Jurassic World Rebirth review: Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey help the franchise roar back to life

Standalone Sequel Focus

Jurassic World Rebirth, by no means, is basically a new beginning of this whole franchise. Yet, it does it by the book, being a sequel without reboots, directly connected with the last Jurassic Park trilogy, physically set in the timeline. Consequently, this positioning effectively means it might as well be considered a fresh starting point for new audiences while honoring existing lore. This approach proves beneficial because, significantly and overall, the film demonstrates a much stronger interest in deliberately returning to the foundational roots of the original concept. Specifically, it prioritizes generating pure, dinosaur-induced awe and visceral terror alongside delivering straightforward, old-fashioned adventure thrills. It consciously moves away from emphasizing overly complicated lore expansions or intricate genetic conspiracy plotlines that dominated recent entries.

Post-Dominion Ecosystem Shift

The narrative picks up exactly five years after the epochal happenings of Jurassic World Dominion. In the course of these five years, a very important change has transpired. The vast majority of the ancient reptiles and other prehistoric creatures set free in the world have not survived. This high magnitude extinction was chiefly driven by the inherent inability of the old species to adapt to the challenges of the present-day climate as well as the other detrimental conditions lurking everywhere on Earth. Their reintroduction, while initially widespread, ultimately faced insurmountable challenges for long-term viability outside controlled habitats.

Humanitarian Mission Assembly

Consequently, driven by this new global reality, pharmaceutical representative Martin Krebs, portrayed by Rupert Friend, initiates contact with Zora Bennett, played by Scarlett Johansson, a highly skilled covert operations expert. Krebs proposes that Bennett lead a critical expedition. For sure, the island they are heading for is the very rare equatorial zone where the dinosaur community could overcome all the difficulties and still survive and multiply. To all appearances, their main purpose of the expedition is full of kindness – it is desperately important to the team that they manage to get the DNA samples that are the most probable, especially the three heaviest dinosaur species, which are the representatives of the air, land, and sea territories. This precious genetic material is deemed essential for Krebs’ company to develop a groundbreaking, major medication intended to combat the widespread global scourge of heart disease effectively.

Genetic Horror Revealed

Therefore, to accomplish this ambitious and dangerous goal, Krebs and Bennett proceed to strategically recruit essential personnel. This team includes knowledgeable paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis, brought to life by Jonathan Bailey, alongside Bennett’s former trusted partner, Duncan Kincaid, portrayed by Mahershala Ali. Additionally, they assemble a supporting motley crew comprising experienced sailors, specialized weapons experts, and various other essential roles required for island survival and specimen acquisition. However, critically, a terrifying and unforeseen truth remains completely unknown to the entire expedition party as they embark: the island they are destined for is not merely a sanctuary for natural dinosaurs. Instead, it serves as a nightmarish habitat teeming with dangerously unstable mutant creatures, products of aggressive genetic modification and experimental cross-breeding programs conducted in secret, far surpassing anything encountered before.

Koepp’s Return & Core Character Dynamics

Furthermore, the fundamental narrative structure supporting Jurassic World Rebirth possesses inherently superb foundational elements. This high quality comes as no particular surprise, significantly because original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp officially rejoins the franchise creatively for the first time since his work on 1997’s The Lost World. Koepp masterfully crafts an intriguing ensemble of adventurers central to the plot. Importantly, he allows their distinct personalities and motivations to interact in compelling, dynamic ways throughout the story.

Specifically, Zora Bennett’s essential mercenary resourcefulness and practical survival skills effectively play off against Dr. Henry Loomis’s endearingly geeky sense of awe and formidable scientific intelligence. Simultaneously, both characters find themselves interacting significantly with Duncan Kincaid, whose leadership style remains visibly marked and influenced by a deep-seated, unresolved personal grief. This complex interplay between their contrasting traits forms a strong character-driven core.

Introduction of the Delgado Family Subplot

However, Jurassic World Rebirth deliberately incorporates dual narrative threads that eventually collide dramatically. Alongside the primary expedition storyline, the plot actively follows the experiences of a separate family unit navigating perilous circumstances. This family comprises father Ruben Delgado, portrayed by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, his teenage daughter Teresa played by Luna Blaise, Teresa’s seemingly unreliable boyfriend Xavier brought to life by David Iacono, and the youngest daughter Isabella, acted by Audrina Miranda. The narrative reveals Ruben is undertaking a highly questionable transatlantic sailing voyage with his children in tow.

Duncan Kincaid later confronts Ruben directly and rightfully reprimands him for this astonishingly irresponsible decision, highlighting the inherent danger – seriously, who logically brings a small child across the vast, unpredictable ocean aboard a simple sailboat? Their journey takes a disastrous turn when a massive mosasaur violently attacks and capsizes their vessel. Consequently, this catastrophic event forces them into a desperate situation, requiring urgent rescue by Duncan and his nearby crew, thereby intertwining their fate with the main group.

