Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) Movie: Scarlett Johansson Couldn’t Save This Dying Franchise
Gareth Edwards steps into the director’s chair for the latest dinosaur adventure, bringing together Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey. Released this July, the film attempts to breathe new life into the struggling franchise after Dominion’s lukewarm reception.
The story picks up half a decade later, with Earth becoming increasingly hostile to dinosaurs due to environmental changes. Only isolated equatorial regions now harbor these prehistoric giants, setting the stage for another dangerous expedition.
The Mission Setup
Zora Bennett, played by Johansson, leads a specialized team tasked with collecting genetic samples from massive dinosaur specimens. Their scientific mission promises medical breakthroughs, though I suspect viewers know things won’t go smoothly from the start.
When a family’s boat trip goes wrong, civilians get caught in the crossfire. The collision of professional operatives with everyday people creates familiar territory that franchise fans have seen multiple times before.
Acting and Characters
Johansson brings her action movie experience to the role, though Zora Bennett feels like a standard tough-as-nails operative. Her chemistry with the team members works adequately, but nothing feels particularly memorable or distinctive about these relationships.
Ali and Bailey do their best with material that gives them little room to shine. I watched them navigate predictable character arcs without much emotional depth or surprising character development throughout the runtime.
Technical Execution
Edwards knows how to handle large-scale creature features, and his dinosaur sequences deliver solid thrills. The island setting provides atmospheric tension, especially when characters venture into abandoned facilities from the original park.
Visual effects meet industry standards without pushing boundaries. The dinosaurs look convincing enough, though I found myself wishing for more innovative creature designs rather than retreading familiar species and encounters.
Strengths Worth Mentioning
The film works best when focusing on survival horror elements rather than grand spectacle. Smaller, more intimate encounters between humans and dinosaurs generate genuine suspense that recalls what made the original movie special.
Edwards’ direction shines during quieter moments of building dread. His background in monster movies serves him well when characters must navigate dangerous territory without knowing what lurks nearby.
Missing Elements
The biggest issue I noticed was how predictable everything feels from start to finish. Plot beats follow expected patterns, and character decisions rarely surprise or challenge viewer expectations in meaningful ways.
Dialogue often sounds stilted, with exposition dumps replacing natural conversation. The script treats audiences like they need constant reminding of basic plot points and character motivations throughout each scene.
Reception and Ratings
Professional critics gave the film a mixed reception, with Rotten Tomatoes showing around 55% approval ratings. Moviegoers seem equally divided, with some enjoying the return to basics while others find it too familiar.
User reviews range widely from praise for visual spectacle to criticism of weak storytelling. The polarized response suggests the franchise continues struggling to find its post-Spielberg identity and direction.
My Rating: 2.5/5
