Jurassic World Rebirth is a standalone sequel to 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, the fourth Jurassic World film, and the seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. Directed by Gareth Edwards & written by David Koepp, the film stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Ed Skrein. Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

Like many others, the first Jurassic Park made me fall in love with movies. I used to watch it all the time as a kid. There’s a reason why it’s a classic. The closest the franchise has ever gotten to recapturing that magic was with 2015’s Jurassic World. Even then, it was not quite at the standards at the first. David Koepp, the writer of the first one, came back with a script that Universal liked so much, they fast tracked early last year. While this new entry is an improvement over the last two movies, I think this film is further proof that this franchise needs to go extinct.

When Gareth Edwards was hired as director, an exciting cast update came along shortly afterwards that made the ideal of a new sequel exciting. Typically, whenever a new sequel comes out, I like to revisit each entry and review them. I can’t stand 2022’s Dominion, so I didn’t want to revisit it. Going into this, I heard some rumblings from last week’s theatrical mystery screening. Why this screened this specifically is beyond me, especially when the review embargo just dropped today. I still went optimistic. What I can say is that this will certainly entertain fans. If I was a kid and saw only this one, I would be a fan much like I was with the first one. As someone who wants something new from this franchise, this is not it.

With David Koepp’s screenplay, it makes sense why Universal wanted to fast track it. Why not go in a different direction with a new cast under the same guy who wrote the first two movies. Koepp is a talented and respected writer, why is why this one baffles me. Koepp does a great job at making us feel that original feeling of the earlier movies. There’s a lot of cheese to the way these characters interact that isn’t too bad to begin with, but it only gets worse from there.

It’s actually impressive how Universal avoided the subplot of a family in all of their marketing. I wouldn’t say the main storyline with the operatives was perfect, but it was exciting and exactly what the film should have been. Instead, a random family pops up just because and hijacks the movie. The talent who plays this family isn’t bad at all. I am just frustrated by how pointless this side plot is. It does absolutely nothing to change the narrative, nor does it do anything thematically. While the family can be in some entertaining scenes, I desperately wanted their scenes to end. This is not the film I came for. On a quick side note, the beginning barely makes sense as well.

It almost feels like this family is inserted only to make the film longer, and to try to make it more exciting. I am only convinced they are added there to have kids in the story like the first one had kids. When the film cuts back to the main storyline, it’s nearly impossible to feel for the main characters. The character development is rushed and their motives make zero sense. There are side characters that get killed off. They are there, but the movie never makes them feel important, which is why I never cared about anything that happened to them.

I think fans will enjoy this for what it is due to the action and dinosaurs. The third act is probably the film’s strong point, but the conclusion ends up cheapening it. Gareth Edwards does a great job at establishing a horror tone and making this a wonder to see, even if it comes at the cost of cheap looking CGI. That’s what happens when you rush production. I guarantee you this was the first draft of David Koepp’s script due to how much is going on at the same time and how it’s all kind of pointless in the end. Stay for the theatrics. If that’s what you want to see, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Whenever John Williams’ score kicks back in, I am a kid all over again. The film does a great job at inserting a fitting score for the overall tone. This is the closest we have gotten to that original tone. With seven movies in, I feel like this is too late. I would have been more on board with this franchise if they handpicked important stories for each movie with a new cast, much like an anthology. It would be incredible to see how people from all over the world would interact with dinosaurs. This one certainly leans into nostalgia, but I personally think it’s time to either evolve or go extinct.

Overall, Jurassic World Rebirth is a tonal misfire. Instead of evolving with giving us something new, it tries to replicate what came before. Fans will enjoy the action and dinosaurs for what it is. The film has one of the most pointless subplots I have ever seen. The film is also void of any character development, making you care even less of what happens to these characters. If this film makes a lot of money, then we will surely get more. If we do get more, then we are only going to get films of this quality.

VERDICT: 2.5/5 (Okay)