Narrative Purpose & Character Shortcomings

Consequently, the Delgado family is fundamentally intended by the screenplay to serve as the essential innocent counterbalance to the researchers and mercenaries pursuing their active mission. They represent ordinary human beings whose lives become unexpectedly and terrifyingly caught in the deadly balance purely through misfortune, completely devoid of any fault or choice of their own regarding the dinosaur threat. Nevertheless, beyond this intended thematic role, they maintain no tangible, meaningful connection to the primary expedition’s objectives or its members. The sole narrative thread attempting to link them relies entirely upon the tenuous resonance of Duncan Kincaid’s own past familial loss. Witnessing Ruben with his endangered children painfully triggers Duncan’s unresolved trauma, consequently pivoting his primary focus significantly away from the pharmaceutical mission’s success towards a fierce, protective drive to ensure this particular family’s immediate survival against all odds.

Underdevelopment and Audience Frustration

However, a significant narrative weakness emerges because the film provides viewers with minimal opportunity to learn substantive details about the Delgado family members themselves. Apart from establishing the glaring fact that their father, Ruben, demonstrates wildly irresponsible judgment, endangering his children, they remain largely undefined personalities. Worse still, the character of Xavier, Teresa’s boyfriend, emerges as a profoundly grating presence. Portrayed consistently as a “dumbass,” the script attempts a shallow arc where he begrudgingly earns a sliver of respect from Ruben, yet this does little to redeem him for the audience.

Xavier arguably stands as the single most irritating character introduced within the entire Jurassic franchise narrative since the original film’s lawyer, Donald Gennaro, met his famously ignominious demise inside a toilet stall. Frankly, witnessing Xavier face a similar, swift dinosaur-assisted exit would likely evoke profound relief rather than horror. Please, franchise Raptors, fulfill this cathartic wish – chomp decisively and spare everyone, viewers included, the burden of enduring further screen time dedicated to this singularly unlikable individual.

Delgado Family: Missed Representation Opportunity

Furthermore, while the Delgado family is fundamentally intended by the narrative to significantly heighten the emotional stakes and represent innocent civilians caught in extreme peril, they unfortunately function more as a persistent distraction than an effectively integrated element within the core storyline. This outcome feels particularly disappointing and represents a substantial missed opportunity, crucially because they mark the franchise’s very first significant attempt at substantial Latine representation across its entire multi-decade history. That being clearly acknowledged, the young actress Audrina Miranda emerges as the undeniable saving grace within this subplot.

Her genuinely charming on-screen presence and especially her heartfelt interactions with the tiny, endearing dinosaur she lovingly names Dolores successfully pile on immense amounts of pure, audience-pleasing cute factor. It feels highly predictable that the inevitable Dolores plush toy merchandise will absolutely dominate sales charts, potentially becoming the undisputed top-seller of 2025; this utterly adorable creature design essentially functions as the Jurassic universe’s equivalent of the universally beloved Baby Yoda phenomenon from Star Wars lore.

Johansson’s Dream Role Realized

Even though it tells an incomplete story, without a doubt, Jurassic World Rebirth is an exciting and visually stunning summer adventure that will be talked about for a long time, characteristically lifted by the persuasive cast’s prestigious and top-tier performances. There is no doubt that Scarlett Johansson is very clear with her wish, which is a long story and a long personal issue that she must play one of the main roles in a Jurassic franchise film.

She seizes this hard-won opportunity with remarkable vigor and visible enthusiasm, throwing herself completely into the demanding physical requirements of the part. Audiences get the opportunity to see Zora character’s courage as she was hanging nonchalantly from the edge of the shaking boat during a storm, climbing up steep cliff faces under difficult conditions, and being frantic while trying to run extremely fast dinosaurs through a twisting underground tunnel system, which, surely, was not the best of situations. Certainly, the greatest thing about it is the heart of her performance in this role.

Supporting Cast Dynamics & Villainy

Meanwhile, Mahershala Ali proves himself the perfect dramatic foil portraying Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s former partner whose priorities have profoundly shifted. His character consistently demonstrates a far deeper concern for preserving the actual lives and safety of the expedition crew members under his command than achieving the mission’s original, potentially lucrative scientific objectives. If anything, Duncan’s most significant character flaw arguably manifests as the extraordinary, almost excessive lengths of personal sacrifice he remains psychologically prepared to endure for others’ survival.

Thankfully, however, Jurassic World Rebirth carefully skirts the dangerous edge of any potentially dismaying or exploitative tropes often associated with such noble characters. Instead, it meaningfully pays off his various courageous gestures and protective instincts throughout the escalating crisis. Conversely, Rupert Friend has already established his proven ability to thrive within complex villainous roles across previous projects, and he delivers another sharply effective performance here as the morally ambiguous Martin Krebs. His portrayal works effectively, even if the screenplay occasionally expects audiences to readily accept his morally questionable actions and motivations largely at face value, primarily justified by his clear status as a self-serving agent representing the ethically compromised world of Big Pharma.

