Jurassic World: Rebirth

A formulaic but welcome return to Jurassic basics.

Despite some fun sequences in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and some nostalgic bait in Jurassic World (2015), every Jurassic sequel has been a face-palm insult to paleontology nerds. The films have quickly devolved into monster movies in the most dumbed-down way. The excuses to keep returning to this world became increasingly incredulous, to the point where the franchise started to parody itself. Yet each of the last three Jurassic World films raked in over $1 billion, meaning entries in this franchise were never going to stop anytime soon.

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) is the latest entry, but it divorces itself from the Chris Pratt-led trilogy. Here, we follow mercenaries Zora (Scarlett Johansson) and Duncan (Mahershala Ali), who are hired by pharma executive Martin (Rupert Friend) to venture into the forbidden islands still inhabited by dinosaurs so that scientist Dr. Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) can obtain live blood samples that could hold the cure for coronary disease.

Rebirth is no longer in Colin Trevorrow’s hands, as was most of the previous trilogy, and is handed over to Gareth Edwards. The British director has delivered some of the more thoughtful and layered blockbusters of recent years—Godzilla (2014), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and The Creator (2023). With Jurassic World: Rebirth, Edwards brings in veteran screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the original film’s adapted script. Together they deliver a solid, if hopelessly formulaic, dinosaur flick that occasionally echoes the magic of the original.

Rebirth has a straightforward plot that it pursues with efficiency. Koepp and Edwards do well to let their characters banter and develop rapport, making them likable instead of just T-Rex fodder. This is a key strength of any monster or slasher flick—showing moments of calm and comedy to better contrast the horror that follows. Yet the film is also unnecessarily stuffed with a helpless family, headed by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who happen to get shipwrecked on the same dinosaur island. These characters are given some attention, but they feel like the remnants of a half-baked idea for a separate Jurassic film—tacked onto Rebirth to pad the runtime. As a result, the story drags, with sequences that feel inconsequential to the main plot.

Edwards assembles strong elements of a summer blockbuster—starting with his screenwriter and continuing with a capable composer, Alexandre Desplat, who channels the mischievousness and grandeur of John Williams’ original score. The film also features seasoned, crowd-pleasing actors like Johansson and Ali, both of whom can charm audiences with a simple wink, helping distract from their rather flat, indistinct characters. Bailey, meanwhile, brings back a sorely missed element in the franchise: a genuine passion for paleontology. He does well to convey the wonder and excitement of encountering his life’s work, in a way that recalls Sam Neill’s character in Jurassic Park (1993). Friend also succeeds in playing a more subdued, corporate villain—a welcome change from the cartoonish antagonists of recent entries.

Edwards proves capable in the action sequences as well. Taking a page from Spielberg, many of the tense dinosaur scenes are clearly inspired by Jaws (1975), most obviously in the water-based moments, where a stalking, unseen predator lurks. This not only heightens the suspense—invoking fear of the unseen rather than just CGI monsters—but also saves on the visual effects budget.

In the end, Jurassic World: Rebirth doesn’t break new ground, but for the first time in a while, it brings together a team of capable professionals who deliver a comforting, entertaining film. It echoes the strengths of the original and offers viewers a sense of escapism in a world where dinosaurs are once again alive. Sometimes, a well-made blockbuster is enough for a worthwhile summer outing.

6.9/10