Universal Pictures presents Jurassic World Rebirth in UK cinemas from July 2, 2025.
Synopsis
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
Review
It’s been 32 years since Dr. Alan Grant took his fateful visit to Isla Nublar in Jurassic Park and spawned a multimedia franchise. Six films later, the Jurassic franchise shows no signs of slowing down. This July 2nd, The Creator and Rogue One mastermind Gareth Edwards takes the director’s chair for Jurassic World: Rebirth. As Edwards promises a return to the suspense and wonder that made the original so compelling, can this back-to-basics approach recapture the magic for modern audiences?
For this latest visit to the Las Cinco Muertes islands, Universal hasn’t only drafted in visual effects expert Edwards to direct. The studio has also brought back David Koepp, writer of the first Jurassic Park film, for the first time since 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park. In front of the camera is an entirely new set of faces as Scarlett Johansson (Avengers), Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) and Mahershala Ali (Green Book) step in to the chaos. It’s a clean slate and a fresh start for the franchise following a mixed reception to previous entry Jurassic World Dominion. With the studio clearly having taken time to recalibrate and return to its roots.
Rebirth is a film which is keen to acknowledge what has gone before rather than rewrite the rulebook. Starting out with recap, we learn exactly what has happened to the Earth following Dominion. Koepp uses this moment to adjust the playing field. Some will see this as a retcon of Dominion. But, scientifically speaking, Koepp makes major effort to give context to how and why things are the way they are. Opening up to a New York City traffic jam we meet Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), a representative for pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix, whose drug development plans sit at the core of Rebirth’s entire narrative.
Krebs needs to collect blood samples from several species of live dinosaur which now inhabit Ile Saint-Hubert. The problem is that with dinosaurs retreating to the equator, all of the islands are now off-limits for human travel. So Krebs needs to draft in special ops expert Zora Bennett (Johansson) and her team, plus scientist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) to get the job done. If the team is able to collect samples from a Mosasaur, Titanosaurus and Quetzalcoatlus then ParkerGenix believes it may be able to cure heart disease and extend human life.
Along the way the crew comes in to contact with the Delgado family, father Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), daughters Teresa (Luna Blaise) and Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and Teresa’s stoner boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono).
Koepp and Edwards have a clear mandate for Rebirth: back to basics. Rather than edging the franchise more and more towards horror it treats its dinosaurs like the noble creatures that they are. It strips away the complexity of the previous Jurassic World films and replaces it with refinement and subtlety. There are dinosaurs which scare, of course, like the T-Rex. But there are also those who appear purely to inspire awe. Even just this subtle shift away from sustained peril to something more diverse benefits the film. It’s less of an adrenaline overload spread across 134 minutes and more of a rollercoaster ride with peaks and troughs.
Edwards’ refusal to embrace the modern ‘bigger is better’ mentality is admirable. There are plenty of moments throughout Rebirth where the audience can simply absorb the wonder of the Jurassic world. The mission to obtain a sample from the Titanosaurus exemplifies this approach perfectly. Jonathan Bailey’s portrayal of Loomis in these scenes utterly captures the awe audiences felt experiencing Jurassic Park for the first time. The swell of Alexandre Desplat’s score combined with Bailey’s emotional performance creates genuine impact. For those who experienced the original’s theatrical release, it evokes the same cinematic magic of 1993. Thoughtful filmmaking that respects its audience’s intelligence.
Edwards’ use of classic techniques, like shooting Rebirth entirely on 35mm film, is able to shift the franchise back to the Amblin-style magic which the franchise was born from. But it does run the risk of alienating the younger audience who haven’t grown up with films like The Goonies, E.T. and Indiana Jones. Though they are cultural touchstones some are 40+ years old now so their relevance is perhaps not the same as it was in the 90’s and early 00’s. Edwards mitigates a lot of that risk through the inclusion of the Delgado family. Splitting them off from the main pack creates a kind of dual narrative with two very differently equipped groups attempting to navigate their way to safety across the island.
Jurassic World Rebirth capitalises on its ensemble through clever character dynamics. The younger cast of Blaise, Miranda, and Iacono embody the terrified survival instincts of recent entries, while the seasoned Johansson and Ali methodically pursue their mission objectives as classic action heroes. Johansson’s Zora is a robust lead, with Koepp providing sufficient backstory to give the character genuine depth. Johansson approaches the role with the same energy as her Marvel appearances, while Ali brings understated humour that balances the archetypal Chris Pratt and Jeff Goldblum personas of previous films. The chemistry between Zora and Kincaid satisfies the franchise’s need for cast connection, though their discussions of shared history represent the film’s most meandering moments.
When the group comes together in the third act Rebirth feels at its most classically Jurassic. With Krebs outed as the film’s de-facto villain it’s clear where his storyline will lead. There’s also enough dramatic direction to lead us through to escape from the island. Though having revealed its biggest monstrosity in an opening flashback to 17 years ago when the island was in use does take away from any potential twists or reveals at the 11th hour. There’s more than enough impact in the moment to carry Rebirth through to the end credits. But it does somewhat squander the film’s mutant plot line. Leaving it as more of an afterthought than a dynamic and thrilling way to round out the film.
Rebirth does sidestep a couple of classic tropes of the franchise. Foremost there is a lack of practical dinosaurs. Even Delores, the cute baby Aquilops who befriends Isabella, is entirely a visual effects creation. With a $180 million budget the film looks great and is profoundly cheaper than other recent entries. Teaming with ILM, famed for their work on Star Wars, means that for the most part Rebirth looks incredible. There are a few isolated moments when things go sideways. As Dr. Loomis is rappelling down a cliff in a wide shot his fully CGI recreation resembles a 1990’s rubber action figure. These very small moments aside, Rebirth looks incredible. The budget has really been ploughed in to making the dinosaurs as life-like as possible and it shows.
As the credits roll on Jurassic World Rebirth I’m not sure where we go next. Johansson, Ali and Bailey have each introduced an affable new character to the franchise. But their stories feel complete. Aside from seeing what they do when arriving back in New York City there’s little left for them to do. Given their experience on Ile Saint-Hubert, I can’t imagine any of them being easily convinced to return again. So it does raise plenty of questions for the future of Jurassic World. But if this film is an experiment in finding a direction of travel for the future then Universal has more than proven Koepp and Edwards are the team to take it forwards.
Verdict
Jurassic World Rebirth takes the franchise back to basics for a film which restores all of the magic of the 1993 original. Between a charismatic cast, simple story and dynamic visuals, it creates a sense of wonder rarely felt on the big screen in the era of green screen blockbusters.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
