Watching “Jurassic Park: Rebirth” is like returning to your childhood home, only to learn it’s been sold and turned into a parking lot. Nothing is the same about your old house — the anticipation and wonderment of your childhood is gone minutes after arriving, but you stick around because you already made the drive.
The same goes for watching “Jurassic Park: Rebirth.” You might be looking to reminisce, but after realizing you’re watching another formulaic plot, you stay for the whole movie.
“Rebirth” is the seventh installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. With Gareth Edwards directing, just like “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” he provides what he’s known for: impressive visuals and large-scale films.
The story opens with a general decline of dinosaurs, as most have perished outside equatorial zones. Worse, a weary public doesn’t care and is no longer wowed by the sight of dinosaurs. New Yorkers are unimpressed when encountering them, even as a Brachiosaurus is hauled out of a river, causing a traffic jam.
Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) is a brilliant covert operative. Zora is recruited by Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), the usual Big Pharma greedy executive, to return to the original island to extract DNA from three different types of prehistoric creatures, which will result in discovering a groundbreaking drug, saving lives, but mostly, making a lot of money.
She partners with Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist and resident nerd, who does what he’s supposed to do, which is to look cute while rattling off scientific jargon. Zora’s posse includes Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), her longtime friend and covert partner, who engages in long, rambling talks with Zora.
After they extract the DNA, they try to escape the island, but the script devolves into a random subplot when they have to rescue a shipwrecked family whose boat capsizes.
The family consists of Ruben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his daughter Teresa (Luna Blaise), her stoner boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono), and the youngest daughter, Isabella (Audrina Miranda).
Although this brood entertains with their cute domestic quarrels and witty banter, they have no reason to be in the movie. They don’t add any context, content, information or exposition. If anything, their appearance breaks the plot rhythm and pacing.
The most likely reason the filmmakers squeezed them in was to place Ruben’s adorable daughters (and one very high boyfriend) in danger, especially when they are chased down a river by a Tyrannosaurus rex. They didn’t need extra characters to show the perilous journey and suspense, as there are plenty of scary scenes.
In terms of suspense, in addition to the river scene, another edge-of-your-seat scene includes a large-scale, imposing encounter with a D-Rex attacking a helicopter. If you’re looking for pulse-pounding action, “Rebirth” delivers.
Although the new movie feels (and is) a cardboard cutout of the original film and its following installments, it makes up for the lack of originality with enchanting visuals, cinematic score and snazzy wardrobe.
Filmed mainly in Thailand, the movie utilized locations in the southern provinces of Krabi, Phang Nga and Trang, with a focus on earthy landscapes like rainforests, waterfalls and beaches. Additionally, the crew optimized the lush landscape of Thailand’s national parks, small towns and an authentic fishing village.
Another highlight is Alexandre Desplat’s entertaining music, which helps keep the plot moving. Desplat, whose credits include “The Shape of Water” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” leaves his mark on the blockbuster score, interweaving John Williams’ heart-warming theme, finally unleashing the longed-for nostalgia for the audience.
Other standouts include Zara’s costumes — consisting of a harness, tank top, boots and stylish cargo-like pants, which social media identified as “Revolution Race” pants. Her kit also contains an animal tranquilizer gun prop, which is so cool, you’ll want it for yourself.
Despite its unimaginative story, the suspense drives the movie forward. You might not discover sentiment, but you’ll get scares and thrills. “Rebirth” was looking for new life, but sadly, the filmmakers have brought the franchise to the brink of extinction.