Review: ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ labours before finally delivering
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ is a new story with new characters that gets off to a shaky start before settling into the tried-and-true franchise formula.
Dinosaurs are a mystery. Children are fascinated by these large creatures that used to roam the Earth. Experts make educated guesses about their appearance, behaviour and relationships. Bones and fossils give us hints about their lives, and their distant ancestors are the closest we get to studying a live specimen. Advances in science are now considering reviving these extinct animals. But Hollywood has warned us against such experiments for more than three decades via blockbuster films in which the dinosaurs come back and run amok. Yet, just as in the movies, that doesn’t stop anyone from trying. Now, they’re trying to use these creatures to advance human science in Jurassic World: Rebirth.
More than 30 years after their return, many of the dinosaurs have once again died out. The survivors assembled in a globally protected area near the equator, which best mimics their original environment. Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) works for a leading pharmaceutical company on the brink of a medical breakthrough. But first they need samples from three of the largest reptiles on land, and in air and water. Ill-equipped to complete the task himself, he recruits archaeologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), mercenary Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), and boat captain Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and his crew to accompany Krebs on this dangerous mission. In the meantime, Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his family are sailing over the Atlantic ocean, venturing a little too close to the dino sanctuary.
Jurassic Park was first released in 1993 and this is now the sixth sequel in the series. Set in the same world as its predecessors, people have lost interest in dinosaurs. Exhibit traffic is non-existent and those that remain in populated areas are considered pests that were better-off extinct. However, even as interest declined, experimentation continued with researchers further crossing the line and defying the natural order. Regrettably, these mutations were never suitable to make their public debut. Still, the dinosaurs are not to blame for their presence, so it’s sad to see people turn on them so vehemently.
Even though the mission is the primary story, there’s no better tension than a family with children in danger, so they find a way for their worlds to collide. Outside of Loomis’ past association with Dr. Alan Grant, these are all new characters with no relation to the other pictures. This fact combined with no longer trying to keep the dinosaurs in a controlled environment are the basis of the reboot. New personalities mean new introductions, including first-time Jurassic director, Gareth Edwards, who brings his experience with giant creatures and working in an established franchise to the film. Unfortunately, this narrative contains some of the dullest character development and most uninspired dialogue, forcing viewers to slog through the movie’s first hour. Mercifully, dino encounters breakup some of the boredom.
The picture thankfully picks up in the second act and has an expectedly exciting conclusion. Loomis’ blundering is countered by his passion for dinosaurs. Conversely, in spite of playing Black Widow for more than a decade, Johansson is not a convincing mercenary — though she does display moments of toughness. Ali portrays the team’s heart, having loved and lost. Friend is the perfect unscrupulous businessman, his greed and determination spreading like wildfire through the crew. The adventurous family is predictably brave as they face constant danger, but the daughter’s boyfriend (David Iacono) crashing their bonding time is very inconsistent, swinging from dumb and annoying to valiant and insightful.
The dinosaurs are always the stars of these pictures and that remains true in this one as well. They’re majestic and ferocious, impressively filling the screen whether they’re gently ambling through a valley or aggressively chasing their prey. There’s even a small, cute Aquilops that looks like a house-Triceratops and behaves similarly to a meerkat, stealing the heart of the youngest child and audiences alike.
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Rupert Friend
