The year is 1993. I’m 8 years old, visiting Orlando with my family for a trip to Disney World. After a few days filled with scorching heat and roller coasters, we decided to go to the theater to watch a movie. Carrying our buckets of popcorn and ice-cold Coca-Colas, we settle into our seats, eager to enjoy an afternoon of cinema and cool air. As the lights dim, we are transported by Steven Spielberg to an island inhabited by giant dinosaurs and lush jungle. When that iconic Jurassic Park theme begins to play, I feel a wave of magic from the movie that stays with me to this day.

Fast forward to 2025, and we’re still getting new Jurassic Park content. But is it time to throw in the towel?

Jurassic World: Rebirth is the seventh film in the franchise and a follow-up to the disaster that was Jurassic World: Dominion (2022). Gareth Edwards directs this installment, whose previous work includes the big-budget science fiction movies Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). What makes Rebirth promising is the addition of David Koepp, who wrote the screenplay for the original Jurassic Park (1993), which was adapted from Michael Crichton’s novel. The idea to recruit Koepp came from the executive producer himself, Steven Spielberg.

The movie opens with a bang: it’s 17 years in the past, and we are in a lab on Ile Saint-Hubert. We get a sneak peek at the monstrous things they’ve been up to, as well as a glimpse of a larger-than-life dinosaur hybrid, who makes an appearance later in the film.

Returning to the present day, five years after the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, dinosaurs are now an integral part of everyday life and marketing, but are mostly overlooked. Still, Ile Saint-Hubert remains near the equator and hosts dinosaurs that roam freely, making it highly dangerous for humans to visit.

We meet Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), a pharmaceutical representative who works for ParkerGenix, who recruits covert-operative expert Zora Bennett (played by our big A-lister of the film, Scarlett Johansson). The mission is to locate three of the largest remaining species of dinosaurs to collect their DNA, as ParkerGenix claims it holds the key to revolutionary disease-curing properties. Martin and Zora are joined on this mission by Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and several other team members to complete this dangerous task.

Meanwhile, on the vast open ocean, we encounter a small civilian family that is eventually stranded after an epic encounter with dinosaurs, reminiscent of Jaws (1975). This was one of my favorite sequences because the idea of encountering a dinosaur — or any giant animal, for that matter — on the water is terrifying to me. If you’ve read any of my other columns about shark movies, you would know this was right up my alley.

The crew on the mission to find the life-saving dinosaur DNA and the family eventually intersect, with several new dinosaur hybrids emerging.

A great Jurassic Park movie should include these key elements: a grand symphonic score and scenery, outstanding dinosaurs and dinosaur action, and heart. This film had most of these but lacked the most important one…

The score is as gorgeous and engulfing as I hoped it would be. Filmed in Thailand, the sweeping landscapes are beautiful and breathtaking. Edwards and cinematographer John Mathieson chose to shoot with 35mm film to evoke the visuals of the original 1993 movie, giving the film a more cinematic look and feel. I’m ecstatic that I got to see this in IMAX, as it brought back memories of seeing the first movie in theaters. While I don’t think this will be as memorable as my childhood, it was still a lovely touch chosen by the creators.

As I mentioned, several new dinosaurs were created for this movie. I don’t want to go into too much detail because I was unaware of this angle for the film and found it to be a fresh take for the franchise. The designs mostly looked really cool, but there is heavy CGI usage, which is fine for the most part. However, the beauty and charm of the original film came from the use of many practical effects, and I saw little to none in Rebirth. 

Also, I know Dr. Grant said dinosaurs were closely related to birds, but… are some of the new hybrids a little too on the nose?

Even the return of the Tyrannosaurus Rex — which isn’t a Jurassic Park movie without at least one T-Rex scene — looked so CGI-heavy that I didn’t feel the fear I had hoped for. The main dinosaur, or the final boss as seen in the movie posters, didn’t work for me. This dinosaur was inspired by the Xenomorphs from Alien (1979) and the Rancor from the Star Wars movies, and it didn’t seem very dinosaur-like. I felt like we shifted into a Cloverfield spinoff by the third act.

I know that sounds like a bad quality, but despite all that, the action sequences were intense and nail-biting. On the IMAX screen, I felt like I was part of the action, and I loved that.

But the most significant component this film is missing is heart. The moments they try to evoke an emotional connection with the audience are brief, forced and awkward. I had almost no attachment to any of these characters. The movie establishes an emotional connection between the young daughter and a cute little dinosaur she names Dolores. Still, even then, I see it as a cash grab, likely to sell Dolores dolls or animatronics in the future. 

The comedic moments also felt forced and out of place, making them incredibly cringeworthy. I assume they added comedy to create some feel-good moments, but most of those scenes fell flat. There were a couple of bits that made me giggle, but the overall audience didn’t laugh together, which I see as a failure.

Rebirth is rated PG-13, so there are only a few deaths and minimal bloodshed (boo). The characters that do meet their demise, I also did not care for, as there was no depth to make me care. 

My hope for future installments, because let’s be honest, I don’t see an end to this money-making franchise, is that there will finally be a rated-R Jurassic Park movie. It’s time. I’ve grown up with this franchise, and my generation is more than ready. I understand the need to bring younger generations into the fold, but take some risks: more practical effects, scarier dinosaurs, more blood and insane kills.

I did appreciate the subtle fan service. While I’ve seen the previous six movies, you don’t need to have seen them to enjoy this one. There were several children in my screening, and while I’m here pleading for a rated-R version, it’s nice to see the young ones possibly experiencing their first Jurassic Park movie. Perhaps they will feel the same way I did about the 1993 film someday, when they’re adults.

Is it time to give up the franchise? I don’t think so. One thing you should know about me is that if a movie involves destructive creatures, I’m going to watch it. I don’t care how many times Godzilla has destroyed a city: I am going to watch and enjoy every minute of it. I’m sure I am not alone in this venture. If the younger generations are enjoying the films and buying the toys, why not make more movies?

I rate Jurassic World Rebirth three out of five stars. Despite my nitpicking, I had a great theater experience watching it in IMAX. I think the movie will do very well, especially since it’s a holiday weekend. I recommend seeing it. It’s not perfect, but sometimes that doesn’t matter, especially when it’s the seventh film in a franchise. Turn off your brain (and your phone) for two hours and just enjoy the ride.

If nothing else, hearing the epic melody of the Jurassic Park theme again on the big screen made me feel like 8-year-old Lana again… and that’s something truly special.