Review: Jurassic World Rebirth / Indifferent, but with a clear objective

One of the most exciting film releases this year is undoubtedly Jurassic World: Rebirth, a sequel of the famous Jurassic Park movie we saw in the early 1990s. I don't think there's anyone in the world who doesn't know the Jurassic Park franchise, which has generated a large amount of merchandising and several theme parks around the world. With this installment, there are now seven films in which the legendary dinosaurs, revived by man, star in endless disasters and displays of the terror these creatures can generate.

Jurassic World: Rebirth is currently in theaters. It is directed by Gareth Edwards, whom we know for directing films such as Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which I really enjoyed, by the way. Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali star in the film, but we also see other actors that you will probably recognize. As everyone knows, the genre of this film is science fiction, action, and adventure.

To give you a little context, this film introduces us to Zora Bennett, a mercenary who specializes in extractions and special missions. A businessman tries to hire her to obtain blood samples from three specific dinosaurs, as these could contain elements that would cure heart disease and even extend people's life expectancy by a couple of decades. After resisting the offer a couple of times, she accepts, but on the condition that she can bring her experienced team with her.

Thus begins the dangerous mission: they must obtain blood samples from three very different dinosaurs, one lying in the sea, another on land, and the last one flying. But everything seems to be under control and planned, so all that remains is to carry out the mission. However, as often happens in this type of film, things start to go wrong. The unpredictable nature of the dinosaurs means that death stalks each member of the team, and gradually some of them lose their lives.

Despite the vicissitudes suffered during the boat trip, the team manages to reach an island where the vast majority of Jurassic species live. It is a dangerous place where one false step can be your last. There they find the facilities of an abandoned laboratory, where they practiced crossbreeding between species and other experiments that were surely inappropriate. In a flashback, we see exactly what caused the laboratory to be suddenly abandoned, and well, those causes would soon be discovered by Zora and her team. I can tell you that the reason is terrifying.

I think the film initially presents something quite cliché: a complex and almost suicidal mission that will be carried out by highly skilled characters with a confident attitude. This is very typical in action films, and I think that from that angle we can say that the film gets off to a bad start. However, it is also true that this is the kind of thing we can expect in films like these. Despite the above, the plot development feels quite fluid and with few pauses; something interesting is always happening, which makes the dynamic fast-paced.

The special effects are very good; I would say they are among the best I have seen in the different films in this franchise. Honestly, I have few observations in this regard beyond a couple of things where I may be overly demanding. The motivations of some of the characters are striking. At first, they are quite selfish and ambitious, but they change as the minutes pass thanks to one of them indirectly implanting some conscience in them. This is undoubtedly important in the development of the story.

In short, I can say that it is an unmemorable film, but it is made exactly for what it is: to entertain and continue a franchise with the potential to generate millions of dollars. I left the theater indifferent, but not unhappy. After all, I knew what I was getting into when I bought the ticket. I definitely prefer the first film, Jurassic Park, as the best of them all. That one was truly surprising and rewarding when I saw it for the first time in the 90s. I even watched it again a couple of weeks ago, which helped me realize that it is undoubtedly the best of them all.