JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH (2025)

July 1, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. It’s been 32 years since John Hammond “spared no expense” on ice cream and Chaos Theory Doctor Malcolm pleaded that the colorful jeep “must go faster”. That 1993 film by Steven Spielberg awed us and changed the course of cinema. Now director Gareth Edwards (ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, 2016; GODZILLA, 2014) brings us the seventh film in the ‘Jurassic’ franchise. Having adapted Michael Crichton’s books for the first two in the series, renowned screenwriter David Koepp (who has also contributed to Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones, and Spider-Man franchises, among others) returns for “Rebirth”.

Opening with a flashback to fifteen years prior, we see the InGen lab where experimental cross-breeding has resulted in dino-mutations, and we are only about four minutes in when we get the first dino snack (an unfortunate lab worker). Returning to modern day times (five years after the end of JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION), we find a citizenry somehow bored with the dinosaurs that have been released into the wild – most of which have died or are dying due to environmental issues caused by us despicable humans. The exception is a remote island near the equator where the climate most resembles prehistoric times, and the beasts are free to roam … as it’s now a “No people allowed” sanctuary. It’s also a former InGen lab site.

This all sets the stage for greedy Big Pharma executive, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) to plan an excursion with the goal of collecting DNA from the three largest dino species from land, sea, and air. Oh, and minor detail – the DNA has to be collected from live specimens. The DNA can supposedly be used for major medical breakthroughs. Krebs hires Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a mercenary for “situational security and reaction”, and Dr Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey, WICKED, 2024) a paleontologist trained by the infamous Dr Grant. Zora assembles the rest of the team, including friend and boat captain Duncan Kincaid (Oscar winner Mahershala Ali), and the rest of his crew.

Separately, a family sailing the same waters is introduced. Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his two daughters, college-aged Teresa (Luna Blaise) and clever 11-year-old Isabella (Audrina Miranda), along with Teresa’s lazy and spacey boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono). This secondary group provides us with ‘normal’ folks to fear for as their boat is dino-attacked, leaving them stranded in the sea, awaiting recovery by the pharma boat. This creates a strange mixture of folks and, most importantly, allows for the mandatory kid-in-peril. Another dino-attack on the boat separates the family from the team and begins the process of scratching characters from the story.

The adventures are quite different for the two groups, and the island scenery is consistently awe-inspiring. But we are all here for dinosaurs, and on that front, the film never disappoints. Very few gaps occur between sightings or attacks, and the dinosaurs dazzle. A slumbering by the river T-Rex provides one of the best chase/attack scenes from any of the Jurassic movies (with a tip of the raft to the Crichton novel). Of course, we know who the villain will be, and we know how things go for villains in these movies. The story includes an altruistic approach from Loomis, who flashes some survival instincts despite a career spent in an air-conditioned museum, rather than a dino-filled jungle.

We are left to ponder what the titular “Rebirth” refers to. The film doesn’t offer anything new, outside of the mutants … including the much-anticipated D-Rex (sporting the head of a Beluga whale?). Your individual level of critique will determine whether you buy Scarlett Johansson as the ultimate tough warrior, although John Mathieson’s stunning cinematography and composer Alexandre Desplat’s score (generously sprinkled with John Williams’ iconic JP score) are complementary to an overall entertaining and crowd-pleasing big-budget summer blockbuster, with many nods to the previous films in the franchise. Race cars and dinosaurs in the same summer … spared no expense.

Opens in theaters on July 2, 2025

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

GODZILLA (2014)

May 18, 2014

godzilla Greetings again from the darkness. Sixty years after Godzilla made his initial screen appearance, we get a full blown Hollywood special effects blockbuster version that will eclipse the $100 million mark in its first weekend. This is director Gareth Edwards’ second feature film (Monsters, 2010) and he juggles the modern day re-imagining with the Japanese roots and a hand full of other tributes throughout.

The cast seems impressive: Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, Ken Watanabe and David Strathairn. Unfortunately, most of these fine actors have little to do, and instead the dominant human presence (most every scene) is Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) who somehow keeps getting gigs despite lacking even a dollop of screen presence or acting ability. Of course, this movie is supposed to belong to Godzilla, and even he is usurped on screen time by two nuclear-feasting praying mantis creatures that share some attributes with the classic “Alien”. These screen hogs are called MUTO’s (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) and are quite substantial … crushing skyscrapers by landing.

The 1954 original film was an anti-nuclear statement, though the re-edited U.S. version replaced the political statement with Raymond Burr. Mr. Burr also appeared in the 1984 sequel which included a storyline of feeding off a nuclear plant (borrowed in this year’s version). This film’s prologue featuring Bryan Cranston working at a 1999 nuclear plant is an unmistakable nod to the recent Fukushima disaster, and sets the stage for the collision of science (Watanabe) and military (Strathairn). Director Edwards clearly enjoys his Jaws-like teasing of Godzilla, who finally shows up after almost an hour. And despite the Jurassic Park roar by our titular monster, this doesn’t hold a candle to Spielberg’s 1993 classic. We do get the quite familiar shots of bystanders running down the street, glancing back in fear – a must for any monster movie, and it should be noted that Godzilla films have a legacy of multiple creatures, as well as the man versus nature theme.

Having seen this one in 3D, I’ll mention again that the enhanced effects offered by this technology do not offset the darkened, dulled look. Add that to the almost total lack of color – it’s borderline Black and White – and there are simply too few breathtaking visual moments to consider this a monster classic.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a monster movie fan or a follower of the Godzilla legacy OR you need proof that a lead actor can be less engaging than Matthew Broderick was in the 1998 Godzilla film.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you believe technological advances should produce a more visually stunning film than Jurassic Park from 21 years ago OR you happen to be a huge Juliette Binoche fan and expect to see her in a lead role.

watch the trailer:

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson