Jurassic World: Rebirth Review
An instalment in the franchise which pays homage to its origin and avoids the sins of the other Jurassic World films
On Wednesday, I was able to catch Jurassic World: Rebirth at my local Odeon Luxe. I had contemplated seeing this and whether it was worth the cinema trip. For lovers of cinema, 2025 has become an incredible year for original films (Sinners, Black Bag, Hard Truths to name a few) but has also been a year of live-action remakes (Lilo and Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon) and new films in existing franchises which have often be met with groans and exasperation. I was also hesitant to watch it, given my experience watching the previous Jurassic World films. Would this be as painful to watch? Would I be treated to an film which clutches to CGI? Despite my many reservations, I decided to give the film. chance. Jurassic World: Rebirth is the fourth Jurassic World film and seventh instalment in the franchise, directed by Gareth Evans and written by David Kopek. The film has a star-studded cast consisting of Scarlett Johansson (Zora); Mahershala Ali (Duncan); Jonathan Bailey (Dr Loomis); Rupert Friend (Martin); Manuel Garcia-Ruflo (Rueben); Luna Blaise (Teresa); David Iacono (Xavier) and Audrina Miranda (Isabella).
The film is set five years following Jurassic World Dominion and focuses on a team of skilled operatives led by Zora Bennett travelling to an island. Their journey is dangerous, not the least because it is illegal, but because the island they’re travelling hosts the research facility for the original Jurassic Park and by virtue of that, lots of dangerous dinosaurs. Their aim is to secure genetic material from three dinosaurs - the Mosasaurus, Titanosaurus and Quetzalcoatlus, whose DNA can help humanity with a world-changing drug to combat heart disease. The catch? They need to be within 10m to extract that material adding danger to their journey. As Zora and her team travel to the dinosaurs which consists of Dr Loomis, a palaeontologist; mercenary, Duncan Kincaid; pharmaceutical representative, Martin Krebs (who hires Zora), they soon run into trouble with the dinosaurs and find a shipwrecked family in need of help.
I wanted to begin my review by praising the cast of this film. Introducing new characters to an established franchise in the course of the film is an incredibly difficult feat, but it paid off. I particularly enjoyed Scarlett Johannson’s and Jonathan Bailey’s. As Nora, Scarlett is able to portray this quiet intensity you’d expect from a covert operative, but what’s really interesting is how her views on the mission changes and her chemistry with Dr Henry Loomis. Nothing happens between their characters and Gareth Evans does not attempt to fit in a contrived romantic subplot. Jonathan Bailey’s performance is one I was most surprised at, as Dr Henry Loomis (a palaeontologist) he gives the film grounding and morality. There is one incredible scene which stood out to me. He’s knowledgeable about all things relating to dinosaurs, which is the reason for his position in the team, but lacks real experience with dinosaurs in the wild. When he gets up and close to the dinosaurs observing mating rituals, his astonishment and wonder at being able to observe the subject of his study and career up close is a tender moment which is well-executed.
I will love Mahershala Ali in anything he’s in, but I think as Duncan, he does a great job with what he’s given. His character is a grieving mercenary who does have an important role in the team as leader, but I don’t think his character develops and is very much the same person we meet at the beginning of the film. Rupert Friend’s role is very simple - he represents a pharmaceutical company which wishes to utilise the genetic material of dinosaurs for their own benefit. At first, he’s just another corporate guy who can be a bit of an asshole, but as the film develops, the lengths he’ll go to secure the genetic material are discovered by his team. He does well with what he’s given and it’s another role in a sort of archetype that is developing around how high-ranking and important people in business are portrayed in film and TV. I also wanted to briefly mention the performances of the family who become shipwrecked, I felt they each gave great performances particularly, David Iacono who plays Xavier (Teresa’s boyfriend). At first, I was rooting for him to be swept away and devoured by the dinosaurs but over time, he grew on me and it turned out his character wasn’t all superficial.
For fans who love homages to other films, there is a lot of that in Jurassic World: Rebirth including a tasteful homage to Jaws which I definitely sat up for! Gareth Evans does a great job at tastefully adding to the Jurassic World franchise through his direction of the incredible cast assembled. There are sequences where the typical trope of a menacing figure in the background who is out of focus is contrasted with a character distracted by something in the foreground, it’s great the first and second time but over utilised in this film. I’d recommend watching this film if you’re a fan of the original and want an action-packed film with some incredible sequences and performances.
Have you watched it? I’d love to know what you thought about the film!
I'm seeing this tonight and am pleased you found it largely enjoyable.