Jurassic World: Rebirth - Movie Review

Jurassic World: Rebirth is the latest film in the Jurassic Park franchise and this time it's directed by Gareth Edwards, and stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend and many other. So in this film, a team travels to a former research facility on an island to extract samples of things vital for a treatment for heart disease and also rescue a shipwrecked family, but then they struggle to survive as they become stranded on the island and face dinosaurs. I was kind of hopeful for this movie, none of the people behind the previous 3 films were behind this one so this was pretty much like a fresh start. I love Gareth Edwards as a director, and it was back to basics, none of this boring bugs nonsense like the atrocious previous installment Jurassic World: Dominion. 

This movie is a dumb, fun monster flick—nothing more, nothing less. It may not be a masterpiece, but when it comes to enjoyable summer entertainment, there are certainly worse options out there. Gareth Edwards does an excellent job of making the dinosaurs appear larger than life on the big screen. He successfully recaptures their awe-inspiring presence in nearly every shot and makes them feel like real threats during the action sequences. 

Speaking of the action, it's both thrilling and fun! The film features exciting chase scenes, people being eaten, and plenty of entertaining moments. While the performances aren't particularly memorable, the cast does a solid job given the material they had to work with. The visual effects are also impressive; unlike many films that suffer from subpar CGI due to rushed production, this movie stands out with genuinely great visuals! The film also runs at a great pace, it never drags and therefore it's never boring.

There's plenty to like in this film, but it's also deeply flawed. For instance, the film is extremely lacking in the character department! There is little to no character development, or really any attempt to make the audience connect with or care about them. By the time the end credits start rolling, you forget what the characters' names are, you only remember who acted in the movie. There is one character in particular that I really didn't like, and that is the boyfriend of the older sister in the family! He was so irritating and stupid, I wanted him to die brutally not too long after he was introduced. Much to my disappointment, he doesn't.

Another significant issue with the film lies in its screenplay. It feels as if the writer had two distinct narratives in mind, but studio executives intervened, urging him to merge them into a single project. This forced fusion results in a disjointed storyline, where the two plots struggle to coexist. As a consequence, the film lacks a cohesive flow and fails to engage the audience fully, leaving viewers confused about the direction and intent of the story. The lack of harmony between the narratives detracts from the overall experience, making it difficult to connect with the characters and their journeys.

Overall, Jurassic World: Rebirth is an okay monster movie with enough action and solid visuals to make it worth watching purely for popcorn entertainment. Although I was expecting a bit more from a movie directed by the director of Rogue One and The Creator and the writer of the original Jurassic Park.

GRADE:  C+

Movie Details

Director:  Gareth Edwards 

Release date:  July 2nd, 2025

Run time:  134 minutes 

Studio:  Universal Pictures 

MPAA rating:  PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, some suggestive references, language and a drug reference)