I’ve been a bit mean to the most recent Jurassic World films. Who are we kidding? I’ve been harsh. Who would have thought Ian Malcom’s iconic quote, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should,” could so easily describe both films? Well, Jurassic World Rebirth, the series’ hotly anticipated reboot, hits theaters this week. Will this be the “dino-tastic” fireworks we all need this Fourth of July weekend? Or should you just “hold on to your butts”? Read on.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth follows a pharmaceutical executive (Rupert Friend) with a wild idea. In this world, dinosaurs are now entirely passé. They cause traffic jams. For a while, they could be found on any street corner. Yet, he can’t help but think they might now be an untapped resource. Could dinosaurs even be used to cure heart trouble? Well, he teams up with a cunning security expert (Scarlett Johansson) and a wide-eyed paleontologist (Jonathan Bailey) to try and figure it out. Mahershala Ali, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Audrina Miranda costar in the movie. Gareth Edwards directs Jurassic World: Rebirth from a script by David Koepp.
Friends, I’m going to be blunt. We’re all grown-ups here. We’re old enough to handle the truth.
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When has the seventh film in any franchise been earth-shatteringly good? It’s a Herculean undertaking to be sure. Jurassic World Rebirth … kids, this is a tricky one. You’re going to encounter a lot of “Negative Nellie’s” among critics and franchise fans alike.
I can’t say that they’re entirely wrong. At the same time, though, this is a film that I believe is hurt by being in the Jurassic Park franchise.
Get ready for a hot take.
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More Schlocky Drive-In
Jurassic World Rebirth is what happens when you take a little Jurassic Park, add a sprinkle of King Kong, a dash of Mysterious Island and a pinch of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
Behind the camera, director Gareth Edwards feels like a kid in a very pricey candy store, and the result is a fascinating one. Edwards’ direction bursts with glee as he creates a work that is more schlocky drive-in film than a Jurassic Park movie. And I don’t think Edwards really minds. This is what he wants to do.
The young director wears his cinephile nerdom on his sleeve, loading the film with references to everything from the O.G. Jurassic Park to Star Wars and even, seemingly, King Kong and Ray Harryhausen films. He’s making the B-monster movie to end all B-monster movies. A schlocky creature feature with a studio-sized budget.
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Timeless
Moments of Jurassic World Rebirth feel somehow timeless. This is a film where, if you were to swap out the computer graphics with hand puppets, miniatures and matte paintings, you’d end up with almost the same movie. This story could be told with minimal tweaks in 1935, 1955 and even 1975. I’m just not sure it feels right in 2025.
This is largely due to some quirky script choices. At two hours and 15 minutes, it does feel a bit too long. At the same time, Jurassic World Rebirth struggles if you’re looking for “dramatic stakes.” Koepp’s script, instead, chooses to wreak havoc on a group of “red shirts” built into the storytelling. I should stop right there. You know, spoilers.
This becomes all the more entertaining thanks to the ever-present hint of an almost cartoonish violence hanging over this world. A member of the main cast falls off a cliff that’s far too high and bounces back in a way only Wile E. Coyote could appreciate. At the same time, there’s a heavy reliance on “hands of the screenwriter” storytelling. “How did that happen?” You ask? The screenwriter thought it was a good idea. Sometimes, that’s all the development you’re getting.
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Met on Its Own Terms
Honestly, the film that results from Edwards’ giddy, stylistic crafting would do better not having to live in Jurassic Park‘s gigantic shoes. Having so much to live up to automatically sets the movie up for failure. While there’s been plenty of critical debate about the most recent film’s quality, for those who remember the 1990s, the original film casts a nostalgic glow that’s hard to live up to. Any movie is going to struggle.
This sounds a bit frustrating, and from one way of thinking, it is. However, it all plays into the silliness at play here. Jurassic World Rebirth, I suppose, is an example of a film that truly needs to be met on its own terms. This has its own ideas and much like the talking velociraptor in Jurassic World 3, it’s in the mood to mix things up, and I was very much here for that. Check out Jurassic World Rebirth if you’re looking for a good time, just keep those expectations in check.
Jurassic World Rebirth opens in theaters around the country on July 2, 2025.
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