Jurassic World Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards and written by David Koepp (giant-monster veterans, if ever there were), is the latest in a prolific, cinematic franchise, based on the events and concepts of Michael Crichton's bestseller, Jurassic Park (in its own right a companion piece to the raconteur's respected, androids-attack-an-amusement-park venture, Westworld).
For this new Jurassic chapter, we're get a new lead, Scarlett Johansson's Zora Bennett, a covert operation specialist (i.e. mercenary), who leads a DNA-collection expedition (funded by a questionable, pharmaceutical source) to the island where heedless, dinosaur cloning created not only the standard, giant beasts, but novelty, mutant specimens. (The goal is to snare samples from three of the most dangerous creatures for the furtive financiers.) A family joins the explorers (the result of its boat being capsized during a Mosasaurus/Spinosaurus encounter) and must fight tooth and nail alongside the venturers not to be devoured.
Comprising the supporting cast is Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iancona, Audrina Miranda, Niamh Finley ... and Ed Skrein: quite a sum for the daunting circumstance, but then Jurassic's who'll-live/who'll-die gimmick feeds off such smorgasbords.
That leaves several beasts to steal the spotlight (beyond those featuring the eye-catching Johannson), thanks to the production's top-line CGI and (I'm assuming) textured animatronics. The cutie-pie Aquilops named Delores and the main mutant are the most nuanced, and they help place this survivalist parable on a par with its prior installments.
Alas, there's an overriding "flaw" with Rebirth, which I believe hinders the other movies, as well. To old-timers like me, who favor the works of Willis O'Brien, Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth and Dave Allen, the Jurassic series is akin to visiting an egghead, toy shop where the goods are at best middle-of-the-road. In other words, one might desire a G.I. Joe with Kung Fu Grip, but the best one gets is an Earth Day, promotional kit.
I know that many consider the Jurassic series the pinnacle of awe and razzmatazz and cite the Brachiosaurus sequence from the first film as a prime example of that, but in my opinion, that big reveal doesn't hold a candle to King Kong's advent (in any version) or let's say the Rhedosaurus' in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
Despite this, Rebirth still has Johansson, who's stunning in her snug tops, but we should have gotten at least one scene of her disrobed. I know some will scoff at my gripe, but there's nothing wrong with a little, unwrapped eye candy every now and then to ease the tension. (Case in point: Sigourney Weaver's "striptease" near the end of Alien.) Also, it's not like Johannsen would have been averse to a risqué moment or two, as her nude scene in Under the Skin proves, and for all intent, she was virtually nude in Ghost in the Shell, thanks to that skin-tight bodysuit.
When all is said and done, I can't help but view Rebirth as an entertaining, missed opportunity. I'm certain that the franchise's ardent fans will dig it big time (maybe even call it the imagi-movie of the year), but I generally prefer a sense of weird wonderment with a provocative push in my monster flicks, and at this stage of Jurassic's game, I doubt such will ever transpire.😩
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