The Peanut Gallery Reviews Jurassic World Rebirth

Steve Titcomb
1 day ago
3 min read

In ***Jurassic World Rebirth*, the franchise blends classic elements with fresh new ones.**

I'm stating it now, Jurassic World Rebirth is the best Jurassic Park movie since the OG film that started it all.

Something Classic, Something New

Once again, human greed is at the forefront of the movie as our cast of characters ventures into the one place in the world you don't want to be. What could go wrong? A nice touch this time around was adding in a family who was just on a leisurely cruise, sailing from Barbados (which is beautiful by the way, if you haven't been) to Cape Town, South Africa. Unfortunately, there are dinosaurs that can swim now, and things go very wrong. The family of three, plus a boyfriend, adds a human element to the story that comes off more genuine than the last couple of films. A struggle for survival against the elements, against long-extinct beasts, and against their own fear makes this one tumultuous family-bonding trip.

Leads

Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin) is great as the lead of the film. Her enjoyment of the franchise really comes across and her character, Zora, is a balance between the greed of humanity and the greater good. She came to play and it is believable that she would possess the skills she has.

Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) is somewhat of a cross between Sam Neill's Grant and Jeff Goldblum's Malcolm from the original film. He has a natural charisma and curiosity that make him easy to like. He's the polar opposite of Rupert Friend's (Companion) Martin Krebs, who works for a pharmaceutical company and only cares about the bottom line. He doesn't play it completely over the top and at times his character is likable, but human greed does win out, and as we learn way back in the original Jurassic Park, it never pays off.

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) is the Captain of the boat on this expedition and has a history with Zora (Johansson). It's a joy seeing him in a big blockbuster film, but his character doesn't add much to the story: just another variation of Johansson's character with a slightly different backstory driving him. Star power and name appeal are good reasons to have added him to the film, but his narrative doesn't enhance or take away from Jurassic World Rebirth.

Visuals, and THAT Dinosaur

The aesthetics are gorgeous. The VFX even more so. The action scenes on the ocean are terrifyingly brilliant and add a new element that we haven't really seen in previous films. The danger feels real and the dinosaurs are pretty realistic: the ones that are supposed to exist, at least. The main attraction dino, with his crossbreed of genetics, is one part rancor (Star Wars) and one part xenomorph (Alien). It looks ridiculous and doesn't really belong.

This is a big summer blockbuster. You’ve seen the story a dozen times before, but everyone brought their A-game and you just go along for the ride. The danger could have been a bit more effective with a few more deaths, but I loved it. You should definitely check out Jurassic World Rebirth in theaters.