Jurassic World Rebirth

by Mike McGranaghan

Jurassic World Rebirth is nowhere near the masterpiece that Steven Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park is, but it’s a whole lot better than Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World: Dominion. Frankly, that’s good enough for me. No clone children, no locusts this time around. Just your basic people-vs-dinosaur action. After those last two idiotic movies, it was nice to enjoy this franchise again, even if only on the level of mindless entertainment.

Scarlett Johansson makes a strong addition, playing Zora Bennett, an expert in covert operations. She’s recruited to help pharmaceutical company representative Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) get safely in and out of a forbidden region near the equator where the last remaining dinosaurs live. He believes DNA from three types of dinos will help create a medication to eradicate heart disease. Also drafted into the mission is Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist working for a museum. Zora brings in Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), her trusted navigational partner on previous excursions.

On their way to the island, the group rescues a Mexican family, led by Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), whose boat was capsized by a dinosaur. They’re separated soon after, leading to two connecting story arcs – one about the attempt to get the DNA and one about the family’s efforts to survive.

My issue with the two prior Jurassic World pictures is that they spent so much time on world-building that the core appeal of the series got lost. The dinosaur attacks were set up by truly awful, self-serious plotting. Jurassic World Rebirth pleasantly goes back to the basics: humans are on a remote island with prehistoric creatures and must not die. Different classes of dinosaurs lead to varying forms of dangers. Zora and Henry have to extract DNA from a swimming dino, one that’s land-based, and a third that’s airborne and therefore has its nest way up the side of a cliff. This set-up produces continual thrills, as does the perilous trek made by the Delgados, who are far less equipped to confront the beasts. Superior visual effects help these sequences develop tension.

The most interesting scene (to me, at least) is the one that will possibly earn the film a certain amount of ridicule. It’s softer in nature, as it features the characters seeking DNA from two dinosaurs who are mating. There’s a hint of the awe that the original Jurassic Park had when Dr. Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler laid eyes on the revived Brachiosaurus for the first time. You need to have a moment or two of this sort in a Jurassic feature because the sense of wonder is at the heart of the very premise.

There is no denying the characters are of the stock variety, from the troubled Zora, who’s been traumatized by a colleague’s death on her last mission, to the duplicitous businessman who cares more about profits than people. Nevertheless, a very likeable cast keeps them watchable. Johansson and Bailey, in particular, have charming chemistry together. The cast members figure out ways to invest flimsy characters with personality.

The biggest takeaway is that Jurassic World Rebirth is fun. That’s something this franchise hasn’t been in a long time. The movie’s action sequences are exciting, and the intermittent humor is genuinely funny. Escapist entertainment is something we all need occasionally. This sequel, thank goodness, returns that quality to the series.

Scroll down for a look at the Blu-ray bonus features.

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Blu-ray Features:

Jurassic World Rebirth hits Blu-ray in a special collector’s edition that contains a digital code and over an hour of supplementary material, including the theatrical trailer. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll find:

Alternate Opening - This is the same as the theatrical opening except that it shows giant machines tearing down sections of forest.

Deleted Scenes - These two moments, totaling about 4 minutes, elongate the climactic sequence outside the convenience store. The first adds more Raptor action, the second incorporates a Mutadon.

Gag Reel: - A short, moderately amusing compilation of on-set goofs, including Jonathan Bailey’s glasses flying off in one scene.

Jurassic World Rebirth: Hatching a New Era is a 6-part look at the film’s production that unfolds over 50 minutes. “The World Evolves” has the cast discussing the task of taking the franchise in a fresh direction while remaining true to its core. “Off the Deep End” shows how the ocean sequence was pulled off via cutting edge visual effects and a special gimbal that was used to toss the boat around. “Trekking Through Thailand” details the filming of sequences in the jungles and beaches of Thailand. “Rex in the Rapids” shows how the thrilling river chase was achieved. “Don’t Look Down” explores the rappelling scene, how the actors trained for it, and how the FX were incorporated to create one of the film’s signature moments. “Mini-Mart Mayhem” wraps things up by delving into the prominent convenience store set and how it helped create an unforgettable stretch of Jurassic World Rebirth.

A 4-part series of featurettes runs about 24 minutes and takes a look at the creation of Dolores, the tiny animatronic dinosaur; the deaths of several supporting characters (and how much the actors enjoyed their onscreen demises); how the sound effects were put together at Skywalker Sound; and the many Easter eggs that are hidden throughout the movie. All of these segments are nicely produced and fun to watch.

Finally, there are two audio commentaries featuring director Gareth Edwards and various essential crew members. With all of this enticing bonus material, Jurassic World Rebirth proves to be an impressive home video release. Look for it at Amazon or wherever you purchase Blu-rays.