Dir: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein
After a messy first act, this attempted reboot of the “Jurassic Park” franchise slowly finds its footing but at no point was there a sense of scale or awe befitting the prehistoric creatures.
In 1993, the universally adored filmmaker Steven Spielberg gifted the world with one of the most awe-inspiring cinematic blockbusters of all time, “Jurassic Park”. After previously pioneering a new era of Hollywood blockbusters with hits like “Jaws”, “E.T.”, and the original “Indiana Jones” trilogy, Spielberg shifted his focus to more dramatic films. However, he returned to his roots with the adaptation of Michael Crichton‘s novel, and, with the help of David Koepp‘s screenplay and ground-breaking visual and practical effects, Spielberg brought dinosaurs to life on the big screen like no other filmmaker had managed before.
To this day, “Jurassic Park” is as beloved by moviegoers as it was upon its initial release over thirty years ago, and it is Spielberg’s unique movie magic and sense of wonder have made the film a timeless classic. Following its critical and commercial success, “Jurassic Park” once held the title of the highest-grossing film ever made and unsurprisingly spawned a plethora of sequels and soft reboots over the years. However, despite the efforts of filmmakers like Joe Johnston, Colin Trevorrow, J.A. Bayona, and even Spielberg himself directing the various sequels, none have been able to recapture the magic and awe of the iconic original.
Although the franchise has fallen out of favour with critics and audiences over the years, it has still proven to be a box-office hit. For instance, the previous entry, “Jurassic World Dominion”, managed to gross an impressive $1 billion worldwide. Now, just three years after the critically panned sixth instalment, the franchise is making a return with its second reboot, introducing new characters and plotlines for the first time since “Jurassic World” was released a decade ago.
While I was initially skeptical about the announcement of “Jurassic World Rebirth”, I started to feel optimistic once it was revealed that British filmmaker Gareth Edwards would be directing. Although his films may not always resonate with audiences narratively, Edwards has demonstrated a strong understanding of budget management, on-location filmmaking, and most importantly, scale. His filmography, which includes titles like “Monsters” (2010) and “The Creator” (2023), showcases his ability to create a sense of spectacle while seamlessly integrating fantastical or otherworldly elements into the real world.
Edwards also is no stranger to major franchises, having kickstarted the “Monsterverse” with “Godzilla” in 2014 and delivering what I consider to be the best entry in the “Star Wars” franchise in the past forty years, “Rogue One”. In fact, the cold open of “Jurassic World Rebirth” almost pays homage to the nuclear meltdown seen in Edwards’ Kaiju reboot, featuring several InGen scientists attempting to escape a breach in a dinosaur genetics laboratory on Ile Saint-Hubert back in 2008.
In the present day, the Earth’s climate crisis caused by global warming has led to the extinction of the majority of the dinosaur population. Those that remain are able to survive on islands around the equator, where the air is free from pollution and human interference. Pharmaceutical executive Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) recruits ex-military covert operative Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) for a top-secret mission to the now-abandoned and forbidden Ile Saint-Hubert. Martin and palaeontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) aim to retrieve biometric samples from the three largest remaining prehistoric creatures, believing these samples hold the key to a new treatment for heart disease in humans.
To assist them, Zora recruits her long-time friend Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) to lead the expedition along with his crew. Meanwhile, Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is sailing nearby with his daughters, Isabella (Audrina Miranda) and Teresa (Luna Blaise), as well as Teresa’s obnoxious boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono). Their boat is capsized by the aquatic Mosasaurus, prompting the expedition team to come to their rescue. Given the covert nature of the mission, the team has no choice but to bring the family to the island in their search for the three samples, risking criminal charges for entering restricted territory.
To say I was disappointed by the latest “Jurassic Park” entry would be an understatement. I had such high hopes knowing that Gareth Edwards would be directing and that David Koepp would be writing the script for the first time since 1997’s “The Lost World”. However, “Rebirth” left me frustrated, as the talent involved was clearly not utilized to the best of their abilities.
With the previous film released only three years ago, Steven Spielberg and producer Frank Marshall were eager to revive the franchise. Spielberg presented an idea for a reboot to Koepp, who aimed to return to the tone and style of the original film to kickstart the series. Unfortunately, by the time the script reached Edwards, the director had just completed work on “The Creator” and only had a year to film the entire movie. Despite his extensive experience with CGI and his tendency to keep budget costs down by incorporating effects into his distinct visual style, the time constraints imposed by Universal and the producers clearly limited his vision. At no point while watching “Jurassic World Rebirth” did I feel as though I was watching a true Gareth Edwards film.
The sense of scale and amazement, typically present in Edwards’ work, was notably absent. This is particularly criminal considering the scope of the project and the colossal prehistoric creatures at its centre. There was also a lack of realism; the fictitious island where most of the film takes place felt otherworldly, with geographical features that were too vast and extreme to resemble an equatorial island on Earth. It was more akin to something found in a more outlandish “Monsterverse” movie.
Another major issue with Koepp’s script is its acknowledgment of waning interest in dinosaurs in modern society. This notion is incredibly unrealistic; if dinosaur zoos were real, I’m sure people wouldn’t grow bored within just a couple of years. Additionally, this serves as a meta commentary on the declining quality of the franchise. Not only does it shift the blame onto the audience without admitting to the franchise’s faults, but it also diminishes the spectacle of the dinosaurs in the film, as the characters themselves appear tired of them. With the exception of one scene in which the expedition team encounters a herd of Titanosaurs in an open valley, accompanied by the iconic John Williams score, there was never a moment when the dinosaurs on screen recaptured the sense of magic found in the original film.
On a more positive note, the film picks up in the second half, thanks to a couple of well-crafted and genuinely tense set pieces. One involves a T-Rex and the Delgado family on an inflatable raft, while another follows Zora and Henry as they navigate a vertigo-inducing cliffside temple to avoid the avian Quetzalcoatlus.
The stellar cast does their best with the limited material they have to work with. There are glimpses of deeper character development, such as the tragic backstory of Mahershala Ali’s character, Duncan, who has lost his son, but these elements are never fully explored. Fortunately, the chemistry among the central trio of protagonists is strong enough to carry the 130-minute runtime, while Rupert Friend effectively portrays the slimy corporate villain often seen throughout the franchise.
The Verdict:
This painfully disappointing seventh installment in the “Jurassic Park” franchise fails to recapture the magic and excitement of the 1993 original. Although the film does pick up momentum in the second half, it is clear that a rushed production has led to the cast and crew being underutilised. Early box office numbers suggest that the franchise is far from extinct, but Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall will need to conjure some old-school Hollywood magic to save it from becoming a creative failure.
Jurassic World Rebirth is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 