Reel Review: Jurassic World Rebirth Has All the Thrills of a Summer Blockbuster, But Lacks Heart

One of the most popular franchises of all time is back with a new installment including a brand new cast and creatures.

Jurassic World: Rebirth follows the greedy endeavor of a private business man, using the DNA of dinosaurs to cure heart disease. The only catch is that in order to finalize the product, he must collect blood samples from live creatures. In order to complete his research, he enlists a mission specialist, experienced navigators, and a nerdy professor.

While I will always be a fan of this franchise, much of the story was a let down. The characters feel underdeveloped and the dialogue is so exposition heavy that it is hard to connect. They somehow sucked all of the charisma and charm out of Jonathan Bailey and flattened him down into an archetype nerd. Scarlett Johansson is fine. Her performance is good for what she was given in terms of a script, but she feels a bit out of place in this world. While Zora is supposed to be this mission specialist, she doesn’t seem to have a clue of what to do in any stressful situation.

While the subplot of the boating family seems unrealistic, recent events of water travel make it hard not to believe that some overly confident sailors would find themselves in this situation. The main issue is why they were a necessary inclusion. They add a bit of comedic relief and try to pose some juxtaposition to the experienced travelers, but other than that they don’t add much value. Their storyline feels like a cheap attempt to add some heart to the movie that has rather monetary main drivers and connect the film to the original.

That is to say, not all joy was lost. As a big fan of Jaws, and any movie containing a shark really, seeing the water-based dinosaurs was a highlight. The scene where the little girl is trapped under the raft and you can see the teeth digging in, is the best scene of the film hands down. The boat and water scenes, which all take place in the first half of the movie, are the really great parts. Past that, things fall flat as once again people attempt to outrun these creatures.

There’s a great convenience store scene that pays homage to the original where the kids are trapped in the kitchen. While the parallels are fun, nothing can compare to the original. The dinosaurs in this installment are supposed to be evolved through mutation, but the land-based creatures leave much to be desired. The main dinosaur in the final sequence looks more alien than dinosaur and leaves much to be desired.

While the stakes touch on relevant themes of greed and healthcare access, the execution feels flat. The characters are hardly developed and the dialogue relies far too heavily on exposition. However, if you’re just looking for some crazy looking dinosaurs to jump in and attack people in creative ways, you’ll have fun with this one, especially in the water.

Jurassic World: Rebirth is playing in theaters now.