Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, Ed Skrein
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Director: Gareth Edwards
In Irish Cinemas: Now
Jurassic World: Rebirth marks the seventh entry in the ever-mutating Jurassic Park saga, and this time, the franchise attempts a full-system reboot. Directed by Gareth Edwards, with a screenplay co-penned by original Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp, the film opens with an evocative image: a massive billboard in New York City showing rampaging T-Rexes in the wild being methodically whitewashed — quite literally erased from public consciousness. It’s a clever visual metaphor, both for the in-world waning interest in dinosaurs and for the filmmakers’ intention to scrub clean the memory of the previous trilogy helmed by Colin Trevorrow.
This is a Jurassic film with new ambitions: a new cast, new creatures, new continents — and yet, it still clings dearly to that iconic John Williams score as if to reassure us that, yes, this is still that world. Despite the promise of a franchise renaissance, Rebirth ultimately plays it safe, delivering a slick but familiar adventure that’s as watchable as it is forgettable.
The plot centres on a covert mission led by Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a no-nonsense Special Ops commander hired by the shady pharmaceutical tycoon Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). Krebs’ biotech firm has stumbled upon a revolutionary treatment for cardiovascular disease — but it requires the rare genetic material found only in the blood of three gargantuan prehistoric creatures: the aquatic Mosasaurus, the colossal land-dwelling Titanosaurus, and the sky-dominating Quetzalcoatlus. The operation is high-stakes, high-reward — both medically and financially — and the catch? These dinosaurs now roam freely in a tropical equatorial zone declared off-limits to humans by international treaty.
Zora’s team is a classic adventure-movie mix: her trusted second-in-command, Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali, radiating calm intensity), and Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a jumpy, mint-chewing palaeontologist who seems permanently on the verge of a panic attack. Their objective is to retrieve live blood samples via high-tech, dart-based extraction — an elegant solution to an otherwise absurdly dangerous problem.
Meanwhile, the human interest is provided by the Delgado family — a group of civilians unwittingly dragged into the chaos after their sailing trip from Barbados to Cape Town is interrupted by prehistoric marine predators. Their dynamic adds some much-needed emotional ballast: patriarch Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) disapproves of his daughter Teresa’s (Luna Blaise) boyfriend Xavier (David Iacano). In contrast, the youngest daughter, Bella (Audrina Miranda), mourns her dwindling stash of candy. Naturally, all domestic squabbles are put on hold when they’re being chased by a raging T-Rex downriver — a pulse-pounding sequence inspired by unused material from Michael Crichton’s original novel.
If the central mission — “find and sample DNA from three dinosaurs” — feels formulaic, it’s because it is. However, it’s also a structure that allows the film to experiment with tone and texture across three distinct set pieces, each with its unique flavour.
The Mosasaurus hunt is a clear homage to Jaws, complete with sonar tension, dorsal fins slicing through waves, and Johansson channelling Quint with a harpoon rifle. It’s the strongest of the three encounters, brimming with maritime menace. The Titanosaurus sequence takes a more awe-struck, Spielbergian approach, as Loomis stumbles upon two gargantuan creatures engaging in what can only be described as prehistoric courtship. It’s a rare moment of quiet majesty, reminding us that wonder, not just terror, lies at the heart of Jurassic storytelling.
The weakest link is the Quetzalcoatlus chase, a vertical abseiling mission that feels hemmed in by green screens and lacking in spatial coherence — more theme park ride than cinematic thrill.
To its credit, Rebirth doesn’t overdose on nostalgia. There are scattered visual winks — a shattered mirror, a dangling banner — but they’re tastefully deployed. There’s no “hold on to your butts” catchphrase recycling, no forced callbacks to iconic lines, and Johansson wisely refrains from mimicking past leads. Edwards and Koepp seem aware of the fine line between homage and parody, and for the most part, they walk it well.
What’s missing, however, is a genuinely memorable, gasp-inducing set-piece — the kind that sparks watercooler buzz and TikTok tributes. There are thrills, yes, but few that honestly surprise. And notably absent is the franchise’s trademark gruesome-yet-delicious dino-death: no lawyer-on-toilet moment, no high heels outrunning raptors absurdity — just competent spectacle, not iconic terror.
Mahershala Ali lends gravitas to every frame he inhabits, and Johansson remains magnetic even when her character is emotionally restrained. The ensemble is serviceable, if not deeply memorable, and the Delgado subplot — while initially clunky — ultimately provides some welcome emotional contrast to the otherwise cold-blooded mission.
Tonally, Rebirth oscillates between earnest ecological musings and popcorn adventure, and Edwards’ visual storytelling remains sharp. There’s a vivid colour palette, some inspired staging, and an unexpected use of pop music (yes, Primal Scream and Ben E. King both make appearances). But as the credits roll, the sense persists that we’ve been here before — and that the series is still afraid to stray too far from its fossilised path.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is a polished, occasionally thrilling ride that repositions the franchise without truly revitalising it. It has its moments — some clever, some exhilarating — but it lacks the daring to evolve in ways that matter. If this is a rebirth, it’s more of a reboot in name than in spirit.
By the time the inevitable eighth film rolls around, the franchise may need more than new dinosaurs — it may need new DNA. Crossovers with other Universal properties? As silly as M3GAN vs. Raptor Squad or Fast & the Fossilised sound, they might inject the weirdness this series now desperately craves.
Until then, Rebirth is a decent entry in a series that could use a bold mutation.
Overall: 6.5/10
Movie Reviewer
