So, up front: I think at this point most people know what to expect when they buy a ticket to see a Jurassic Park movie. First you're going to see people making bad decisions, followed shortly by people getting eaten by dinosaurs. Other than the first one, none of them are really "fine cinema," but more like theme park rides. And that's okay. It's the same reason you'd buy a ticket to see a Godzilla movie (again, other than the first one) or even why you might go see a wrestling match.
So does Rebirth deliver? Oh yes. This is my third favorite Jurassic Park/World movie. It has great special effects and lots of exciting action scenes. Definitely worth a watch if you're not a cinema snob.
The opening text informs us that most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. About two scenes later, two of the main characters talk about how most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. The very next scene shows us part of an educational cartoon which informs us that most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. My takeaway from this is that most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. Also, I'm not sure why the opening text was necessary.
Anyway, the remaining dinosaurs live in the tropical regions around the equator. The plot reminds me a bit of the Lost World, or perhaps Jurassic Park 3. The writers came up with a fairly decent excuse to get these characters to the dino island. Basically they need some fresh dino blood for medical research, to cure heart disease or something. And then they have to get back out.
But it takes a long time for them to get to the dino shores, I'm talking "Peter Jackson's King Kong" levels of lollygagging their way to the island. Along the way you get a lot of backstory for the main characters, which pretty much spoils which characters are going to die. Hint: If all you know about a character is their name, they're probably destined to be dino jerky.
The tension in this movie is incredible. As the characters wander though the jungle, you're constantly hearing distant growls or seeing leaves move in the background. The jungle feels incredibly dangerous, like you could be attacked at any time from any direction.
The soundtrack bothered a little bit. There was one bit in the score that reminded me a little too much of the Jaws theme, and it played at similar times. But also the original Jurassic Park theme kind of got on my nerves now and then, and it's hard to explain why. They'd use it in the same way they did in the original, in scenes that show the majesty of the dinosaurs. I don't know, it just felt a little unearned. It kind of reminded me of that Ian Malcolm quote: "I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here: it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step." It almost feels like sacrilege to use the "awe and wonder" theme for a series that's long since turned into action schlock.
But these are minor quibbles. Overall it's a really fun movie that hits all the right beats, while still showing you enough new stuff to keep you interested. There's a few dinos in here that haven't been shown before, including the (Spoiler Alert) big bad mutant they face at the end. It kind of looks like the lovechild of a Rancor and the Cloverfield monster, and while it's not pretty to look at, it definitely does its job at being frightening.
I saw Rebirth in 3D. Not on purpose, mind you, that was just the earliest showing I could get so I did it. I don't usually see movies on opening weekend, either, but I had a coupon that made it just $7. The 3D was really good. It's probably been a good ten years since I've seen a 3D movie, and while the technology doesn't seem to have made any leaps forward, it did a good job of adding to the aforementioned tension. Several shots really stood out, such as one where they fire a needle towards the camera, as well as several jungle shots where something is chasing them in the background.
Overall I give this movie a thumbs up, maybe 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a worthy entry into the series.
My ranking of the Jurassic Park/World movies:
1. Jurassic Park
2. Jurassic World
3. Rebirth
4. Jurassic Park III
5. The Lost World
6. Dominion
7. Fallen Kingdom
