"Jurassic World Rebirth" Review

There are in fact dinosaurs

SPOILER FREE

Jurassic World Rebirth was not high on my watchlist this year. Truthfully, had my family not wanted to go, I would not have seen the movie. The original Jurassic Park is one of my all-time favorite movies, but the franchise has descended into reiteration and CGI overload. The movie previews gave me no reason to believe this would be any different. After watching, I was pleasantly surprised by a flawed but perfectly watchable movie.

In this movie, a group of mercenaries and researchers come together to collect samples from living dinosaurs that could be used to cure heart disease. To collect these samples, the team must venture to the South Pacific, which is home to the last remaining dinosaurs. Simultaneously, a family’s boat trip has gone awry as they find themselves stranded on the same island. Simple enough.

The plot is perfectly adequate, serving primarily as a vehicle to showcase dinosaurs and action sequences. The thrill and awe of these movies have been their main draw since the release of the first Jurassic Park. In that department, Jurassic World Rebirth mostly delivers. There are multiple sequences filled with suspense and dread as we watch our protagonists narrowly escape the clutches of many terrifying beasts. As usual, these movies manage to activate fear in the audience, despite our better judgment. It accomplishes the key to a family thriller—a sense that the protagonists are in trouble, with the constant reassurance that they will be okay. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but low-stakes thrills are an essential part of entertainment. They activate a full range of emotions in the audience.

The audience’s emotions are also activated with a handful of breathtaking images. There are multiple sunsets and rises that catch the eye, adding some much-needed warmth. The water also looks quite lovely in moments, with light shimmering across. And—of course—no movie of this franchise would be complete without a pair of brachiosauruses linked together, reminding the audience that these beasts are just like us.

Based on entertainment value, Jurassic World Rebirth does pretty well. However, I know you also came here for the nitty-gritty roasting.

I love Scarlett Johansson, but she was barely believable as a human in this movie. The writing is partially to blame. She—and the entire cast—are served underdeveloped characters and robotic dialogue. However, Scar Jo was phoning it in. Her character is yet another mysterious, sarcastic mercenary with a past and secret vulnerability. This is an archetype Scar Jo is familiar with, but that does not seem to benefit her. Instead, she does a poor impression of Black Widow. It was genuinely disappointing.

Scar Jo’s co-stars do not fare much better. Jonathan Bailey delivers the most charming performance as Dr. Henry Loomis, but even his cute little glasses cannot break out of the stilted dialogue. Audrina Miranda gives a captivating performance as the child Isabella, but her character lacks sufficient screen time to make a lasting impact. The only character with enough substance to be emotionally affecting was Mahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid. His backstory offers a moment of payoff at the end of the movie, providing emotional resonance.

The CGI and design in Jurassic World Rebirth were also quite varied. At times, such as with the brachiosauruses, the shots looked captivating, but others appeared muddled and rushed. The design of the final boss dinosaur also took a step too far. It no longer looked like a dinosaur. Instead, it was a disfigured monster. That design takes away some of the stakes of the movie. Part of the thrill is that dinosaurs were real animals, but using a CGI slop monster turns the movie into something else. It takes away the only shred of reality and leaves the audience unaffected.

Your feelings about Jurassic World Rebirth will depend on your expectations. If you go in expecting a great summer blockbuster, you will be disappointed. But if you just want to see some dinosaurs and kill a couple of hours, then you may enjoy this. My advice is not to look too deeply and appreciate the movie for what it is. You will most certainly be entertained. As my tagline says—there are in fact dinosaurs.

I recommend Jurassic World Rebirth to anyone who enjoys the Jurassic Park franchise, low-stakes adventures, or Jonathan Bailey in glasses.