Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – Film Review

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein

Director: Gareth Edwards

Synopsis: Five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, a new expedition sets off to the research facility of the original Jurassic Park in pursuit of dinosaur DNA that could lead to a medical breakthrough…

Review: Dinosaurs, you just can’t keep these prehistoric creatures off the big screen. Three years ago, much spectacle was made of the third and supposed final chapter in the Jurassic World franchise to be the one to close the curtain on a franchise 65 million years in the making. Having brought the past and the present together and stomped its way to another billion dollars at the worldwide box office, it seemed as though every last morsel of dino DNA had been extracted, and it was time to let it rest once and for all. But, in the immortal words of Jeff Goldblum’s Dr Ian Malcolm from the first film, “life finds a way”, and well, the franchise found a way to resurrect itself once more.

It has been five years since the events of Dominion, where dinosaurs and humanity were forced to co-exist alongside each other. However, due to climate change, the majority of the planet’s surface has become inhospitable to dinosaurs, except for a few areas around the equator. Consequently, these areas have become no-go zones for humans. It is discovered that the DNA of the creatures is the key to a potential new treatment for heart disease, which could be very profitable if brought to the mass market. Therefore, pharmaceutical company executive Martin Krebs (Friend) recruits Zora Bennett (Johansson) and palaeontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) to lead a mission to the island of Île Saint-Hubert to retrieve these samples of dino-DNA and bring them back. Though when venturing into the land of dinosaurs, you know that things are not going to go as planned, and it becomes a desperate bid for survival.

In some ways, the subtitle of Rebirth is an apt one because the slate has been totally wiped clean in that no one from any of the previous six films shows up, even for the briefest of cameos. Given franchise films have in the past often tried to mine and utilise the nostalgia in place of telling a good story, this is a welcome development. You would think that with a whole new collection of characters, this would offer original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp and director Gareth Edwards, himself no stranger to tackling films with gargantuan-sized monsters, the opportunity to take the franchise in an exciting new direction.

Alas, while there is enjoyment to be found, it is broadly more of what you would come to expect from a Jurassic adventure, with our protagonists setting off to this island to fulfil their mission, only for things to go wrong and for the dinosaurs to start eyeing up these humans as their next meal. Of course, the film also doesn’t pass by the opportunity to use John Williams’ theme from the original film for a predictable but effective blast of nostalgia, because who doesn’t get emotional hearing that incredible theme from the greatest musical maestro cinema has ever seen?

In Edwards’ capable hands, having also ventured to a galaxy far far away, the action sequences are unquestionably spliced with some Spielbergian DNA. However, they certainly get the blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing, including an enthralling sequence where the crew is in a race against time to extract the DNA from a Mosasaurus and a mission to save a family whose boat has drifted into some dino-dwelling waters. Compelling as these scenes are, such is the threadbare and minimal development of these characters that it becomes hard to be fully invested in their quest.

Even with such talented actors, like Johansson, Ali and Bailey turning in reliably solid performances, the material they are given lacks sufficient meat on its bones to make them as compelling as characters from previous films in the franchise, severely lacking in a memorable line or, indeed anything at all. You want to see them accomplish their mission and avoid a fate that has befallen many characters in this franchise. Yet, since the attachment the audience has to them is so threadbare, it is of little significance who makes it out of the island alive.

It is remarkable that in the 30 years since Spielberg first brought dinosaurs to life in a truly captivating way that will forever remain timeless, every sequel has attempted to replicate that magic, yet none have managed to accomplish that goal. The results have varied from entertaining to the bizarre sight of a dinosaur saying “Alan” to Sam Neill’s Alan Grant. While dinosaurs will always have an inherent appeal, it’s clear that this franchise has run out of fresh ideas. Given the inconsistency of the films over such a long period, perhaps it is time to consider letting it go the way of the dinosaurs once and for all.

Despite offering some entertaining moments, Rebirth fails to offer anything new and instead regurgitates well-worn tropes from previous films. A franchise that once roared has become stale, toothless and in need of fossilisation.