Jonathan Bailey: The Film’s Human Heart

Furthermore, while the dinosaurs naturally command immense screen presence, the movie’s undeniable true star among the human cast emerges as Jonathan Bailey. In an impressively short span of merely a few years, Bailey has remarkably catapulted himself to major stardom, transitioning swiftly from his acclaimed role in the period drama Bridgerton to the highly anticipated musical Wicked, and now landing triumphantly within this colossal blockbuster franchise.

Most essential is that he is the right man for Dr. Henry Loomis’ role, the person who is a perfect match to Dr. Alan Grant in terms of his unshakable devotion to science as well as to Ian Malcolm’s undoubtedly sexy and non-abrasive mental attractiveness. Such a mixture has resulted in a young and modern audience being more attracted to his character as a paleontologist, and even more realistic.

Physicality, Style, and Authentic Nerd Cred

Meanwhile, significant positive attention has rightly focused on Bailey’s distinctive “slutty little glasses,” a key element of his character’s look. Importantly, both the glasses themselves and the charismatic actor wearing them deliver flawlessly on their promise. Bailey possesses sufficient physical buffness to appear entirely convincing and believable, enduring the film’s demanding action sequences alongside his co-stars. Simultaneously, he sells Dr. Loomis’s essential nerd credentials and genuine academic passion with complete authenticity.

There was no doubt in my mind that this man could be happy, working in the background of the museum, where the quietness of working could be maintained all his life. However, it was still mind-blowing to me to see his bravery in the face of danger and climb up the hill to see the eggs of dangerous animals. Furthermore, the costume and overall look of Jurassic World Rebirth couldn’t be so stunning if not for the designer, Sammy Sheldon. Her work provides audiences not only with the now-iconic “slutty spectacles” but also generously features plenty of strategically rolled-up sleeves exposing Bailey’s forearms, effectively establishing the essential visual uniform of a truly swoon-worthy, classic adventure hero.

Pure Movie Magic Embodied

Jonathan Bailey undeniably creates the most authentic and really touching moment in the movie. The character’s intense joy and uncontrollable excitement that is undeniably too much and at the same time childlike awe right when he got to touch a living, breathing dinosaur for the first time in his life was so powerful that it was felt by the audience, as they were all amazed. This is essential in this movie through the sheer kindness and infectious enthusiasm of Bailey’s performance to present a film that is filled with positive and emotional energy. The visual irony of the situation was that the same “Jurassic Park” features that contributed to the growth of the project to a higher world-renowned level still play an important part in the new episodic adventure. It’s basically everything that a fan would want in a contribution to the series.

Dinosaur Spectacle Reigns Supreme

Additionally, there is no denying the fact that dinosaurs are omniscient beings with the ability to motivate the audience to wait for the next turn of the franchise in an eager manner. The tempting power of such a theme is guaranteed by its vivid representation once again in the film of Jurassic World. From the start to the end, be it during the time when a giant Titanosaur appears at the back of the stage or the moment when the Dinos are awakened from the slumber, still, no less shocking nor awe-struck will the reaction of the audience be in the latter case. These dinosaurs have been characterized quite vividly and have managed to grab hold of the viewers’ attention and maintain the entertainment standards of the franchise.

Edwards’ Striking Visual Storytelling

Meanwhile, director Gareth Edwards demonstrates his established strength primarily as a master of compelling visual composition throughout Jurassic World Rebirth. He strategically creates many great and unforgettable scenes that greatly improve the experience of watching it. Indicative of such considerable successes is this scarily atmospheric passage suffused with a dizzying orange light. It captures a feeling of danger and uncertainty as a helpless rubber boat is seen trying to navigate fearfully through the dark. In that scene, the infra-red flares were used with great effect and together with the explosions became the single light source directing the focus on the action and creating a very tense and suspenseful scene through both the visual minimalism and the stark color concept.

Reclaiming the Franchise’s Noble Core

Moreover, a pivotal thematic moment occurs when Dr. Henry Loomis, portrayed by Jonathan Bailey, earnestly declares to Zora Bennett, “Science is fundamentally for all of us, not just reserved exclusively for some privileged few.” This powerful statement passionately advocates for their perilous mission to transcend mere financial gain and aspire towards a genuinely noble, universally beneficial purpose. Importantly, this aspirational concept concerning the responsible use of knowledge and technology has always resided intrinsically at the profound ethical heart of the Jurassic Park film series.

Jurassic World Rebirth successfully distinguishes itself as one of the franchise’s more satisfying and thematically coherent entries precisely because it effectively manages to, well, ingeniously find a credible narrative pathway to keep Loomis’ resonant mantra central to its plot. Consequently, it consciously foregrounds the film’s essential sense of wonder, genuine adventure, and respect for scientific potential above the cynical perception of existing merely as a blatant, soulless cash grab exploiting the beloved IP.