JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH (2025)

Five years post-Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

The Jurassic Park franchise has always walked a line between awe and danger. At its best, it delivers the heart-pounding thrill of seeing prehistoric giants brought to life while making you care about the people running from them. At its worst, it swaps wonder for noise and characters for cannon fodder. Unfortunately, Jurassic World: Rebirth plants itself firmly in that latter category.

Visually, Gareth Edwards’ entry is a stunner. From sweeping ocean shots to towering jungle canopies, the film boasts moments of real scale and beauty. The dinosaurs, when they appear, are rendered with impressive detail; scales glint in the sunlight, eyes glimmer with predatory focus, and the sound design gives every roar real weight. The problem is that these magnificent creatures are barely on screen long enough for us to appreciate them.


Instead, Rebirth splits its time between two underwhelming storylines. In the main plot, Scarlett Johansson plays a former military operative tasked with leading a mission to collect dinosaur blood samples. The premise suggests high stakes, but the execution is lacking, skirting real tension. Running alongside is a secondary plot about a family on holiday in dinosaur territory; a setup that could offer emotional grounding, but it’s pushed to the sidelines. If the film had reversed these priorities, it might have found something to hold onto.

The bigger issue is that the humans we follow aren’t worth caring about. The franchise has given us flawed but memorable characters in the past; Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, Ian Malcolm, but Rebirth fills its screen with the cinematic equivalent of cardboard cut-outs. Johansson broods, Mahershala Ali tries to elevate the material with gravitas, Jonathan Bailey plays a paleontologist defined solely by his job, and the rest cycle through whining, smirking, or being eaten.


The script doesn’t just skimp on character depth; it actively undermines it. Early moments hint at backstories or personal stakes, only to abandon them for another round of CGI chaos. It’s as if the only reason there are so many people on screen is to pad the body count when the dinosaurs finally show up.

Tonally, the film feels stuck in autopilot mode, recycling familiar beats from earlier instalments. Corrupt corporations, reckless science experiments, mercenaries with dubious motives, it’s all here, but without the spark of novelty. The setting, too, feels like a missed opportunity. The premise is that climate change has pushed dinosaurs into a contained tropical zone along the equator, so rather than exploring the consequences of a world where dinosaurs roam free, the story keeps them neatly confined to a no-travel zone. It’s a convenient excuse to avoid the messier, more interesting possibilities.


There are flashes of what might have been. Edwards knows how to stage scale and suspense, and some action beats genuinely work. An early ocean sequence brimming with tension sets the tone, and later encounters with the Mosasaurus and the Quetzalcoatlus deliver energy the rest of the film sorely lacks. But the “main event” creature; a hybrid D-Rex with extra limbs and an Alien-like head, lands with a thud, more overcomplicated than intimidating.

Perhaps the most telling scene comes early on: a brontosaurus lies tangled in power lines near the Brooklyn Bridge, ignored by commuters who pass it like any other roadside accident. That’s the film in miniature. The dinosaurs have lost their sense of wonder, reduced to background dressing. We’re told they’re dangerous, but the script doesn’t give us reasons to feel it.


This lack of danger is compounded by the fact that almost every human character is unlikeable. When the inevitable dinosaur attacks happen, the audience feels little beyond mild satisfaction at seeing another irritating presence removed from the screen. Without emotional investment, the set pieces, no matter how well-crafted, lack real bite.

And yet, for all its narrative shortcomings, Rebirth is rarely dull. It moves briskly from one sequence to the next, piling on explosions, creature reveals, and chases. The sound design is tangible, the visual effects largely convincing, and Edwards wrings tension from jungle shadows and ocean depths well. If you want a loud, fast-paced dino spectacle, you’ll get it here.


But spectacle without heart is a hollow experience. The original Jurassic Park didn’t just show you dinosaurs; it made you feel something about them. It wasn’t afraid to slow down, to let you marvel at the creatures before reminding you they could eat you in two bites. Jurassic World: Rebirth doesn’t give us that. It keeps the dinosaurs at arm’s length, hiding them behind plot contrivances and a roster of unlikeable humans.

What we’re left with is a film that looks like Jurassic Park but doesn’t feel like it. It’s all the sounds and sights of the franchise without the pulse. A sequel that ticks every box on the studio’s checklist, yet forgets to give us a reason to care.


For some, that might be enough; a couple of strong action beats, a few well-rendered prehistoric beasts, and the comfort of familiar spectacle. But for those hoping for the return of the awe and terror that made this series a cultural landmark, Rebirth is just another reminder that sometimes, life does not find a way.

Jurassic World Rebirth was released in NZ cinemas on July 2, 2025