Something Has Survived…. Again. While 2022’s dreary Jurassic World Dominion was the franchise’s worst-reviewed film, it did make over $1Billion worldwide at the box office. So, it’s inevitable that Universal would dust off John Williams’ classic theme and find a new way to bring dinosaurs back to the big screen. Excitingly, there’s a new team behind the camera in director Gareth Edwards and original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp.

Jurassic World Rebirth is set in the world of the Jurassic Park and World trilogies, but is a self-contained sequel focusing on new characters. Five years after the events of Dominion, dinosaurs are viewed by humanity as more of a nuisance than a miracle. Most of the animals have died off due to inhospitable environments, and the public no longer sees them as attractions.

A pharmaceutical company, however, sees them as an opportunity. Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) organises an illegal expedition to a closed-off island in the Atlantic Ocean, where InGen experimented with species for the Jurassic theme parks, and where many dinosaurs still thrive. He hires covert mercenary Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) for a mission to find samples of dinos to help with a cure for heart disease, along with palaeontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), who will identify them. Led by Zora’s former comrade Duncan Kincade (Mahershala Ali), the group heads to the island, but soon find themselves stranded in deadly terrain alongside The Delgado Family, who have been marooned while on a sailing trip.

In 1997’s The Lost World, Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) quipped: “Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that’s how it always starts. Then later there’s running and screaming”. He may very well have been describing Jurassic World Rebirth, as it aims squarely for spectacle.

Gareth Edwards, the man who made Godzilla into a Hollywood franchise and recaptured the spirit of A New Hope with Rogue One, was in many ways the perfect choice for this soft reboot. He handles the majesty of the beasts wonderfully, crafting action sequences that are as good as anything we’ve seen in the franchise. One of the best in the game at delivering blockbuster visuals, he knows exactly when to show us the entirety of the dinosaur and when to have it lurking in the shadows.

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Standout moments include a river chase with a T-Rex and a moment with a flare during the final showdown. Both are designed as homages (to the first Michael Crichton book and first film, respectively), and that proves a smart move. The new, mutated dinos don’t draw the same gasps as the classics, but serve their horrifying purpose particularly in the last half hour, as well as some gore that may be a touch too violent for younger viewers.

Narratively, the film is basic. The parallel storyline of the lost family feels like an excuse to cram more chases in, while the running comment on the evils of Big Pharma is half-hearted. That’s not entirely the director’s fault, as seven films in, this franchise’s concept has been explored in every conceivable way. He chooses to deliver a straightforward adventure that delivers summer thrills and familiar hits. For most, that will be just fine – there’s something to be said for avoiding needless lore and simply offering a wild ride.

The star power certainly helps, with Johansson and Bailey jumping and flirting their way through the chaos. Their dynamic feels like a gender-flipped version of Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy, with Bailey being the bookish sidekick to Johansson’s physical heroics. Both fit perfectly, enjoying sparkling chemistry and making the quieter moments more enjoyable. Ali is charismatic as ever, although it’s strange to see that level of actor in a basic supporting role. There are no prizes for subtlety on Friend’s part, as the slimy performance leaves you in no doubt as to who the story’s villain is.

In the Delgado camp, a sincere but hackneyed narrative unfolds, with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s patriarch learning to trust his daughter’s boyfriend (David Iacono). The most enjoyable moments here are with the family’s youngest daughter (Audrina Miranda) befriending Dolores, the cutest baby dinosaur ever committed to film.

A popcorn movie right down to its (fossilised) bones, Jurassic World Rebirth is a return to the basics after the unravelling of the previous trilogy. However slight the plot may be, it has all the makings of a summer hit.

★★★

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