moments, and yes, that awe-filled scene where man and dino lock eyes returns—it still hits.
However… where are the animatronics? The franchise was built on the tangible magic of practical effects, and here, we’re drowning in digital dinos. Everything feels a bit too smooth, too plastic. The new D-Rex (aka Discount Rancor) is teased throughout but barely shown—giving it the full Cloverfield treatment. It’s cool and creepy, but the secrecy feels like a missed opportunity.
The other mutant dinos introduced were, well… fine. Cool teeth, creepy eyes, but nothing we haven’t seen in other monster mashups. And while raptors do show up, it’s like they were contractually obligated to appear for five minutes and then disappear into the plot void.
The parallel storytelling structure—following both a high-tech survival squad and a makeshift family unit—was a solid idea on paper. One had gadgets, guns, and traversal kit; the other had emotional baggage and liquorice. It gave the film variety but lacked the momentum to make either group truly compelling.
The big finale where both groups collide is entertaining, but it doesn’t reach the grandeur or chaos the franchise is known for. You get the sense that they’re saving all the real juice for the sequels, but the setup here feels undercooked. The film tries to straddle nostalgia and innovation but mostly leans on tropes and teaser moments. They introduce modern-day dinosaur-human fusion chaos and then immediately walk away from it. Why? That’s the movie I wanted!
There is a trilogy planned, apparently, but at this point I’m more interested in what that animatronic puppet guy from the screening has planned than what the writers cooked up next.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is like an expensive dino-themed escape room—flashy, familiar, but once it’s over, you kind of just shrug and move on. It has moments of fun, especially that oddly touching T. rex nap (seriously, give that dino an Oscar), but overall, it feels like a missed opportunity to evolve the franchise in a meaningful way.
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