As a ’90s child I grew up watching “Jurassic Park” and became a lifelong fan of the franchise, later going on to read the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton (which I highly recommend). The original film trilogy (1993-2001) is one of my absolute favourites, and I think it’s one of the few books to film adaptations that manage to get the balance right between family fun and sheer terror.
Despite being over 15 years old, there are still scenes from the original trilogy that make me squirm, and some of the best moments are where we are left to use our imagination, or when we see only the aftermath of the attack. One that will forever stick with me is Dennis Nedry’s death in the first “Jurassic Park,” where he is blinded and attacked by a dilophosaurus who has outdone him in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. What makes his death so disturbing is that we can see it coming from the offset, like watching a fly get caught in a spider’s web and gradually lured into its death.
The Original Had its Scares
And as is often the case with Jurassic Park, after Nedry’s death we get a feeling of gratification, of poetic justice (because, let’s face it, we were all thinking ‘serves you right’). It’s an ongoing theme in the “Jurassic Park” films, almost like a dinosaur version of “Frankenstein:” man can try and mess with nature, but nature will come back to bite you (quite literally in this case). And this is what I love about the movies: they take us on a journey of emotions, with characters that have genuine depth, and lessons to be learned along the way.
As is a sad part of getting older I had to accept that there was going to be new set of films with a whole new cast. And whilst I will never turn down the opportunity to see a dino movie, the “Jurassic World” films just didn’t hit the spot for me. My biggest issue, as is the case with many remakes and reboots, is that it all looked too ‘clean’ for my liking. The characters were too perfect, the dinos too heavily CGI’d, and everything so obviously looked like it was out of a film set. I felt sad that the franchise had lost its authenticity and, like so many other post-2010 films, had become a victim to oversaturation and lacklustre.
I didn’t have high expectations for “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” assuming it would be added to the “Jurassic World” Hall of Shame with its predecessors. The only beacon of hope was that director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters,” “The Creator,” “Rogue One”) and writer David Koepp—who wrote the original trilogy alongside Steven Spielberg—were at its helm. If they can’t rescue the franchise, I thought, then who can?
Edwards and Koepp Make a Good Team
And I’m relieved to say, in some ways they did. “Rebirth” was the right title for this film, because that’s exactly what it felt like: a completely stripped-back return to the original, bypassing the previous trio and going back to the basics to provide some classic, old school dino fun and games.
The film is set five years after “Dominion.” Dinosaurs are gradually dying out, as is public interest in them, and those that are still thriving exist on isolated islands around the equator, with humans warned to stay away. Enter mercenary Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johannson) and palaeontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) both hired by pharmaceutical billionaire Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). He wants to take a team of experts to an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, on isle Saint Hubert, to extract dinosaur DNA for heart disease treatment. The site was initially used for genetic experiments; but following the escape of a deformed six-limbed tyrannosaur, ‘Distortus Rex’, the island is abandoned.
The team set out on their mission to extract samples from three dinosaur species: mosasaurus, titanosaurus, and quetzalcoatlus (try saying that one over and over). On their way they rescue a family, Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his two daughters, and the boyfriend of his eldest daughter, who are stranded on their sailing boat after encountering the giant aquatic dino, mosasaurus. Not quite finished with them, it returns to attack the boat and after some very touch-and-go moments, Zora is able to extract its DNA. As they pull up to the island, the Mosasaurus returns, this time with a group of spinosaurus, and the two groups—Reuben, his family, and the research team—are separated and left to survive the island and its deadly inhabitants.
Formulaic Yet Fun
Though admittedly predictable, and not exactly adding anything new to the franchise, I had fun watching “Rebirth.” Enough time has passed since I watched “Dominion” that I felt I was coming to it with fresh eyes, and it’s clear that this is what was intended. The opening credits feel reminiscent of the original, the soundtrack and the simple title sequence transporting us back to the ’90s (those were the days). And it just felt more authentic visually; everything looked less bright, less clean and filtered.
A great deal of its success is undoubtedly owed to the fact that Koepp and Edwards followed the standard formula of the original: a team of researchers travelling to a dangerous island inhabited with dinosaurs, only to get trapped there? Check. A vague love interest? Check. The ‘evil’ scientist who gets his comeuppance? Check. And though this works—it’s certainly a tried and tested formula—it felt at times rather like a pale imitation of the original trilogy.
More to Come?
I enjoyed seeing a new range of dinosaurs, especially the sea based variety, but it all felt a little bit too ‘easy’ and too predictable for there to be much in the way of genuine tension and suspense. The action scenes were a bit too formulaic: they find the dinosaur that they need to extract the DNA from, there’s a few hairy moments, they manage to escape, only for the same to happen again. I am, however, pleased to say that I warmed to the characters on-screen, and it’s hard not to with such a strong cast involved.
There is reportedly a sequel underway with the potential for a summer 2028 release. And though nothing has been officially confirmed let’s be honest: how often do we get standalone films that aren’t part of a franchise? I’m betting my bottom dollar “Rebirth” is part of a new trilogy, and though I am skeptical, if Gareth Edwards and/or David Koepp continue to be involved, I have hope that it will at least remain true to the originals.
