Jurassic World Rebirth Review: The Franchise's Lack of Progress Persists

      If you've been following right-wing tech mogul Peter Thiel (or at least his interviews), you may have noticed his fixation on the concept of “stagnation.” While I hesitate to credit a thoroughly malicious individual whose company, Palantir, is currently developing a database on every American citizen for dubious governmental purposes, I must acknowledge, even if begrudgingly, that stagnation—rather than innovation—prevails in contemporary mainstream cinema. This is precisely why I am reviewing Jurassic Park 7, which relies on the legacy of a blockbuster from 32 years ago. One cannot help but ponder what could have been if John Sayles’ rejected script for Jurassic Park 4 (which featured gun-toting mercenary dinosaurs on rescue missions) had been produced. It's a modest expectation to hold, yet a single bold choice might have indicated Hollywood moving, if only slightly, in a new direction.

      At the very least, Jurassic World Rebirth provides the appealing aspect of not carrying over any characters from the previous six films, sparking hopes that the series might explore new territories. However, it continues the storyline of the earlier World trilogy, with dinosaurs coexisting in human society while facing extinction due to an uninhabitable environment. Meanwhile, these dinosaurs still flourish on secret islands near the equator, and pharmaceutical executive Martin Krebbs (Rupert Friend) recruits tough military agent Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson, delivering cringeworthy lines) for a mission to obtain DNA from these forbidden creatures that could lead to life-saving breakthroughs for humanity. The two, along with a team of disposable recruits, including Mahershala Ali as a boat captain sporting a Curtis Sliwa hat, encounter a family listening to Vampire Weekend while sailing, seemingly to sprinkle in a touch of Spielberg sentimentality.

      One could argue that Rebirth is a superior entry compared to Colin Trevorrow’s films, mainly because director Gareth Edwards, a former low-budget VFX expert, excels at capturing dinosaurs on screen, and the cast is certainly more appealing than Chris Pratt’s ensemble. Still, it’s difficult to overlook how bland and mechanical the whole experience feels; a palpable lack of enthusiasm radiates from nearly everyone involved. It’s hard to envision them being irritated by the excessive product placement—after all, they were part of Jurassic Park 7.

      Rebirth intriguingly hints at one promising concept: the crew visits an island inhabited by bioengineered misfit dinosaurs deemed too undesirable for the original park. In keeping with its trademark caution, the film largely avoids featuring truly grotesque or terrifying monsters—which could have been a fresh approach—and instead presents yet another T-Rex set piece. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to explore this idea further when the inevitable eighth film arrives by 2030.

      Jurassic World Rebirth is currently showing in theaters.