Jurassic World Rebirth – Refreshing Sequel of a franchise leaning towards tiredness
My Rating – 3.8 out of 5
Table of Contents
Plot Summary – Jurassic World Rebirth
In a chain of sequels to this once-popular franchise, which started with a heavy dose of familiarity, boredom had set in. This is a refreshing take, though not unique in the storyline; the handling of the storyline is slightly different, leading to renewed interest. Having a stellar cast, headlined by Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, certainly helps convey a different level of intensity and sincerity. Following the 2015 release Jurassic World: Dominion, this is set in the current time.
ParkerGenix is a cutting-edge pharmaceutical company involved in research to find a cure for heart disease. In this quest, their scientists have determined that DNA from the reborn Dinosaurs and Pterosaurs have the potential to develop drugs which can treat heart disease. Now, the challenge is to find that DNA, harvest enough to develop that drug, and produce and market it. Their representative, Martin Krebs (played by Rupert Friend), approaches Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a Special Ops veteran ex-Military, to lead the mission.
But even the lure of millions does not convince Zora initially but on second thoughts, this is her cash out of the dangerous mercenary work that she had been doing. So she accepts. Then she brings in some of her ex-colleagues – Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and Bobby Atwater (Ed Skrein) to accompany her on this dangerous mission. They have to journey to an isolated island near the equator to get to the habitat of the targeted dinosaurs, collect the samples, and get out. Meanwhile, a family is out for a pleasure cruise in their sailboat, right in the path of the expedition.
This family – headed by the father, Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, of the Lincoln Lawyer fame), also has his two daughters and the elder one’s careless boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono) – lands in trouble when their boat is attacked by a group of marine dinosaurs and are shipwrecked. Zora and her merry band rescue them and together head for the mysterious island. The real adventure starts now once they reach the land of the dinosaurs. Two of their target species are carnivores and extremely dangerous; the challenge is to approach them closely to extract DNA samples and make their way out.
What is striking about this installment of the franchise is how the characters are fleshed out. None of them are thin sketches or caricatures of nuanced individuals, and they have some depth about them. Scarlett Johansson brings a lot of gravitas to the role of a troubled mercenary (not the kill-for-money type) and admits to her struggles with PTSD. Her ally, Mahershala Ali, similarly brings deep emotions hidden by joviality to the role. As do the other characters with significant screen time. Reuben’s family discovers their hidden bonds come to the fore in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Conclusion – Jurassic World Rebirth
In a movie full of clichés, both in the storyline and in the way it is told, it still manages to hold your attention, not by its CGI-fueled scenes, but by its performances. The plot follows a formulaic pattern, and the screenplay by Michael Crichton brings authenticity and not much else. This is not in the league of Avatar, but entertaining nonetheless. Unlike its predecessors in the franchise, this narrowly avoids being dumb and damp. Therefore, this will neither set the cash registers ringing endlessly nor will it make it to the top of global award ceremonies, but will definitely make for a good fun-filled weekend watch.
Just to watch Scar-jo onscreen, this is a good excuse! So go for it, and watch some flying dinosaurs while you are at it!
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