JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Ed Skrein, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, Audrina Miranda, and David Iacono
Director: Gareth Edwards
AMARÚ
Although Jurassic Park 3's Amanda Kirby (Téa Leoni) is the most annoying character in the franchise, Rebirth features someone who almost takes the crown. However, this character’s trajectory mirrors the film’s, as both grew on me with time. Tell-not-show exposition gives way to a simple formula: charming cast runs for their lives from awesome looking dinosaurs in scary action sequences. Not to mention, a moment of wonder I haven’t felt since the original, which banks a massive amount of goodwill. Despite its lows, including a disappointingly anticlimactic ending, Rebirth is better than the last two films, a win in and of itself.
NICK
Unlike Dominion, Jurassic World Rebirth isn't terrible, but it sure is disappointing. The first hour is cold and heartless (including an exploitation of the original score). The second is an improvement, thanks to the introduction of the Delgado family (led by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and some memorable dino moments (we finally got the river raft scene!). But that's been the issue with these Jurassic World films: they all have their moments, but can't seem to put together a quality film. There’s no doubt this franchise will continue, but I think this should be the retirement of the Jurassic World moniker.
ADRIANO
I'm not sure how Universal has managed to screw up the basic concept of surviving from dinosaurs four times. Jurassic World: Rebirth is another massive miss. The first hour is genuinely unbearable, and while it picks up a little when they get to Ile Saint-Hubert, the emptiness of the two conflicting storylines and the weightless dinosaur action makes this excruciating. A Jurassic Park movie should never be as dull as this was. It'll make its billion dollars and get a sequel greenlit, but I'm begging the next one sticks to the basics by actually being thrilling.
QUENTIN
Technically, Rebirth is the best of the Jurassic World movies, though I concede that is an incredibly low bar. The dinosaur sequences are top-notch, riding a wave between semi-horror and thrilling action, and if that is all you need for a good time, then Rebirth mostly delivers. However, it struggles with the human cast. The performances are serviceable but nothing special, while the character development is, frankly, piss-poor. More egregiously, though, the final 20ish minutes jumped the shark to such a degree that I audibly giggled, not to mention the eye-rolling amount of nostalgia bait. Still, Jurassic Park 7: Jurassic World 4 is an improvement…technically.
BODE
I don’t expect a Jurassic World sequel to live up to the original, but I wish they fulfilled even the bare minimum. Rebirth proves that they still can’t do that. While director Gareth Edwards doesn’t embarrass himself technically, as he knows how to manage scale, the same can’t be said for returning screenwriter David Koepp, who saddles Edwards and its cast with a mediocre script needlessly swinging between two storylines. The momentum dies every time it happens. Yes, there’s some fun set-pieces, and no, this isn’t the worst one in the franchise. But at this point, is that enough?
