Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) is directed by Gareth Evans and written by David Koepp. It stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Ed Skrein, Bechir Sylvain, and Philippine Velge. Five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), the remaining dinosaurs now reside on a stretch of islands near the equator. To create a new miracle drug, pharmaceutical bigwig Martin Krebs (Friend) hires extraction specialist Zora Bennett (Johansson) to lead him and bookworm paleontologist Henry Loomis (Bailey) on a mission to illegally enter the islands and collect DNA from 3 of the largest living dinosaurs. To round out their expedition, Zora enlists the aid of her close friend, Duncan Kincaid (Ali), and his team of trusted mercenaries. Upon arrival, they encounter the shipwrecked Reuben Delgado (Garcia-Rulfo)—his two daughters, Isabella (Miranda) and Teresa (Blaise); and Teresa’s goofy boyfriend, Xavier Dobbs (Iacono). As the team sets out to complete their mission, the Delgados search for a means of escape. As expected, hungry dinosaurs and sweaty, stranded humans aren’t a great recipe for fun times (for the humans, that is). Unfortunately, the dinosaurs aren’t the only threat. A horrible new threat lurks within the island’s dark corners—a crime against nature not even a mother could love.

Johansson and Ali deliver the kind of half-serious, charm-reliant performances one expects from big-name actors of their caliber. The problem is that the script provides them with motivations we’ve seen in the franchise before and backstories that are either painfully cliche or nonexistent. This is especially bothersome when it comes to Zora, who is entirely defined by her quest to get paid (hmmm, I wonder what her arc could be?). A similar thing can be said about Rupert Friend’s character, Martin Krebs, a slimy corporate loyalist with ulterior motives. Although Friend is compelling, the character is one we’ve seen in at least half of these films. It causes the character to fall flat because we immediately know precisely how his journey will end. Thankfully, not every character is as underwhelming as he is.   

Jonathan Bailey is an easy standout as the nerdy, oddly charming, Altoid-munching Dr. Henry Loomis. Although the film often struggles to evoke feelings of wonder and awe, Bailey’s performance occasionally offers the viewer a small taste of the original’s magic. The other two standouts are easily Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Reuben Delgado and David Iacono as the goofy boyfriend who’s just tagging along. A loving father who disapproves of his daughter’s boyfriend is a tale as old as time, but it helps to provide some effective family-related themes, a series staple. This ultimately works because Xavier is written to be the funniest, most unique character in the film—a Gen Z stoner so laid back and ‘cool,’ it’s almost annoying (but only if he’s dating your daughter). We understand their dislike for one another without feeling like either is in the wrong, which leaves room for a lot of humor, as well as the occasional heartwarming moment. Unfortunately, this relationship never leads to anything other than one small moment when Rueben essentially tells Xavier, “we’re cool.” 

I appreciate that the tone is much closer to the original three Jurassic Park films than any of the over-the-top Jurassic World sequels. Horror elements make a glorious return to the franchise, but they’re handcuffed by the fact that the film is once again afraid to kill off anyone who isn’t either a complete scumbag or so insignificant that their expiration date may as well be tattooed on their forehead. This predictability is primarily due to the formulaic plot, which marks the third time a team goes to an island to extract something. There’s no doubt the story could have used a lot more creativity. Still, I believe these films are at their best when they keep things simple, primarily focusing on humans trying to survive while being hunted by bloodthirsty predators. In a way, it feels like a return to form for the franchise, but it’s also clear that the script was pumped out as fast as humanly possible. Where the film shines is in its dinosaur-centric action set pieces, multiple of which involve elements I’ve always wanted the series to explore more deeply. For example, the boat-centric set piece is a series best, and the cliffside pterodactyl sequence effectively amplifies tension through its use of height. Also, the 14-year-old me was happy with the mix of featured dinosaurs. The iconic velociraptors are notably absent, but it didn’t bother me as much as the idea would suggest. In fact, I barely noticed it.

One element I’m mixed on is the inclusion of a genetically engineered mutant dinosaur, which seems more at home in the Alien franchise. The characters make it clear that this was due to Jurassic World’s demand for newer, bigger, more incredible dinosaurs. They imply this to be sad and regrettable, which is strange considering that’s precisely what this series has done since Jurassic World (2015). Fans of this franchise want dinosaurs, not unrecognizable monstrosities. I understand this as an appropriate continuation of the Jurassic World story, but why feel the need to have that connective tissue anyway? Most of the elements carried over from those films are some of this film’s largest weak spots. Few people truly love those films, especially the most recent two; they just made a lot of money. Money always talks, but in this case, I wish it would have shut the hell up.   

Overall, this is a mostly satisfying addition to the Jurassic franchise and marks a significant improvement over its predecessors. Although the story is well-suited for this series, it’s incredibly clichéd and predictable. It includes no surprising deaths or plot developments, and the characters are a mixed bag. Thankfully, it provides some of the best dinosaur mayhem this franchise has to offer. The schtick is starting to feel a bit stale; there’s only so many times a person can hear the iconic score kick in before its magic inevitably begins to fade. I don’t think it has lost its juice just yet, so I’m guessing most fans will enjoy it. Despite its flaws, it made me feel like I was 12 again. B-