Jurassic World: Rebirth

Jurassic World: Rebirth
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend
Directed by Gareth Edwards

It's been 32 years that we've experienced dinosaurs in one form or another with "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World," and much like those big behemoths of history, their returns have been diminishing. If the first film taught us it would be a bad idea to clone dinosaurs for the here-and-now, each subsequent sequel taught us that, like ole Jud said in "Pet Sematary"  - "sometimes, dead is better." That's not to say these aren't enjoyable, popcorn-fed action films, but the heart and soul of the franchise died years ago. Now, we get another trip to Jurassic Park with a new group of people who are as stereotypical as they come, looking for the most obvious MacGuffins, featuring the worst bad guy ever, and overfilling the movie with needless subplots, characters, and other characters that could've easily had the words "dinosaur chow" on their shirts.

It's been five years since dinosaurs roamed the earth again, and people have lost interest. Dinosaurs couldn't live in the different climates so they all relocate to the equator where no one is allowed to travel, but no one wants to anymore, as dinosaurs have become...well...extinct. Until pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix discovers they can use dinosaur blood to cure heart disease.  Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), the pharmaceutical representative, brings in Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a covert ops expert, to travel to the no-entry zone to get biomaterial samples from three specimens to crate the said cure for heart disease. They bring along Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist and Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), Zora's team leader, to find the dinosaur specimens.

Meanwhile, on the open ocean, Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his teenage daughter Teresa (Luna Blaise), his younger daughter Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and Teresa's boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono) find themselves adrift at sea after their boat is capsized by a mosasaur. They're rescued by Zora and her group, but get separated when their boat comes under attack by dinosaurs. As Zora's group finds the specimens, Reuben and his family fend for their lives on the island until they come together and run into the most dangerous dinosaur of all - a runaway hybrid known as the Distortus Rex.

Director Gareth Edwards is amazing when it comes to creature feature films, having directed the 2014 film "Godzilla" as well as his debut feature, 2010's "Monsters." He has an eye for the fantastical, and to that end "Rebirth" really shines. It feels like it's connected to the original "Jurassic Park" more than any other, due to the dangers in the jungle, the beautiful cinematography, and the dazzling dinosaurs we see on screen (particularly a scene where Zora and company find a field full of Titanosaurus grazing, reminding viewers of when Alan Grant and his group first saw dinosaurs in a similar setting). Sadly, the story around the setting has a lot to be desired.

That story is as stereotypical as they come, and offer nothing new or exciting to the plot. A group of adventurers travel to the forbidden island to gain samples to help cure heart disease, and is led by the scrupulous big pharma leader who of course values money over everything, so it comes as no surprise when his true colors come shining through. We don't get much character development, as Scarlett Johansson's Zora is in it for the money and adventure, but still has reservations after losing a close friend in their last outing. Mahershala Ali is the calm and collected Duncan, and Jonathan Bailey is the nerdy dinosaur lover who's obsessed with being there. There's nothing else about these characters worth of note (and a lot less about their fellow crew members, who, as I said earlier, may as well have had "dinosaur chow" written on their shirts, as that's all they're good for here), and maybe if this was it, the film would've been better - and way shorter.

But, for some reason, (I'm guessing so kids would want to go, and because it introduces audiences to an adorable baby dinosaur who I'm sure has sold copious amounts of toys by now) they throw in a subplot of a family traveling way too close to the forbidden zone, and find themselves on their own journey of survival. This takes away from any possible development for Zora and her group, and really slows down the run time and momentum when we shift to their story.

Then there's the aforementioned new big bad, the Distortus Rex, which is the latest hybrid dinosaur created because they say people don't care about regular dinosaurs anymore (which, to me, feels like a slap in the face to the real audience, as these movies think we want to see bigger, deadlier dinosaurs rather than the ones we've read about in science class), and even though Edwards is great with crafting creatures, the reveal of this D-Rex is nothing short of giggle-worthy. It looks like a Xenomorph from "Alien" mated with a T-Rex, and not in a good way. 

Still, when the film shines, it really shines. The action is exciting, the visuals are wonderful, and anything Scarlett Johansson does is praiseworthy, even if it's coupled with a bland story, stereotypical characters, and way too many plotlines to keep attention of.

The Score: A-