By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
A simplistic, paint-by-numbers story and predictable turning points relegate this sci-fi sequel to the bleak landscape of mediocrity. “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is the seventh film in the franchise that began in 1993, and the awe-inspiring visual effects of these prehistoric behemoths have long since lost their luster. While there are some decent one-liners and acting to provide some entertainment, the character development is weak and formulaic.
Isla Muerta used to be a secret InGen research facility, where scientists conducted all kinds of genetic experiments to create hybrid dinosaurs. After a catastrophic breach, the island was abandoned, leaving mutated dinosaurs to flourish in their wake. Years later, with a potential multi-billion-dollar windfall at stake, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) assembles a team to visit the island and obtain blood from the three largest dinosaurs of the land, air, and sea.
Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) is a skilled mercenary with a gift for unusual, difficult missions. She solicits help from a longtime colleague and boat captain Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) to get them safely to this Death Island. Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), who has no field experience, is also along for the ride to identify and extract the dinosaur blood. The group bites off more than they can chew as the mutant carnivores target them for dinner, putting not only their mission in jeopardy, but also their lives.
Gareth Edwards has made his career as a director in the science fiction genre, and he’s done quite well with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which is arguably the best film in that franchise outside of the original trilogy. He’s also had his missteps, like with “The Creator” in 2023. As a fan of the “Jurassic Park” universe, Edwards jumped at the chance to direct this latest sequel. Unfortunately, he elects to play it safe with a formulaic approach while using cheap gimmicks to provide something different visually. For instance, he incorporates a grotesque, mutated Tyrannosaurus Rex, called a Distortus Rex as the big bad monster the human characters must deal with towards the end. It actually looks more like a six-limbed version of the Rancor from “Return of the Jedi.” With this being the theme of the island, viewers can’t help but think of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” with an island of discarded, misfit dinos instead of toys.
The action sequences are well done and stimulating enough, but Edwards makes them so predictable, it gives them a going-through-the-motions feel. The way he develops the various characters, he telegraphs exactly who is expendable of the group. When the audience knows who is going to be dino chow ahead of time, it dilutes the suspense of those action scenes. On the plus side, Edwards wisely throws in an unsuspecting subplot that at least attempts at an emotional connection, however unrealistic it may be.
Two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit”) headlines the cast along with two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (“Green Book” and “Moonlight”). These are both professionals who play off each other very well, setting up humorous banter that lightens the mood. They are also quite adept at turning up the intensity with authentic reactions during the hair-raising dinosaur chases. They certainly do their part to increase the watchability of this film.
The rest of the supporting cast is rather nondescript with Rupert Friend portraying the typical corporate goon who cares about money more than people (think of Paul Reiser’s character in “Aliens”). Jonathan Bailey’s performance is bland and unremarkable as the smart scientist caught in an unfamiliar life and death situation (think of Jeff Goldblum’s character from “Jurassic Park” minus the charisma). The bright spot of the supporting cast is Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who stars in the Netflix series “The Lincoln Lawyer.” He supplies the much-needed emotional connection for the audience as a protective father who inadvertently gets himself and his two daughters stuck in mortal danger.
With an underwhelming narrative and predictable outcomes, no amount of monsters, aka dinosaurs, can breathe life into this flailing franchise. “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is a routine production that can only satisfy at the most basic of levels and does not even attempt to appease fans of the series with very few references to prior films and zero return characters. At least it is not nearly as bad as “Jurassic World: Dominion,” but that’s an extremely low bar.
This movie earns:
