Jurassic World: Rebirth (dir. Gareth Edwards)

By: Adam Freed

There are few theatrical moments that rival Dr. Alan Grant’s reaction to the first appearance of the brachiosaurus in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993).  Sam Neill’s bewildered and wobbly legged response, teamed with the majesty of John Williams’ sweeping score sent a shockwave through the moviegoing world.  Spielberg’s adaptation of the famed Michael Crichton novel hadn’t actually reanimated dinosaurs, so much as it reanimated the fervor of the moviegoing public.  Mirroring Alan Grant’s awe at witnessing the unbelievable, it was clear at that moment, everything became possible.  The challenge, as it turns out, has been in maintaining that impossible level of collective wonder in the 6 sequels and subsequent 32 years that have followed the groundbreaking Jurassic original.  Rarely does a studio list its intent in the title of a film, but Universal Pictures happily does so with Jurassic World: Rebirth, a film Universal hopes will reinvigorate the franchise from imminent stagnation.  To achieve this tall task, the powerful studio turns to world building director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and gifted writer David Koepp (Mission Impossible, Jurassic Park). Armed with an impressive collection of acting talent, the team of Edwards and Koepp have created a harrowing sequel in Jurassic World: Rebirth.  

There are very few screen personalities capable of substantiating a film through their presence alone.  Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers, Lost in Translation) has that rare magnetic ability.  The stunning actress known for her uncanny ability to vacillate between emotionally draining and physically demanding roles, feels right at home within the decades-old franchise.  Johansson plays Zora Bennett a mercenary who is approached by Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) with the opportunity of a financial windfall, if she is willing to lead a team to the equatorial region of Earth in search of three specific species of dinosaurs, who now live freely within the climate specific region.  In this way, it is impossible not to feel the weight of previous films behind the premise of Jurassic World: Rebirth.  The opening act of Edwards’ film cannot resist the familiar tropes of a wealthy businessman offering obscene money to someone who knows better than to test their luck in the presence of prehistoric predators, yet cannot deny the allure of a financial windfall for being placed firmly in harm’s way.  This is the case for Zora and Dr. Henry Loomis, a paleontologist played by rising star Jonathan Bailey (Wicked).  Rounding out the star-crossed team is Duncan Kincaid, a mercenary boat captain willing to take the team into hostile waters.  Kincaid is embodied admirably by two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Green Book).  Jurassic World: Rebirth survives its opening act and recycled premise, so that Gareth Edwards can do what he does best, which is to create visually stimulating immersive worlds that act as the backdrop for a handful of riveting action set pieces.

The diverse team is tasked with obtaining the blood of 3 living species of dinosaurs for the advancement of modern science.  The creatures live in three diverse habitats, the jungle, the sea and the air, which makes their procurement a multipronged adventure.  Edwards is at his best as he crafts innovative and immersive ways to put his cast in peril.  The dinosaurs in Rebirth are as diverse as they are gorgeous on screen.  One thorn the franchise doesn’t remove from its side is its incessant need to introduce genetically modified super-dinosaurs.  In this case, the D-Rex, which looks like a cross between Sir Ridley Scott’s Xenomorph and George Lucas’ Rancor, is the haunting crossbreed that stalks Zora’s team, and quite possibly the dreams of younger audiences.  If anything, Jurassic World: Rebirth is proof positive that in the hands of a gifted filmmaker, even franchises that have grown road-weary can be given new life.  For Gareth Edwards, it is only fitting that his vision for the Jurassic franchise should be titled Rebirth, as it certainly feels as if new life has been breathed into the prehistoric franchise.

Target Score 6.5/10 - While its premise is an echo of prior franchise offerings, Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World: Rebirth is a star studded thrill ride that leans perfectly into the director’s unique gift as a builder of immersive visual worlds.