<a href="https://news.quantosei.com/2025/07/01/in-honor-of-world-asteroid-day-a-short-history-of-planetary-defense/” title=”Essential Guide to Planetary Defense & Asteroid Science”>jurassic World roars back to life with Jurassic World rebirth. Director Gareth Edwards (known for Godzilla, Rogue One) takes the helm for this new chapter, featuring a fresh cast led by Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey. While the franchise’s future felt uncertain after previous installments, Rebirth aims to recapture the awe and terror of the originals. This standalone story explores familiar themes but delivers plenty of pulse-pounding action. It asks whether audiences still crave classic dinosaurs or engineered novelties.
A New Jurassic Chapter Unfolds
Set roughly five years after Jurassic World Dominion, Rebirth finds the world changed. Many dinosaurs freed in the previous film have died off or migrated. They now inhabit a narrow tropical band near the equator with a climate closer to their prehistoric era. This region is strictly off-limits.
However, corporate greed drives a risky mission into this forbidden zone. Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), a sharp executive from ParkerGenix (a company linked to the original InGen), wants DNA samples from giant prehistoric creatures. His scientists believe these samples hold the key to revolutionary heart disease medication. Obtaining these samples could be worth trillions.
Krebs recruits a specialized team for this illegal expedition to Isle Saint-Hubert. Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) is a former special forces operator now working in private security. She’s tough and highly skilled. Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) joins as a renowned paleontologist. Henry brings deep scientific knowledge but lacks field experience. They are also joined by boat captain Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali). Duncan is Zora’s old friend and partner. Each character carries their own past trauma or motivations for taking on this dangerous job.
The Perilous Path to Isle Saint-Hubert
The team sets sail aboard the Essex, a repurposed military patrol boat. Captain Kincaid’s crew includes key members like Bobby Atwater (Ed Skrein) as head of security, LeClerc (Bechir Sylvain) as co-pilot, and deckhand Nina (Philippine Velge). Their journey quickly turns perilous.
Meanwhile, a seemingly unrelated story follows the Delgado family. Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) takes his daughters, Teresa (Luna Blaise) and young Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and Teresa’s boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono) on a sailing trip. Their boat, La Mariposa, is violently attacked and capsized by an enormous mosasaurus.
The Essex picks up the family’s distress signal. Martin Krebs wants to ignore it, prioritizing the high-stakes extraction mission. But the others overrule him, compelling a rescue attempt. This act of compassion puts both groups on a collision course with the island’s terrifying inhabitants.
Stranded in a Reptilian Paradise
Before reaching the island, the Essex suffers a brutal attack, possibly from a spinosaurus. This forces the boat into the rocky shallows of Isle Saint-Hubert. Both the expedition team and the rescued Delgado family end up shipwrecked and separated on the dangerous island.
The island holds secrets. It’s home to a long-abandoned, secret InGen research facility. A prologue reveals a past containment breach there, hinting at the genetically modified creatures that now roam free. These aren’t just classic dinosaurs; the island is a haven for mutant and crossbred species, dubbed “reptilian freaks.”
Survival becomes the primary goal. The shipwrecked groups must navigate the dense, unforgiving jungle. They hope to reach the abandoned InGen facility, which runs on geothermal power, believing it might offer a chance for help. The jungle itself is a threat, filled with unseen dangers and unnerving sounds.
Navigating a Deadly Landscape
Director Gareth Edwards excels at creating suspense and staging spectacular action set-pieces. The film delivers thrilling encounters with various prehistoric and engineered creatures. A particularly tense moment involves a quetzalcoatlus stalking characters through underground tunnels, paying homage to the famous kitchen scene from the original Jurassic Park. Another sequence sees Zora and Henry rappel down a cliff to a quetzalcoatlus nest, facing a protective parent.
One highlight praised by critics is a quiet, awe-inspiring moment. Zora and Henry reach a lush valley filled with grazing titanosauruses. The normally reserved Henry is overcome with emotion, experiencing the pure wonder that defined Spielberg’s first film. He touches one of the massive creatures in a genuinely moving scene.
The iconic T. Rex also makes a dramatic return. In a thrilling river chase sequence adapted from Michael Crichton’s original novel, the massive therapod pursues the Delgados as they attempt to escape by raft. It even swims! The climax introduces the formidable hybrid, the Distortus Rex (D. Rex), adding another layer of danger.
