When looking for adventure with dinosaurs, there is only one place to-Jurassic Park. The novel by Michael Crichton has become one of the most recognizable film franchises in cinema history. In recent years, however, the series has taken on a new name-“Jurassic World”. The series made its return in 2015 and was a box office hit with three films to its name. The previous installment, “Jurassic World: Dominion”, was released in 2022 and marked the end of the adventure franchise. However, it did not take long for the series to make a comeback. Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg had an idea to continue the series; and before you knew it, a new journey was set to begin in the blockbuster “Jurassic World: Rebirth”.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film follows a team led by Zora (Scarlett Johansson) to gather dinosaur DNA to create medicine. However, their expedition leads the team to a research facility that created mutated dinosaurs, making the mission far more dangerous than they could have imagined. Spielberg conceived the concept and brought on screenwriter David Koepp and author Crichton himself to develop the story. Eventually, Spielberg enlisted Edwards on board to direct, impressed by his work on films like “Godzilla”. Together, the filmmakers aimed to create a sequel that would to take the series back to its original roots.

I must admit that I have not been a fan of the Jurassic World films. The previous trilogy was more convoluted than entertaining, testing my patience with each entry. Therefore, I did not have much enthusiasm for this new installment. However, I decided to give this film a chance, and to my surprise, I found myself enjoying “Jurassic World: Rebirth”.

Jurassic World (and Jurassic Park) are fairly simplistic in their concepts and delivery so I was not expecting much from the storytelling of “Jurassic World: Rebirth”. However, the story of this installment had more surprises than I expected. The sense of adventure in the story was engaging, and the setup to the main conflict was well done. Yet the plot was far from perfect. Along with some issues in padding, concepts such as the mutated dinosaur were lost in the story’s execution, which took away from the impact of certain plot points. Despite its flaws, the plot still had its moments and stayed true to the series by providing an adventurous experience.

Another surprise came from the film’s cast. The casts to the past films have been too simplistic for my liking (which is putting it mildly), so I did not expect much from this ensemble, but I was pleased to be proven wrong. This cast turned out to be enjoyable and was led by none other than Scarlett Johansson. Zora was a decent protagonist with Johansson bringing a lot of energy to the good-natured mercenary. Equally impressive was Jonathan Bailey as the scientist Henry Loomis. Henry’s personality was an amalgamation of Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm, and Bailey brought a lot of character to his performance. Mahershala Ali was stellar as Duncan, while Rupert Friend played a typical role as the pharmaceutical representative Martin Krebs. The only questionable additions to this cast were the estranged family led by Reuben Delago (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo). While the family itself was decent, their contribution to the movie was conflicting, and their presence in the film felt distracting.

When watching a Jurassic Park film, the main attraction is, of course, the dinosaurs. Throughout the series has we have seen a variety of prehistoric creatures over the years, so introducing something fresh could be a difficult task. However, this film rose to the challenge, though not without mixed results. In addition of showcasing familiar dinosaurs, the movie also introduced mutated creatures like the mutadons and the menacing D-Rex. This demonstrated the film’s creative creature design. The visuals of the movie were impressive, seamlessly combining practical effects and CGI to create some of the most memorable dinosaur sequences in the series’ history.

The visuals were crucial in the film’s action sequences. The movie showcased some high-octane action scenes that, due to their execution, were among the best in the franchise. One essential aspect of the Jurassic Park series is, of course, the music. The score by John Williams is, simply put, iconic. Therefore, the composer Alexander Desplat was tasked with crafting a score that could live up to the series, and he did not disappoint. Along with the implementing tracks from the 1990 film, the score had a sense of adventure that captured both the wonder and thrills of this sequel.

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” lives up to the legacy of its series. Despite conflicts in both the story and characters, they were effectively managed thanks to Gareth Edwards’ keen direction. Edwards crafted an adventurous story and a memorable cast that fit right into this world of dinosaurs. Rounding things out was the spectacle, which lived up to the franchise’s standard with fantastic effects and wondrous presentation. Despite past missteps, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is a stellar adventure that captures the essence of a summer blockbuster and proves that, in the words of Ian Malcom, life finds a way.