Jurassic World Rebirth | Directed by Gareth Edwards // Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey
Summary (Spoiler-free): In Jurassic World: Rebirth, we see a rescue team and a stranded family swept into a deadly, dinosaur-infested island that once housed secret genetic experiments. With stunning visuals and intense action, the film introduces new characters and terrifying hybrid creatures, offering a fresh, focused adventure that resets the franchise’s tone without relying on nostalgia.
Jurassic World Rebirth surprised me, in a good way. I went in with relatively low expectations, mostly wondering how many times we can watch a group of people run from dinosaurs before it feels stale. But to its credit, this film finds ways to freshen up the formula just enough. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s a fast-paced, visually stunning ride with solid performances, a few standout moments, and a clear sense of what it wants to be: big, loud, fun, and just a little nostalgic.
The visuals were absolutely jaw-dropping at times, some of the best in the entire franchise. Whether it was the scale of the dinosaurs, the lush environments, or the intensity of the action, it all looked incredible. Speaking of action, the set pieces were genuinely thrilling, with a few moments that had me holding my breath.
Performance-wise, the standout for me wasn’t the big names (though they were great) but Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, a father trying to protect his kids. I hadn’t seen him before, and he absolutely nailed it — grounded, emotional, believable. Mahershala Ali was excellent as always, Jonathan Bailey brought his signature charm, and Scarlett Johansson held her own in every scene.
One thing to note: This film puts a woman (Scarlett Johansson), a gay man (Jonathan Bailey), and a Black man (Mahershala Ali) front and center as its leads, and they absolutely own it. Even better? Audiences are showing up. The movie is on track to hit $600 million at the global box office — a powerful reminder that diversity isn’t just meaningful, it’s bankable. It’s awesome to see, and hopefully this could be a trend versus an exception.
The story, while familiar, managed to shift the narrative in a refreshing way. Past Jurassic films often positioned science as the villain, but this one flipped that idea and actually celebrated science. That felt like a thoughtful change.
The score by Alexandre Desplat was great, though the most memorable music queues still came from the legendary John Williams themes. And that’s not a knock — those themes are untouchable.
The younger cast also did a solid job. There were a few moments of genuinely strong acting — even from the 10-year-olds — which isn’t always guaranteed in a blockbuster like this. Also, the movie moved at a breakneck pace, with only a brief 15-minute lull in the middle. You knew what kind of movie you were in for, and it delivered on that promise.
The villain didn’t really work for me. He was too one-note — driven purely by greed with no backstory or emotional depth. The actor did a fine job, but the writing just didn’t give him much to work with.
Another small gripe (and more of a general trend in modern blockbusters): every adult in this movie looked like they stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. It’s hard not to miss the more grounded, relatable character actors from the original Jurassic Park. Back then, the star of the show was the dinosaur. Now it feels like it’s the glamorized cast.
The humor, unfortunately, fell flat. Several jokes were met with silence in the theater — including long pauses clearly meant for laughs that never came. One of the young characters was meant to bring comic relief but instead felt forced and awkward.
Also (this one’s not the movie’s fault), the child behind me kicked my seat for 30 straight minutes. Incredibly annoying. I just moved seats awkwardly after a while.
This was the first film I've seen in a very long time with the non-reclining fold-down seats. A blast from the past. But strangely enough, it made me nostalgic for those early 2010s moviegoing days — sticky floors, busted armrests, and all.
Jurassic World Rebirth is a crowd-pleasing return to form for the franchise — fast-paced, visually jaw-dropping, and just self-aware enough to work. It doesn’t try to overcomplicate the formula or chase a cinematic universe. Instead, it gives us what we came for: dinosaurs, danger, and just enough heart to care. The performances are strong, the action is thrilling, and while it’s still formulaic in spots, it finds moments of freshness that make it feel alive again.
I went in skeptical — how many times can we watch the same dino-disaster unfold? But I left pleasantly surprised. This film knows what it is and leans into it in all the right ways. With at least two more sequels on the horizon, I’m actually excited to see where this new era of Jurassic World goes next.
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