Movie Review - "Jurassic World: Rebirth" - The Dinos Shine While the Story Falls Short
Nothing makes you appreciate how meticulously Jurassic Park was crafted quite like watching its sequels. While the first Jurassic World offered a fresh and exciting revival, its follow-ups rarely lived up to their potential, often teasing more interesting ideas than they delivered. Jurassic World: Rebirth doesn’t contradict the previous films, but it seems intentionally designed to distance itself from much of the franchise mythology. The return of original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp sets the tone, making this film feel spiritually closer to the 1993 original, for better or worse.
What Rebirth gets right is its willingness to slow down and let us appreciate the dinosaurs. This isn’t wall-to-wall action — and that’s a good thing. The film allows space to admire these majestic creatures in moments of awe and wonder, punctuated by the subtle return of John Williams’ iconic themes. There’s also a satisfying balance of humor and character-driven moments, offering breathing room between the set pieces. These quieter scenes recall what made the original so impactful: characters reacting to the impossible, not just running from it.
Unfortunately, those character beats and dino showcases sometimes come at the cost of story logic. The script bends over backward to create emotional or nostalgic moments, even when the plot mechanics behind them feel silly or overly telegraphed. The introduction of the Delgado family feels particularly forced, a narrative device seemingly designed to find a way to bring another poor child into the story. Meanwhile, Rupert Friend’s performance as Martin Krebs is so reminiscent of the original film’s infamous “blood-sucking lawyer" that you almost wonder if they’re related. If you’ve seen a few Jurassic films, you’ll likely be able to predict who’s going to survive within the first 30 minutes.
There’s no denying the dinosaurs are still cool — but not all of them look great. Some of the visual effects feel undercooked, especially in wide shots or moments of high action. The film’s rushed production timeline may have contributed to the uneven CGI, which sometimes lacks the weight and realism fans have come to expect. That said, several action sequences (particularly those involving water) are thrilling, inventive, and genuinely tense. If only the plot leading to them felt more organic.
Dinosaurs will always be awesome, and for that reason alone, Jurassic World: Rebirth makes for solid summer entertainment. But while it nods to the spirit of the original, it doesn’t quite find a fresh way to evolve the franchise.
Presumably, another Jurassic film is inevitable. Hopefully, the next installment not only respects the tone that made the series iconic but also finds a truly new story to tell.
I give Jurassic World: Rebirth 3 out of 5 stars.