Despite its few ounces of originality, Jurassic World: Rebirth is a painfully typical reboot. The derivative characters and tedious callbacks to the original are too numerous for the brilliant worldbuilding, promising setup and great action sequences to stand out. If not for those latter elements, Rebirth could’ve spelt creative bankruptcy for the Jurassic franchise.

Over a decade after the Jurassic World incident, dinosaurs have either died or retreated to areas nearer the equator, which better suit their needs. A team of mercenaries and scientists arrive at one of these areas. Their mission is to collect blood samples from three specific species of dinosaur, with the scientific purpose of developing a cure for heart disease. While the team are prepared for any dinosaur they may encounter, deep in the wild lurks an organism unlike any the world has ever seen.

The characters are so generic they’re almost not worth mentioning. Scarlett Johansson’s leading mercenary suffers from loss and a cynical outlook, both of which she overcomes by the end, as expected. On their way to their destination, her team encounters a family lost at sea. They bring the civilian perspective that has featured in all the Jurassic films. As a means to get us to the dinosaurs, the characters serve their purpose, but any scene that’s centred on them exclusively can challenge one’s patience.

The Worldbuilding

In its first act, Rebirth offers a refreshing perspective on the Jurassic Park premise. In developed areas, dinosaurs are not a spectacle but a nuisance. Having had to live with them on a daily basis, the public has become disillusioned with the de-extinct creatures. Museums are closing and merchandise isn’t selling.

The film’s reality is almost in complete sync with our own. The recent Jurassic World trilogy, while it had its highlights, demonstrated that the series had limits. So much had already been done in the first three Jurassic Parks, where do you go from there? Acknowledging the series’ fatigue is a great start.

Creating a heist plot is also a good move. Many of the Jurassic sequels are about trying to save either dinosaurs or loved ones from an island, so the team’s financial motive spices things up a bit.

The Horror

While Gareth Edwards’ writing and choice of scripts have never impressed me, his directing always has. He knows how to make you feel small and hopeless before a giant monster.

There are sequences in Rebirth that ignited my love of modern kaiju horror, sequences that made me feel tense and vulnerable just as Cloverfield and Nope did. A couple involve the aquatic mosasaurus, which are sure to give off Jaws vibes. My favourite sequence features the new mutant ‘D-Rex.’ The way it hides in the shadows and looms over its victims reminded me a lot of Edwards’ Godzilla, I always find that kind of imagery eerie.

Unfortunately, the other horror sequences and dinosaur sequences generally, are just callbacks to the original Jurassic Park. That’s right. Rebirth is another franchise greatest hits montage. Iconic moments such as the ‘Welcome to Jurassic Park’ reveal and the intense kitchen chase are recreated in Rebirth.

It’s too early to tell whether or not another sequel will be made but if one does materialise, I’d like it to take a lot more chances. I’d like to see more of the civilised world and the mundanities of living with dinosaurs. I also wouldn’t mind seeing more of the D-Rex and other dinosaur mutants. They won’t be the species we all know and love but surely we’ve seen enough of them.

Don’t go out to see this. Rent it or wait for it to hit streaming.

I give Jurassic World: Rebirth a painfully mediocre 5 out of 10.