In the last few years dinosaurs have found it increasingly difficult to survive in the modern day environment. Most of those still with us exist in parts of the world close to the equator. Areas that are now highly restricted. But when it's discovered that the DNA of some species could hold the key to some serious medical advancements, a pharmaceutical executive hires a team of mercenaries to retrieve the necessary samples. This involves travelling to a remote island that was once home to an InGen facility responsible for developing some of their hybrid species.
I'm not going to lie, when I first heard they were developing yet another Jurassic World movie, my initial reaction may not have been all that positive. Which is probably not a surprise given the general reaction to Jurassic World: Dominion. However, it seems this dino franchise still has a few surprises left up its sleeve. Rebirth may not be able to raise things back to Jurassic Park levels, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Director Gareth Edwards even manages to re-inject this prehistoric franchise with just a little bit of that awe and wonder it once enjoyed - along with many JP references. While returning writer David Koepp injects the movie with an amusing sense of self-awareness regarding the ridiculousness of its own existence.
For the most part it is an exciting, new adventure with the extinct behemoths, and a whole new crew of lunatics willing to go anywhere near them. I'm not sure the "science" behind their need to go dinosaur hunting stands up, but at least Rebirth is actually about dinosaurs! And does the "science" really matter, anyway? As long as Scarlett Johansson and her crew are chasing dinos, and things get messy, I think we're good. Which is something the movie certainly delivers. The Mosasaurus even gets its chance to come out and play - they've only been teasing that since Fallen Kingdom. In fact, this high-speed chase through the water is one of the movie's highlights; seeing the prehistoric swimmer give the team the run-around as they try to get a sample of her blood and stay afloat.
As for the crew, well there's a surprising amount of depth to at least some of them. Ed Skrein is almost forgettable, while Philippine Velge and Bechir Sylvain are at least likeable, although that's about it. Even Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's shipwrecked family fails to really add anything to the plot. They simply happen to be there, and the less said about their little dino friend, the better. But Johansson's 'Zora Bennett' and Mahershala Ali's 'Duncan Kincaid' share both a history and a battle with trauma that proves to be an intriguing motivation for them. Zora's charming and playful relationship with the exuberant dino expert, Dr Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) also adds a little spark to the adventure. Loomis is a lot like a kid watching Jurassic Park for the first time. His excitement and passion for dinosaurs bordering on infectious.
The good doctor's excitement is certainly understandable. After all he is travelling to a beautiful part of the world to observe the once extinct creatures he has spent a lifetime studying. Trouble is, the place he's going to isn't just home to dinosaurs. The island of Île Saint-Hubert also happens to be a place of nightmares. Somewhere InGen chose to hide its mistakes, like the Mutadons - a nasty combination of Velociraptor and pterosaur - and the monstrous Distortus Rex. Also known as the D-Rex, it is undoubtedly a failed attempt to develop a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and looks like a cross between a T-Rex, a Xenomorph and a Rancor. Haunting would probably be a good way to describe, but its lack of screen time means it never earns the sympathy Edwards intended us to feel for its painful existence.
Unsurprisingly however, Rebirth's more fun moments revolve around the real dinosaurs, and the team's attempts to acquire their DNA, rather than the hybrids and mistakes. David Koepp's decision to move away from the Jurassic World plotline of sharing our world with dinosaurs, bringing things back to a bunch of humans stuck in a place ruled by dinosaurs, is a welcome one. It adds a greater sense of peril to an already perilous expedition. Rock climbing and abseiling are dangerous enough activities without a fighter jet sized winged dinosaur trying to eat you. A Titanosaurus herd certainly adds danger to a country stroll, as does a T-Rex to Whitewater rafting - another of the movie's standout scenes, in which the Delgado family are chased down a river by the king of dinosaurs. These are all moments that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up... only not quite as much as they should.
There is one thing that holds Rebirth back from being up there with Jurassic Park as this incredibly immersive experience; the visual effects. The production period was rather short for a movie of this size, and the rush to have the movie ready for release has not only limited the use of animatronics and other practical effects, it has robbed Rebirth of the crisp, grand visuals the franchise is known for. An awareness of the presence of green screens or even some sub-par CGI - something you don't expect from a Jurassic movie or Gareth Edwards - can easily take you out of the movie, and I'm disappointed to say it happens more than once. That sense of immersion, being drawn into a world where dinosaurs once again roam the Earth is what Jurassic Park/World is all about. And losing that, even for a moment, is an unwelcome ding in an otherwise thrilling prehistoric safari.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is yet another awe-inspiring dino adventure. A welcome reset after the not so epic conclusion to the Jurassic World trilogy. Even if it is occasionally let down by some sub-par visuals.
7/10
Don't forget to check out my Jurassic ReWatch, in which I revisited all the Jurassic movies that came before Rebirth.
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