“Jurassic World Rebirth” Is a Fun Return to the Franchise – Movie Review

Jurassic World Rebirth movie is truly a rebirth of the fun of the first Jurassic Park.
My first date with my wife was the very first Jurassic Park. As a result, the movie has become one of ‘our things’, and as such we have made sure to see each one in a theater. Yes, even the bad ones. (And boy, have there been some bad ones.)
So when they announced there was going to be another attempt at the franchise this summer, I put it on my list, somewhat apprehensive considering the track record of previous outings. When I heard Jonathan Bailey was going to be in it (who bowled me over in Wicked, Part 1 and I discovered had absolutely nailed one of the hardest Stephen Sondheim songs), I got more excited.
So, the plot. It’s a Jurassic Park movie: do I really need to go into the plot? Fine.
It’s been five years since living dinosaurs became a ‘normal’ thing in this universe, and humans—being humans—have grown bored of them. Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) is a CEO whose company has developed a medication that can prevent heart disease. Only problem? They need the DNA of three dinosaurs that are in an area that no one is allowed to go. (Because, of course, they do.)
He hires Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a mercenary who will do almost anything if the money is good enough, to lead an expedition to get said DNA. Bailey plays Dr. Henry Loomis, a paleontologist who can help find (and identify) the correct species. And, of course, there’s an island that has been doing mad science on dinosaurs that had something go wrong with it.
Meanwhile, we meet Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his two daughters, sailing in the part of the sea they shouldn’t, and—as expected—get into trouble and end up joining the crew in its search.

Does it really matter? Other than the fact that they finally just say ‘screw it’ to being scientifically accurate, the plot is just a way to show off the latest CG dinosaurs and give us the standard action and terror of our heroes (and the bad guys: I have to wonder if bad guys taste better to dinosaurs, since they tend to go more often).
The problem with many of the other Jurassic Park movies is that they are too obviously trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was the first movie. They are sequels in the worst definition of the word, trying to copy rather than create something distinct.
And while there’s not really a way to make a movie about genetically engineered dinosaurs original, Jurassic World Rebirth manages to do something somewhat different than many of the others in the franchise. It remembers that these movies are supposed to be FUN, an adventure that makes you root for the good guys and cheer when the bad guys get theirs.
Much of this is due to the acting. Johansson is her typical snarky self, firing off one-shots like they are the bullets they use at one point to get a specimen. Her crew (Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, and Bechir Sylvain) acts like a crew, their chemistry clearly showing that they’ve worked together before. Bailey, meanwhile, seems to flirt with everyone he encounters and does a great job with the ‘oh, my God, it’s a dinosaur’ wonder that is contractually obligated to have in every movie in the franchise. And Garcia-Rulfo plays the concerned dad smoothly, making him not overbearing in his concern for his daughters. My only minor issue was that it seemed to be hinting there would be a romance between Johansson’s and Bailey’s characters, but thankfully, it doesn’t go there.
Of course, the action is vital to the story. Director Gareth Edwards and writer David Koepp do a fine job of balancing it with humor and quiet moments of small comfort. Of course, when I saw that Edwards directed Rogue One and Koepp wrote the screenplay for the original Jurassic Park, it made sense that the pacing was as good as it was. The movie seems to fly past, nowhere near the two-hour running time.
Is it a masterpiece? No, of course not. But not every film needs to be (or should be, for that matter). But it does what it sets out to do: Jurassic World Rebirth is a fun romp that seems to echo the original while still feeling fresh.
If you’re looking for a good distraction from the hellscape of the real world, Jurassic Park Rebirth is worth it. I will gladly be adding the movie to my collection and will willingly watch it again.
Jurassic World Rebirth opened July 2, 2025, and is no doubt playing at a theater near you. For more information about the movie, visit found on the official website.
Author: Angie Fiedler Sutton
Angie Fiedler Sutton is a writer, podcaster, and all-round fangirl geek. She has been published in Den of Geek, Stage Directions, LA Weekly, The Mary Sue, and others.
She also produces her own podcast, Contents May Vary, where she interviews geeky people about geeky things. You can see all her work (and social media channels) at angiefsutton.com.
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