© 20th Century Studios, Regency Enterprises and Entertainment One

The Creator – Film Review

Cast: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney, Sturgill Simpson, Ralph Ineson

Director: Gareth Edwards

Synopsis: War rages between humanity and artificial intelligence (AI) after a nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles…

Review: Over the course of this year, it has been hard to ignore the increasing prominence of discussions surrounding the usage of AI and where the progression of this technology might lead. Will humanity and AI peacefully co-exist in the not-too-distant future, or will the machines rise and take humanity’s place? Given these questions, there’s something eerily prescient about the latest film from Gareth Edwards. It’s one of the most visually striking films you will see all year.

The year is 2070, and AI has been banned in the Western hemisphere after a nuclear bomb was detonated in the city of Los Angeles fifteen years prior. However, while the West has prohibited the use of the technology, it is embraced by the Eastern hemisphere, and they have integrated AI into their society. When the US learns that the AI is developing a superweapon that could turn the war in their favour, the US army sends Sergeant Joshua Taylor (Washington) to find the weapon and destroy it, only for Taylor to discover that this weapon is, in fact, a robotic simulant in the form of a young child (Voyles).

Humanity facing off in a struggle or at war with an advanced AI of some variety has been a well-trodden path in cinema history, with films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, The Terminator and The Matrix franchises, and most recently M3GAN. All of the aforementioned films, in their own wholly unique way, presented a richly developed world which established the circumstances in which humans and AI were, if not at war, then distinct divisions between them. The screenplay, written by Edwards and Chris Weitz, via a newsreel prologue, establishes a fully fleshed-out world, explaining how the AI started out as allies, working side by side with humanity before going rogue. Given the regularity with which cinema has often tackled this subject, it would be easy for the film to be derivative of what has come before it. However, while there are obvious influences, the story asks pertinent questions about where this technology could go and whether integration between man and machine is possible.

Furthermore, as evidenced by some stunning imagery in Godzilla and Rogue One, Edwards brings some breathtaking visuals to this world, whether it is the AI who have integrated into society or the vast and behemoth military weaponry that the US has in its arsenal. The impressiveness of the visuals is even more remarkable considering the film’s relatively small budget of $80m, which should serve as food for thought given the high budget and comparatively poor quality of the visuals of some blockbuster films in recent months.

As the central character in this war between humanity and AI, John David Washington is as compelling as ever. We see how he was, at one time in his life, blissfully happy with his wife Maya (Chan) until a devastating event in his past transformed him into a world-weary soldier who chooses to protect this young child when he learns that there could be a connection to Maya. Speaking of the simulant, whom Taylor dubs “Alphie,” given that she was only seven years old during production, she delivers a remarkable breakthrough performance as the heart of the film and steals the entire show. The two build a rapport as they travel to prevent Alphie from falling into the hands of the US military. Furthermore, the discovery of this simulant gives Taylor a fresh perspective on the fragmented nature of the world he inhabits, which also feels very apt given the bitterly divided world we currently live in. With his experience with directing intense action scenes in a galaxy far far away and gargantuan kaiju beating each other up, Edwards brings that expertise to the film’s action set-pieces, backed by another superb score from Hans Zimmer.

Despite boasting some stellar names, the performances of the rest of the cast are hampered by a lack of development, particularly Allison Janney’s Colonel Howell who seems hell-bent on finding this new weapon and cares for little else besides that. Similarly, Ken Watanabe’s simulant soldier Harun is a badass and heroic fighter, but he doesn’t get room to grow beyond these traits. While the film’s exploration of AI and its potential future applications is thought-provoking and nuanced, the same cannot be said for its on-the-nose examination of how Western countries, particularly the US, can conduct invasive military campaigns on foreign soil, which feels somewhat heavy-handed.

Nevertheless, in an era where big tentpole blockbuster films tend to be attached to existing properties or as a part of a franchise, it is refreshing to see an original and thought-provoking piece of filmmaking come to the fore, particularly given its approach to a subject that humanity will be talking about for many decades to come. Could this film be prophetic? Only time will tell.