JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH
Genre: Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali
Release Date: July 2, 2025
Platform: Theatrical
Rating: 16/5 The Life of Chuck
“At its best, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is safe and forgettable.”
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is the seventh film in the giant dinosaur franchise that was originally—and very loosely—based on Michael Crichton’s novels. Every sequel since has dreamt of capturing the awe of Steven Spielberg’s original masterpiece. While they may have trounced the original at the box office, none have come close to recapturing that first-film magic. Jurassic World: Dominion felt like the final nail in the franchise’s fossil-filled coffin, but hey, a billion dollars is a billion dollars—so naturally, Universal went back for another bite.
This time, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH promised a return to the horror-tinged roots of the first film—and maybe even a nod or two to Crichton’s book. It also teased a scaled-down story, something more intimate and original. Enter Rupert Friend as a big pharma rep who assembles a ragtag crew for a not-at-all-suspicious mission to a forbidden island filled with failed dinosaur experiments. The goal? Snag some DNA samples for a miracle drug. The island is off-limits, so naturally he hires Scarlett Johansson, playing a mercenary, who specializes in high-risk fetch quests. She brings along her best buddy, played by Mahershala Ali, because—plot twist—he owns a boat. Jonathan Bailey rounds out the crew as a know-it-all scientist. Plus, there’s…another guy. He mostly just loiters in the background, doing generic sidekick things.
Parallel to this already busy plot is a completely unnecessary side story about a random family in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their contribution to the plot? Absolutely nothing. You could scrub them from the film entirely and lose nothing but 30 minutes and the honor of watching the worst movie dad of 2025, in action. There’s also a half-baked redemption arc for a terrible character that falls flatter than a trampled Jeep Wrangler. The family subplot feels like the filmmakers screaming, “Remember the first movie had a family? That was cool, right!?” It doesn’t help that the film is drowning in Easter eggs designed to weaponize your nostalgia.
Character development is treated more like a suggestion than a necessity. Ali and Johansson share one sad-sack conversation about how miserable they are, which the film seems to think counts as emotional depth. ScarJo as a mercenary is…well, not very mercenary-like. She doesn’t really protect anyone, and she doesn’t unalive anyone either. Mostly she just smirks her way through the movie, possibly because she’s already mentally spending her paycheck. Everyone else is fine, given the meager scraps the script offers. As for the plot—go here, grab this; go there, grab that; oh no, bad guy! Rinse, repeat, yawn.
Technically, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is a mixed bag. Some visual effects are solid, others look like they were rendered on a toaster. Some jump scares fall hilariously flat, with giant dinosaurs awkwardly lurking behind humans, like confused party crashers. The score is forgettable—until, of course, the original Jurassic Park theme makes a guest appearance. At that point, it’s less thrilling and more jarring, like finding Beethoven in a TikTok ad.
At its best, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is safe and forgettable. At its worst, it’s unintentionally comedic. It’s a smidge better than Dominion, but that’s not exactly high praise. Still nowhere near the quality—or heart—of the original classic film.
