Jurassic World Rebirth Review: Jonathan Bailey Outshines Scarlett Johansson In This Uneven Adventure

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Jurassic World Rebirth Review: A gripping return filled with jaw-dropping dinos, emotional stakes and Spielberg-style thrills that fans won't forget.
Jurassic World Rebirth Movie Review: Jurassic World: Rebirth isn't a reboot, but it may as well be. While technically a standalone sequel to Jurassic World Dominion, it discards much of the convoluted lore and genetic conspiracy clutter that bogged down its predecessors, opting instead for a simpler, sleeker narrative structure reminiscent of the original Jurassic Park. This back-to-basics approach largely works in its favour, even if the film never quite roars with the same ferocity or inventiveness that launched the franchise into the pop-culture phenomenon.
Directed by Gareth Edwards and penned by returning Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, Rebirth takes a simple and effective approach with humans, dinosaurs and an isolated island leading to inevitable chaos. The story unfolds five years after the events of Dominion, in a world where most dinosaurs have perished due to harsh modern climates. Enter Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a covert ops expert recruited for a DNA-extraction mission on a remote equatorial island where dinos still thrive. Joining her is paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), pharmaceutical rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) and her former partner Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), among others.
Their goal? Obtain DNA samples from three dominant dinosaur species – of air, land and sea – to engineer a life-saving heart medication. But of course, things go awry fast. Parallel to this mission, a separate subplot follows the Delgado family, who is shipwrecked by a mosasaur and becomes stranded on the same island. Their storyline, particularly that of Ruben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his daughters, adds emotional stakes but also stretches the film thin, at times turning it into two films awkwardly stitched together.
Scarlett Johansson throws herself into Zora with gusto, climbing cliffs, outwitting mutant dinos and scaling tunnel systems like it's second nature. Mahershala Ali, ever the steady hand, plays Duncan as a deeply moral man grappling with grief and reluctant heroism. Their chemistry feels natural, though the script gives little room for their dynamic to fully ignite. Rupert Friend's villainous Pharma exec leans more caricature than complexity, though his smarminess suits the franchise's long history of capitalist baddies.
But it's Jonathan Bailey who steals the show. As Dr. Loomis, he channels both the intellectual awe of Alan Grant and the charisma of Ian Malcolm, minus the sleaze. He's the film's emotional anchor, especially in a standout moment where he gently touches a dinosaur for the first time with childlike wonder. That sequence alone captures the very magic that made Jurassic Park a touchstone: the awe, the reverence and the thrill of the unknown. His nerdy enthusiasm, 'slutty little glasses" (already trending online), and rolled-up sleeves are catnip for fans and ground the film with genuine heart.
The dinosaurs themselves are a mixed bag. While the ever-majestic T. rex returns, along with adorable baby Aquilops (Dolores, destined to be a toy aisle sensation), newer creatures like the Distortus rex don't quite measure up. D. rex is grotesque and fearsome but lacks the elegance or narrative weight of the iconic velociraptors or Indominus rex. Still, the film offers moments of awe, including a tender scene with a Titanosaurus couple interrupted during courtship, the menacing presence of the mosasaur lurking in the sea and a haunting sequence with red flares and an inflatable raft that brings back the classic Spielberg-style tension.
Edwards, best known for Godzilla and Rogue One, shines in crafting spectacle. He brings a tactile scale to the island, bathing scenes in striking hues from moody oranges to visceral jungle greens. The action is crisp, kinetic and staged with clarity. There's a brutal sequence in the jungle that mirrors Jaws, where a mosasaur becomes the apex predator again, proving that less can be more when it comes to tension.
Unfortunately, the film falters with its pacing and tonal inconsistencies. The dual narratives rarely coalesce into a cohesive whole. The Delgado family, while an attempt at inclusivity and innocence, feels underwritten. Xavier, the boyfriend, is particularly grating and may go down as one of the most bite-worthy characters in franchise history. Thankfully, young Isabella (Audrina Miranda) and her bond with Dolores add warmth, even as her family remains largely disconnected from the plot's main thrust.
What Rebirth does right is remind audiences why we loved dinosaurs in the first place. There's a sincerity in its spectacle, an acknowledgment that the franchise thrives not in convoluted plotting but in awe, fear and survival instincts. Bailey, Ali and Johansson do their best to lend emotional weight to a fairly straightforward story and Edwards keeps things moving, even when the script sags in its middle act.
But while Rebirth is definitely an improvement over Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, it never quite becomes essential. It's an entertaining chapter in a franchise that probably should've ended after the original trilogy. Still, if we must continue reviving dinosaurs, better it be with this level of care, clarity and genuine fun.
There's nothing revolutionary here, but Jurassic World: Rebirth proves there's still life in these bones and just enough bite to keep us coming back.
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