REVIEW: “Jurassic World: Rebirth” (2025)

(Courtesy Movieposters) 

Set years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, a pharmaceutical company is looking for a cure to save countless lives from heart disease. A representative asks a mercenary and a museum paleontologist to head a mission to sneak into illegal territory on the Equator, to collect samples from the three largest dinosaurs left, despite the fact that, apparently (and ironically), “nobody cares about dinosaurs anymore.” 

I had hopes that director Gareth Edwards and original screenwriter David Koepp would bring the Jurassic Park movie franchise back to what made it such a phenomenon, when the original milestone was first released in 1993. While recent entries got bogged down with an overabundance of CGI and convoluted science, Jurassic World: Rebirth takes things back to a primitive state, with real locations, a singular mission, a small cast (headed by Scarlett Johansson’s mercenary Zora Bennett, Mahershala Ali’s boat captain Duncan Kincaid, and Jonathan Bailey’s scientist Henry Loomis), and CGI used sparingly. 

Shot on Kodak 35mm film, with sharp and distinct cinematography by John Mathieson, Rebirth presents thrilling action (i.e., a sea-dwelling mosasaur) and wondrous sights (i.e., a field of brachiosauruses); Bailey’s reactions to the latter speak volumes. Koepp’s writing is mysterious, reserved, and character-/experience-driven, building up anticipation for the appearances of the central dinos in this chapter. Thanks to a really immersive and chilling sound design, several sequences are exciting and gripping, and have genuine jump scares. These include a jaw-dropping inflatable raft sequence (with one especially iconic roar), an edge of a cliff that gives a sense of real vertigo, and an underground tunnel chase. 

Koepp and Edwards also provide many homages to the 1993 original (one set piece recalls the famous Raptors-in-the-kitchen scene), as well as Jaws (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year). But perhaps most nostalgic and roller coaster of all is how current composer Alexandre Desplat mixes in excerpts of John Williams’ original and unforgettable score. And let’s not forget the red flares. 

Nobody cares about dinosaurs anymore? This franchise’s box-office numbers bag to differ. 

While the story benefits from the aforementioned elements and gets right into action, Rebirth lacks much character development and investment. This includes a subplot involving a Mexican family sailing into dangerous territory (underestimating the presence of the prehistoric creatures that are left), and turning the central mission into a search-and-rescue, as well as an inevitable fight for survival—moments of child endangerment included. Along with that, the movie has a little too much running and screaming and embracing. While not heavy-handed, there are also hints of greedy corporations, as well as some bloody images. 

Again, the story and characterizations are not as strong or dimensional as they could have been. (Ditto a baby triceratops.) Yet, there are traces of who these people are, what’s hard about their jobs, relationship issues, and what’s at stake for them (personally and/or professionally). There’s genuine camaraderie and history among some of these characters (including Johansson and Ali). Some of Dr. Loomis’s observations are life-affirming, in terms of what is best for “all of us, not some of us,” and in terms of humanity’s place in the world (“We don’t rule the earth. We just think we do”). 

If anything, Jurassic World: Rebirth is more about the immersive experience, both wondrous and thrilling. It’s not great, but it is entertaining and serviceable. On that end, the filmmakers have succeeded. This may be the best franchise entry since Steven Spielberg was last in the director’s chair, with 1997’s The Lost World. It's anyone's guess where the adventure—and narrative arc—goes from here. 

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