Spoiler Alert
Jurassic World Rebirth continues the franchise’s recurring theme: the danger of playing god by resurrecting, if not enhancing, dinosaurs! That premise can sometimes limit how far these stories can develop. While David Koepp’s screenplays often skip Biosyn’s internal drama, the Jurassic World animated series wisely explores that territory—allowing the feature films to shift focus. With this latest entry, Koepp and director Gareth Edwards help set the stage for what’s next.
Before diving into the story, it’s worth noting how this film came together. Typically, a director and screenwriter collaborate on story development. But in this case, Steven Spielberg and Koepp shaped the narrative and brought Edwards on board to direct. According to reports, the producers welcomed this director’s input—particularly for enhancing the tension in key set pieces, like the cliff-side sequence featuring pterodactyls. He also had direct communication with this creator to tweak dialogue that didn’t land. While these moments inject bursts of excitement and suspense, I never felt the stakes were truly high.
The film asks a recurring question: why do people keep venturing into such obvious danger zones? During the mission briefing, every character shows hesitation—and for good reason. While I won’t spoil the specifics, their motivations are mostly laid out here. Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a paramilitary operative accustomed to combat in hostile environments, seems prepared—but even she understands the risk. Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist, agrees to take part only after being assured of protection.
The mercenary team is, predictably, brave. Their mission—to collect dinosaur DNA with the potential to treat heart disease—is ambitious and potentially revolutionary. Edwards turns up the intensity as the team ventures into a survival-unfriendly region. But while the stakes seem monumental, the narrative subtly questions whether if this adventure is worth it. The leap in evolutionary science could ironically doom humanity. Fans familiar with the franchise’s underlying themes will recognize the red flags.
Still, the plot isn’t as compelling as the upcoming season of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. There’s more espionage in this work. Unlike the animated series’ ensemble cast, only Bennett and Henry deserve to return for more films. The other characters barely register.
Jurassic World Rebirth opens with a scene which is an obvious nod to Ridley Scott’s Alien. A dinosaur resembling the Xenomorph—later revealed to be the Distortus Rex—sets the tone for future installments. His survival is notable! Behind the scenes, the effects team nicknamed it the “Xenosaur” during development, blending animatronics with CGI to impressive effect. However, long-time fans might question Koepp’s reliance on borrowing from other IPs to sustain this property. The answer is that he’s offering a meta commentary to say hybridizing any two species is dangerous!
Looking ahead, it’s easy to imagine the next films featuring human-reptilians. Any potential cure derived from this DNA would need rigorous testing—and like in the Resident Evil franchise, things are bound to go wrong. This fits the franchise’s classic trope: when frog DNA was used to complete the dinosaurs’ genomes, it led to unintended chaos. History, it seems, is about to repeat itself.
Bennett’s role positions her as a successor to Ripley (Alien). My fan theory? She’s being set up as the new action heroine. Johansson, better known as Black Widow, clearly relishes the role. In interviews, she’s expressed her longtime love for the series, and it shows. Her performance draws on previous action-heavy characters, such as Major in Ghost in the Shell, and channels some of the grit of Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor. In one standout moment, she puts herself in grave danger to protect civilians—a staple trope in Jurassic Park films, which almost always include an innocent family caught in the chaos.
As for the film’s direction, Edwards’ creative stamp is clear. Unlike other big franchises (Star Wars, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible), where vision often gets diluted across multiple directors, Rebirth benefits from this talent’s direct involvement—much like his work on Rogue One. Despite rumors of his sidelining during that production’s reshoots, he stated he remained deeply involved.
Still, the Jurassic World series struggles with narrative cohesion. Each entry feels somewhat disconnected. That’s why Chaos Theory works better—it follows a clear through-line: individuals learning how to handle these prehistoric threats. We don’t need another survival story. The earlier animated series, Camp Cretaceous, gave us that. The teens faced dinosaurs and shady individuals coming to the abandoned island hoping to weaponize the creatures. That subplot was far more compelling than anything most of the live-action films have done with similar themes.
What this franchise needs is a shift in perspective. A film told from the point of view of the buyers trying to control the merchandise is an angle yet to be explored! Watching the “bad guys” get their comeuppance would be a welcome change. After all, no one can truly control the beast. Giving Jurassic World its full meaning would require confronting that truth.
3½ Roars out of 5
Jurassic World Rebirth Trailer
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