Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Scarlett Johansson (Zora Bennett), Mahershala Ali (Duncan Kincaid), Jonathan Bailey (Dr. Henry Loomis), Rupert Friend (Martin Krebs), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Reuben Delgado), Luna Blaise (Teresa Delgado), David Iacono (Xavier Dobbs), Audrina Miranda (Isabella Delgado), Philippine Velge (Nina), Bechir Sylvain (LeClerc), Ed Skrein (Bobby Atwater), Adam Loxley (Williams)
Release in Belgium: 2/7/2025
Duur: 133 min

The Story
The very first Jurassic Park film was released in 1993. The last entry in the Jurassic World trilogy came out in 2022, ending with humans and dinosaurs peacefully coexisting.

Prologue
Jurassic World: Rebirth opens with a prologue set 17 years earlier on Isle St. Hubert, near the equator.
We get a glimpse of how the people at InGen created mutated dinosaurs by crossbreeding DNA from different species. The resulting monsters were kept under strict containment—until, inevitably, everything goes wrong, and the mutated creatures escape. What follows, unsurprisingly, is the classic chaos and carnage the franchise is known for—and the beginning of the story set in the present day.

Interest in dinosaurs has all but vanished, and the creatures are once again on the brink of extinction. Far from the equator, they’ve struggled to adapt: oxygen levels are too low, and the climate is unforgiving. The only place where dinosaurs still roam free is Isla St. Hubert,a location strictly off-limits to humans.

That’s where our characters come in. Mr. Krebs, a greedy pharmaceutical executive, wants to develop a groundbreaking new heart medication using dinosaur DNA,not from the well-known species, but from the grotesque hybrids that escaped after InGen’s downfall. He assembles a team of mercenaries tasked with collecting fresh DNA samples from several massive dinosaurs.

The group is led by Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), who joins the mission because she desperately needs the money. The second key member is Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), who lost a child on a previous mission but also needs the income.

Together with Zora, Mr. Krebs seeks out Professor Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist and former student of Dr. Alan Grant. Loomis initially disapproves. He believes the animals should be left alone. But the temptation to see these creatures in the flesh proves too strong. He ultimately agrees to join the expedition. Their goal: to retrieve DNA from the Mosasaurus, Titanosaurus, and Quetzalcoatlus.

Meanwhile, we follow another storyline: a father (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his two daughters embarking on a voyage of their own. The eldest, Teresa (Luna Blaise), insists on bringing her lazy boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono) along. The younger daughter, Isabella (Audrina Miranda), also joins them. Their sailing trip takes a deadly turn when their boat is attacked by the Mosasaurus, ironically providing the first DNA sample. While Mr. Krebs is ready to abandon them, Zora and the ship’s captain rush to their aid, drawing the family into the dangerous hunt for the next DNA specimens.

Upon arriving at the island, the family is sent toward the old InGen facilities, and from here the film alternates between the two storylines. During their journey, young Isabella befriends a small, adorable dinosaur, whom she names Dolores. Meanwhile, the hunt for the remaining DNA samples continues…

Conclusie
The characters aren’t particularly deep, but is that really necessary for a film like this? The horror elements take center stage here. Only Zora and Duncan are given more emotional depth, as we learn about their pasts and see a softer side behind their hardened exteriors.

While the genetically engineered dinosaurs represent humanity’s arrogance, the little creature Dolores shows that not every experiment ends in horror.

Jurassic World: Rebirth also delivers a subtle message about the pharmaceutical industry, suggesting that perhaps Big Pharma is an even greater monster than the genetic creations themselves. The film ultimately champions the idea that life-saving medicines should be accessible to everyone.

Rating: 7

Text: Esmeralda Wolf