Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein
Written By: David Koepp
Directed By: Gareth Edwards
Studio: Universal

Another Jurassic movie is out, and thankfully this one is better than the last two dino turds. Original screenwriter David Koepp returns, and Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla) takes the helm. While the film doesn’t break much new ground, at least it’s entertaining for the most part.

Jurassic World: Rebirth takes place several years after Jurassic World: Dominion. An executive (Rupert Friend) at a pharma company recruits ex-military operative Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis for a secret mission: recover DNA from the three largest dinosaurs. Zora brings along her friend Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and his crew. What they don’t realize is that the island is crawling with mutated, rejected dinosaurs eager to make a meal out of them.

After my first viewing, I enjoyed certain sequences, though I thought the story could have been fleshed out more. I really liked the concept of rejected mutant dinosaurs, especially the D-Rex, which looked a lot like the Rancor from Return of the Jedi. The standout sequence was one lifted from Michael Crichton’s original book: the T-Rex and the river. That scene proves you don’t need gimmicky new dinosaurs for thrills, the classic dinos still work just fine.

Like with every Jurassic movie, I found myself guessing who would survive until the end and I was mostly right. If Steven Spielberg had been directing, I think a few more major characters would’ve been taken out. Once again, the film suffers from characters making dumb decisions, though that’s nothing new for the franchise. Johansson, Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Friend all turned in solid performances. The family characters were fine, but honestly, they survived situations where they really shouldn’t have.

Edwards’ direction was strong, giving the movie a fresh vibe while keeping it grounded as a Jurassic film. At times it felt closer to Kong: Skull Island than a straight-up Jurassic Park movie.

The digital release comes with the same special features you’d find on a physical edition: behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary, an alternate opening (not particularly memorable), a few okay deleted scenes, and a funny gag reel. The real highlights are the behind-the-scenes extras, especially featurettes like Jurassic World Rebirth: Hatching A New Era, Mini-Mart Mayhem, and Mutadon Attack.

Overall, Rebirth is a fun entry in the franchise, even if it doesn’t quite rise above its predecessors in a meaningful way. Still, it’s far better than Fallen Kingdom and Dominion. I suspect I’ll enjoy it even more on a second viewing.

Features:
Alternate Opening
Deleted Scenes
Raptors
Mutadon Attack
Jurassic World Rebirth: Hatching A New Era
The World Evolves
Off The Deep End
Trekking Through Thailand
Rex In The Rapids
Don’t Look Down
Mini-Mart Mayhem
Gag Reel
Meet Dolores
Munched: Becoming Dino Food
A Day At Skywalker Sound
Hunting For Easter Eggs
Feature Commentary With Director Gareth Edwards, Production Designer James Clyne, And First Assistant Director Jack Ravenscroft
Feature Commentary With Director Gareth Edwards, Editor Jabez Olssen, And Visual Effects Supervisor David Vickery

Bottom Line: A fun dino movie that feels like Kong Skull Island at times
Running Time: 133 mins
Rating: PG-13
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