It’s been three years since the Jurassic World trilogy wrapped up with Owen Grady and his pet raptors running across the screen and one of the big questions (probably the biggest for Universal Pictures) is: Are people burned out on dinosaurs?
The new film, Jurassic World: Rebirth, starts with a meta scene that actually posits the same question to the audience and characters, and gives a depressing answer for dinosaur and Jurassic Park fans everywhere with a resounding “Yes. We are sick of these damn lizards.”
Since the movie is not titled “Jurassic World: Dino Fatigue” (more likely to be the title of a sour YouTuber’s video) the show goes on, or more appropriately, the ride goes on.
Director Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth (starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali) is best described as that old roller coaster that you have been going on since you were a kid with a new paint job and branding. The drops, bank turns, and “head choppers” may be familiar, but the ride still delivers and the new overlay makes the old coaster fresh and fun.
The story opens with a simple set-up: dinosaurs are dying in our civilized world, but they are still thriving on the remnants of the old Jurassic Park site. Zora Bennet (played by Johansson) is contacted by the nefarious and sleazy Martin Krebs (brought to life by the suddenly prolific Rupert Friend) about obtaining some rare dino-DNA from some of the current residents of the abandoned Park. These materials will be used for a new medical breakthrough that could save millions and also provide Krebs and his cronies with a Brontosaurus-sized windfall (and how come we can’t say Brontosaurus anymore?) With Bailey in tow as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis and Ali as fixer Duncan Kincaid (along with his ill-fated crew), the party is about to get started.
The film takes place five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, and while the film is clearly set in the world of Jurassic Park’s previous six films, there is little in terms of connecting the films and that is a good thing for Rebirth, as the last film did all of the nostalgic fan service we need until the next Ice Age.
Edwards (working off a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp) knows how to bring monsters to life (Monsters and Godzilla) and film action sequences (Star Wars: Rogue One) and he doesn’t waste much time getting to both with a Mosasaurus scene on the high seas that gives off a lot of Jaws vibes in the best way possible (the original Steven Spielberg summer blockbuster). This scene also introduces a key element to any Jurassic story: a family in jeopardy played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Audrina Miranda.
After the harrowing water attack, both the family and the team are driven towards the island, where the action never lets up, and follows the simple quest to find the specific DNA from three scaly residents. Some viewers may want more in the way of characterization, but Koepp and Edwards give us just enough so we understand each character’s motivation and decisions in tight spots when moral and ethical concerns arise.
Just like that old coaster made new, some of the scenes may seem familiar (particularly one in a gas station convenience store), but the tension and jump scares deliver and highlight the true stars, both the familiar dinosaurs and some of their Island of Dr. Moreau mutant cousins. Much will be discussed about the inclusion of these new monsters, but they serve their purpose and give viewers something different in terms of the creature designs. Don’t worry; most of the screen time is shared by traditional dinos, but the new ones add more of that new paint job that spruce up the old track.
Jurassic Park: Rebirth delivers on expectations if you are seeking a formula composed of the DNA of the original film with some familiar scenes, as well as some new bells and whistles to keep us all screaming.