After rewatching Jurassic Park ahead of the theatrical release of Jurassic World Rebirth, I’ve decided that nothing can match the nostalgia of the original 1993 blockbuster, no matter how hard this new instalment tries.
Initially, I was excited to hear that more dino danger was stomping onto our screens with Jurassic World Rebirth. However, my enthusiasm soon turned into apprehension when I discovered that it serves as a standalone sequel to the rather disappointing Jurassic World Dominion.
There were high hopes, though, as Jurassic World Rebirth saw the return of screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the original Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The last trilogy ended on a whimper, but Koepp was on hand to bring back the Jurassic franchise to its original roots with Steven Spielberg now on producer duties.
According to The Wrap, