Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh movie in the famous Jurassic Park series, hit theaters on July 2, 2025. It promised a new beginning for a series that has thrilled audiences for more than 30 years. This standalone sequel, directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One) and written by David Koepp (the original Jurassic Park writer), tries to bring back the wonder and fear of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic while adding a new cast and a mission with high stakes. The movie stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, and Rupert Friend. It has heart-pounding action, cutting-edge visual effects, and a hint of nostalgia. But is Rebirth really a rebirth, or is it just another dino-sized letdown? Let’s look at the reviews and see what the best and worst parts of this new chapter are.
The Idea: A New Age with Old Teeth
Rebirth takes place five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion (2022). In this world, dinosaurs are having a hard time living in Earth’s changing climate. The last prehistoric animals live on isolated equatorial islands, where the tropical climate is similar to their old homes. The story is about a secret mission led by tough operative Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) to get DNA from three huge dinosaurs—a Titanosaurus, a Quetzalcoatlus, and a Mosasaurus—for a medical breakthrough that could cure heart disease. The team goes to a forbidden island that used to be a secret InGen research facility. They are joined by paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), mercenary Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), and shady Big Pharma executive Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). They find not only the dinosaurs they were looking for, but also mutant hybrids, like the scary six-limbed Distortus rex. A shipwrecked family—Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his daughters Teresa (Luna Blaise) and Isabella (Audrina Miranda), along with Teresa’s boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono)—makes the mission harder. Their presence adds a classic Jurassic element of civilians in danger.
The Good: Big Action and a Great Cast
Jurassic World Rebirth is a hit with both critics and audiences. Edwards’ direction and John Mathieson’s cinematography give the dinosaur scenes a visceral, almost Spielbergian feel. A famous river chase with a T-rex is often called a master class in action design because it combines suspense and scale in a way that reminds people of the first Jurassic Park. The Mosasaurus attack, which is like a scary underwater version of Jaws, is another great part that shows how good Edwards is at making dinosaurs feel real and dangerous. The movie’s special effects are great, with clear, detailed CGI and a return to real-life locations shot on 35mm film. This makes Rebirth feel more real and tangible than the overly digital polish of recent movies.
The cast is one of the best parts, with Johansson, Ali, and Bailey getting praise for their chemistry and charm. Johansson’s Zora is a tough, no-nonsense leader, which is a nice change from the female leads in the franchise. Bailey’s bookish but heroic paleontologist adds charm and wit, and his “slutty” glasses (a nod to Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws) steal the show. Ali gives Duncan a lot of depth, and Friend’s slimy corporate villain is a lot of fun to hiss at. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian even said that Johansson and Bailey had “terrific romcom chemistry,” which added an emotional level to the action.
Some reviewers say that Rebirth is a return to form. The Guardian says it’s a “brighter, breezier, funnier, incomparably better acted and better written film” than the ones that came before it. The Associated Press’ Mark Kennedy says it “puts a wobbly franchise back on track.” The movie has “roaring thrills and dino-sized action” for people who want old-school dinosaur chaos. The set pieces feel like a “heartfelt tribute to the Spielberg classics.”
The Bad: Been There, Done That
Rebirth has some good points, but it also has some bad ones. A lot of people say it plays it too safe and doesn’t add enough new ideas, relying too much on the original Jurassic Park’s blueprint. IGN’s Clint Gage says that it “falls back on the blueprint of the original film, but not shedding any of the problems with the more recent movies.” He calls it a “remix” instead of a true rebirth. The screenplay is better than Dominion’s, but it has been criticized for not developing its characters enough and for using the same plot points over and over again: another shady company, another dangerous island, and another group of heroes avoiding toothy predators. Some people think the Delgado family subplot is just there to fill space, and Roger Ebert’s Christy Lemire says it “grinds the pacing to a halt.”
The movie tries to make people feel awe, which was a big part of the 1993 original, but it doesn’t always work. Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times says that dinosaurs are so common in this world that people are “bored and annoyed,” which takes away from the sense of wonder that used to define the series. Some action scenes, like the one where the characters hang off a cliff, feel like clichés. Cosmic Book News says that the mutant Distortus rex looks like a “weird mashup of a dinosaur and a Xenomorph,” but it doesn’t get enough screen time. The BBC says that Rebirth is “stale” and could be “the weakest of the franchise” because it doesn’t have any exciting surprises.
The Verdict: A Fun Ride That Feels Familiar
Jurassic World Rebirth is a mixed bag. It’s a thrilling summer blockbuster with amazing visuals that brings back some of the magic from the franchise’s early days, but it doesn’t do anything new. Its strengths are its exciting set pieces, charming cast, and a return to a more realistic, suspenseful tone. But it doesn’t reach the heights of Spielberg’s original because the plot is too predictable, the characters aren’t fully developed, and it feels like the writer is out of ideas. The movie made $30.5 million on its first day and is expected to make $133.5 million over the course of the five-day weekend. This is a good sign for the franchise’s finances, even if it doesn’t fully bring back the excitement of 1993.
Rebirth gives fans of dinosaur carnage and nostalgia just enough to keep them happy. Some, like Rendy Jones, call it “the best Jurassic World movie to date,” while others, like IndieWire, want “something to please kill all the dinosaurs again.” Jurassic World Rebirth shows one thing: dinosaurs still rule the box office, even if they don’t always rule our hearts. It could be a triumphant comeback or a sign that the series is running out of steam.
Rated PG-13 for violent and action-packed scenes, bloody images, some suggestive language, and a drug reference. Time to run: 2 hours and 13 minutes. Now playing in theaters.
