Fresh cast, new purpose — yet déjà vu lingers – Beyond Bollywood

Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali shine in their Jurassic debut — as does young Audrina Miranda — but a poorly engineered antagonist and a weak climax rob the film of its full impact.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

The Jurassic franchise is defined by two distinct eras. The first belongs to Steven Spielberg, who directed the original two films and produced the third Jurassic Park in 2001. Fourteen years later, the series rebooted itself as Jurassic World, featuring a fresh cast, better technology, and bigger, nastier dinosaurs. Spielberg confined himself to a producer’s role. The first Jurassic World film was a resounding success; the second was a middling effort, while the third — Dominion (2022) — reduced the dinosaurs to runway models in a shameless attempt to weaponize them.

Three years later, the reboot continues with a fourth installment: Jurassic World Rebirth (2025). David Koepp — who wrote the screenplays for Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World (1997) — returns to the franchise as the writer. And it really is a fresh start. Amblin Entertainment has brought in an entirely new cast, with no returning actors from the previous six films. Joining the Jurassic universe are Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, and Rupert Friend. At the helm is Gareth Edwards, best known for directing Godzilla (2014).

Story

A common theme in the previous Jurassic films is how children’s curiosity often sparks chaos in Jurassic Park or Jurassic World. Masrani (Irrfan Khan), who took over InGen from John Hammond, transformed the park into a high-tech zoo, where the public’s demand for bigger, more impressive dinosaurs grew every year, driving experiments in the name of engineered entertainment.

Jurassic World Rebirth takes a slightly different approach, with little Isabelle (Audrina Miranda) telling her father she doesn’t want to see dinosaurs and wishes they’d never come back. She’s just tagging along with her father, sister, and her lazy boyfriend Xavier when the family’s yacht run into a mosasaurus —something they didn’t expect, but then again, a Jurassic movie just wouldn’t feel complete without a family caught in the middle of the chaos.

The general feeling over the years with the Jurassic franchise is that while the dinosaurs kept evolving, the storytelling didn’t — with each new film giving off a strong sense of déjà vu. For all the billions poured into engineered entertainment, it’s hard not to question the logic: why keep building these parks only to watch engineered dinosaurs tear them apart? In Jurassic World Rebirth, the park no longer attracts visitors — in fact, the current company has only sold 12 tickets in the past week. This time, the goal isn’t entertainment but something far more meaningful.  

A pharmaceutical company is hoping to cure coronary disease. Their research requires blood samples from three living dinosaurs — the Mosasaurus, the Titanosaurus, and a massive, aggressive carnivorous bird. The only place these creatures are still found is on the remote Isla Sorna— Site B — where The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and the third film were set. With a new mission and a new team, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) hires Zora (Scarlett Johansson), Dr. Henry (Jonathan Bailey), Duncan (Mahershala Ali), and his boat crew to retrieve the samples. The team manages to extract blood from the Mosasaurus with some effort, while the gentle giant Titanosaurus proves easy. But the bird proves deadly, and they lose their third crew member in the process. Before this mission, Duncan and Zora had responded to a Mayday call from a stranded family at sea. For Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and his family), this marks a turn from bad to worse — out of the frying pan and straight into the fire, as they all end up on Site B, where far greater dangers await.

Screenplay & Direction

A fresh cast, a noble new cause, and the return of David Koepp — now joined by director Gareth Edwards — have given Jurassic World a fresh perspective and helped it live up to its “Rebirth” billing. But at its core, this is still a survival tale — and revisiting Site B naturally brings a sense of déjà vu. The action at sea is intriguing, but once the characters become shipwrecked and make it to shore, the Jurassic Park III nostalgia kicks in. The island provides a stunning backdrop and works perfectly as the setting for a survival thriller. Being chased by dinosaurs in their natural habitat feels far more gripping than inside gigantic theme parks. The first half of the film promises a spine-chilling ride, but Edwards and Koepp struggle to maintain that momentum. The climax on Site B, in particular, has déjà vu written all over it.

The biggest disappointment lies in its antagonist—if we can call it one. The D‑Rex, mutated with six limbs (two hind legs and four arms), barely appears. We get a brief glimpse in the opening sequence, triggered by a freak security breach 17 years ago, and only see it once more in the climax. Its potential to terrify—on par with iconic predators like the T‑Rex, Indominus, or Indoraptor—is completely squandered. Despite its alien‑like head, the creature is so underused that it leaves the audience frustrated. In a Jurassic film, underplaying your main engineered predator is a fatal flaw.

Isla Sorna has long been designated as a forbidden zone for humans, yet Martin Krebs and his team embark on an unauthorized mission to the island. Initially, their objective is to collect DNA samples from the island’s prehistoric inhabitants. However, when they encounter a distress signal from the Delgado family, stranded at sea, Zora and Duncan feel compelled to assist. Krebs opposes this diversion, prioritizing the mission’s secrecy over civilian life. Despite his objections, Zora and Duncan choose to act on their conscience, rescuing the family. This decision raises a critical question: when uninvited guests join a covert operation, can it truly remain a secret?

A notable concern in Jurassic World Rebirth is the film’s seemingly indifferent reaction to certain character losses. While Duncan and Zora are shown grieving the deaths of their two team members, the demise of the French-speaking Leclerc (Bechir Sylvain) elicits no such reaction. During a critical moment, as Dr. Henry and Zora battle the giant bird in a mountain cave, Leclerc clings to a rope on a cliff, drawing the creature’s attention to himself to allow Dr. Henry to escape. As Leclerc ascends the cliff, pursued by the bird, Henry survives the fall and is relieved to see the retrieved sample from the egg land safely, thanks to a parachute attached to it. Henry smiles in disbelief at his luck.

Henry is unaware of Leclerc’s fate, however, this smile immediately following Leclerc’s gruesome death feels insensitive. Perhaps Edwards and Koepp should have depicted Duncan sharing a moment of grief for his fallen comrade, adding emotional depth to the scene.

Acting

What works in the film’s favour is the leading cast — Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey shine in their first Jurassic outing. Having a woman, Zora, lead the mission and subsequent survival fight helps Amblin deflect the criticism Bryce Dallas Howard faced as Claire Dearing in the earlier films. Zora is broke, which compels her to take on the mission. Along the journey, conversations with Dr. Henry shed light on larger environmental concerns and cautionary messages about dangerous capitalism and patenting. If the Rebirth story continues in another movie, Johansson has certainly proved that Zora is a worthy leader.

Mahershala Ali often brings a calming presence, and he’s no different in this chaotic, adrenaline-fueled world of Jurassic World.

We’ve often resented the presence of children in Jurassic Park/World, but their safety still sparks genuine concern from viewers. Though it’s fiction, young Audrina Miranda displays remarkable calm and composure in life-and-death moments. Her presence also naturally draws family audiences to this creature-driven sci-fi adventure.

Technical Aspects

Cutting-edge technology has made Jurassic World experiences more thrilling and chilling on screen, but as noted earlier, the underwhelming D‑Rex is a major letdown. That said, Rebirth still delivers enough jaw-clenching moments to make you bite your teeth in fear.

Final Word

Another reboot often comes with its challenges. While Rebirth is likely to divide opinions, it certainly offers a better experience than its disappointing predecessors: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Dominion (2022).

Watch the video review below.