Jurassic Park: Rebirth just assumes the answers to all the questions from the earlier films were yes… let them live, and now it becomes a humanist story of sharing medical cures around the world. You could claim the genetic mutations sub-plot is a thing, but it’s mostly about Universal creating new monsters for Halloween Horror Nights.
Rebirth is very similar to Jurassic Park III, where people go into illegal areas where dinosaurs live, and when everything goes awry, they have to survive. I hate to say this, but Rebirth makes Jurassic Park III look like Raiders of the Lost Ark. I’ll tell you why. At least, Jurassic Park III had character development, and Alan Grant was a notable presence. These characters had arcs, they had specific reasons to be there, and rescuing a boy is a sympathetic story.
In Rebirth, the entire story is about doing a thing—in this case, collecting samples. Everyone on the team is doing their job, and a few get eaten. Henry Loomis is portrayed as an overly emotional individual who has a passion for dinosaurs. What we have here is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, where two teams play in separate parts of the campaign. Everyone does their jobs and “wins” in the end. There is barely any chemistry between members of Zora’s team, because none was written for them. Of course, the Delgados bring the emotional angle, which is a constant stream of you do this, while I do that, and “I will not leave you behind.”
Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson uncover a dinosaur egg inside an ancient temple in Jurassic World: Rebirth.
“…Rebirth is predictable as hell…”
All this to say that if you want a movie that has some classic dinosaurs from the first films, new dinos dug up from an encyclopedia, and some mutated monster ones, the flashing images of action and death are in abundance.
What you won’t get is any innovative or exciting storytelling. Rebirth is predictable as hell. Like watching a horror film, once the team is established, it’s pretty easy to predict who will make it to the end of the movie alive. Let’s talk plot holes. There are times when dinosaurs choose who they plan to attack based on the needs of the story, rather than being hungry predators. There’s a raptor scene that serves as a bait-and-switch. And again, the whole film is about doing a thing. It is the epitome of Hollywood’s inability to tell compelling stories anymore. Just write roller coaster rides… eff these characters.
Also, I miss John Williams. The music really bothered me.
In the end, Jurassic World: Rebirth delivers plenty of dinosaur action, but lacks the character depth and emotional stakes that once set this series apart. The film focuses more on completing a mission than exploring the ethical questions at the heart of the franchise.
"…makes Jurassic Park III look like Raiders of the Lost Ark..."
