A Mixed Bag of Spectacle and Familiarity
Released on July 2nd, 2025, Jurassic World Rebirth marks the seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and fourth in the Jurassic World series.
Directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla) and written by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, the film aimed to revitalize the series.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey, Rebirth delivers on spectacle but struggles to break free from its predecessors’ shadows.
Plot and Premise: A New Hunt for Dino DNA
Set five years after Jurassic World Dominion, Rebirth presents a world where dinosaurs have spread globally but now face extinction from climate change, confined to isolated equatorial regions.
The plot follows Zora Bennett (Johansson), a covert operations expert recruited by pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix to secure genetic material from three colossal prehistoric creatures on a remote island.
The goal: synthesize a life-saving drug for heart disease. Joining Zora are paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) and team leader Duncan Kincaid (Ali).
Their expedition is complicated when they encounter a shipwrecked civilian family—the Delgados and Teresa’s boyfriend—becoming entangled in the perilous journey.
The island, a former InGen research facility, houses dangerous mutated dinosaurs, including the formidable Distortus Rex.
The film introduces a moral dilemma about DNA distribution, with Zora eventually choosing open-source sharing over corporate exclusivity.
However, critics found her shift from mercenary to altruist abrupt and underdeveloped.
Visuals and Action: Edwards’ Signature Spectacle
Rebirth excels in visual execution and action sequences.
Edwards crafts immersive experiences through diverse environments—jungles, deep sea, stormy skies—rendered with meticulous detail.
Dinosaur close-ups, particularly the Diplodocus, capture realistic muscle twitches and breaths, making the creatures feel alive.
Standout sequences include aquatic encounters with the Mosasaurus, offering fresh dinosaur confrontations, and an amphibious Spinosaurus.
A river chase featuring a T. Rex pays homage to Crichton’s novel with heart-pounding tension.
Edwards effectively conveys scale, making human characters feel genuinely vulnerable against the prehistoric beasts.
Character and Narrative Flaws: A Familiar Roar
Despite visual prowess, Rebirth faces criticism for its narrative and character development.
Many reviews point to a “rehashed” plot following familiar beats from previous films, creating predictability.
While the new cast delivers strong performances and chemistry, critics felt the characters were thinly written or archetypal.
Johansson’s Zora is capable, Ali brings charm, and Bailey’s Loomis offers scientific wonder with comic relief, but the script contains awkward dialogue.
The shipwrecked family subplot drew criticism as unnecessary and detrimental to pacing.
Logic gaps, such as the team’s lack of preparedness despite known dangers, undermined the stakes for some viewers.
While attempting to recapture the original’s “awe and terror,” the film leans heavily into action spectacle, sacrificing the slow-burn dread and philosophical reflection that defined Spielberg’s classic.
The new hybrid Distortus Rex drew mixed reactions, continuing the franchise’s tendency to invent monsters rather than utilizing existing dinosaurs effectively.
Box Office Performance: A Resilient Comeback
Financially, Rebirth proved successful, exceeding expectations.
With a $180-225 million budget, it grossed over $766 million worldwide, making it the fourth-highest-grossing movie of 2025.
Its North American opening generated $91.5 million over three days and $147.3 million over five days (including July 4th).
Though lower than previous Jurassic World openings, the film showed strong staying power internationally, earning over $420 million, with a notable performance in India approaching ₹100 crore despite stiff competition.
Conclusion: A Step in the Right Direction, But Not a Full Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth is a visually stunning installment benefiting from Edwards’ direction and strong leads.
It features exciting dinosaur encounters and attempts to return to the core elements that made the original films beloved.
However, it suffers from a familiar narrative, uneven pacing, and questionable character decisions.
While not the complete “rebirth” some fans hoped for, it’s considered an improvement over the immediate Jurassic World trilogy predecessors.
The film offers a fun blockbuster experience, reminding audiences why they fell in love with dinosaurs, delivering pure action and spectacle without fully recapturing the original’s magic and depth.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31036941/