Characters and Chemistry
While some reviews found the characters thinly written, the cast injects charm into their roles. Scarlett Johansson is credible as the resourceful Zora, capably handling the demanding physical sequences. Mahershala Ali is solid as the stoic captain Duncan, grappling with his own past loss.
Jonathan Bailey stands out as Dr. Henry Loomis. He provides much of the film’s humor and a contrasting perspective to Zora’s pragmatism. Their evolving rapport, blending banter with mutual respect, forms the emotional core of the main storyline. Henry embodies scientific idealism and the pure awe of dinosaurs, often stealing scenes.
The Delgado family subplot aims to provide emotional grounding and raise stakes, but critics found it less successful. While Isabella’s bond with a small, animatronic creature named Dolores (aquilops) offers a “Spielbergian” moment of sweetness, the storyline is sometimes seen as a distraction. Xavier’s journey from slacker to surprisingly capable survivor adds a minor arc.
Technical Prowess and Nostalgia
Jurassic World Rebirth is technically impressive. Cinematographer John Mathieson captures the beauty and danger of the Thailand filming locations (standing in for the island) using 35mm film and Panavision lenses. The dynamic camera work keeps the action engaging. Alexandre Desplat’s score effectively builds tension and awe, incorporating John Williams’ classic themes.
The visual effects are top-notch. The CG creatures are detailed and feel tangible. Director Gareth Edwards includes subtle homages to Steven Spielberg’s work, particularly moments in the water that evoke Jaws.
However, the film’s heavy reliance on nostalgia drew mixed reactions. While homages like the kitchen scene reference are deliberate, some critics felt the movie leaned too heavily on past glories. The core narrative, penned by returning screenwriter David Koepp (co-writer of the original Jurassic Park), was seen by some as an assembly of recycled story beats. The film struggles at times to find true novelty beyond introducing new monster designs.
The Verdict: More Roar Than Rebirth?
Critical reception for Jurassic World Rebirth is varied. Some reviewers hail it as one of the best entries since the original Jurassic Park or The Lost World. They praise its focus on creature-feature horror and survival elements, a return to basics after Dominion felt creatively tired. It delivers significant action, spectacle, and genuinely scary moments.
Other critics found it underwhelming, highlighting a slow first act, underdeveloped characters, clichéd subplots (especially the family), and a failure to add significant depth or explore the ethical implications of the genetic engineering. The blatant product placement was also noted as distracting.
Ultimately, Jurassic World Rebirth succeeds as a thrilling, albeit familiar, dinosaur adventure. It provides propulsive narrative drive and big scares. The cast, especially Johansson and Bailey, are appealing. While it might not redefine the franchise or top everyone’s ranked list, it offers a fun, adrenalized ride for long-time fans. It delivers on spectacle and recaptures sparks of wonder from the original films, even if its promise of true “rebirth” feels more like a well-executed retread.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main plot of Jurassic World Rebirth?
The movie follows an illegal expedition to a forbidden tropical island near the equator where remaining large dinosaur species live. Led by security expert Zora Bennett and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis, the team is hired by a pharmaceutical executive to extract DNA from giant dinosaurs for a potential heart disease cure. Their mission becomes a fight for survival when they get stranded on the island, which is also home to dangerous mutant dinosaurs from an abandoned research facility, alongside a separate family shipwrecked there.
Who are the main cast members in Jurassic World Rebirth?
The film features Scarlett Johansson as Zora Bennett, the expedition’s security expert, and Jonathan Bailey as Dr. Henry Loomis, the paleontologist. Other key cast members include Mahershala Ali as Captain Duncan Kincaid, Rupert Friend as the executive Martin Krebs, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Reuben Delgado, the father from the stranded family. The cast brings appeal to their roles despite some criticism of character depth.
Is Jurassic World Rebirth worth watching for Jurassic Park fans?
For long-time fans seeking thrilling dinosaur action and suspense, Jurassic World Rebirth is likely worth watching. It delivers exciting set pieces, impressive visual effects, and moments of classic Jurassic awe, particularly relating to the science and scale of the creatures. While some reviews note a lack of originality and thin characters compared to the originals, many agree it’s a significant improvement over recent sequels like Dominion and successfully returns to creature-feature roots, making it an enjoyable ride for the faithful.
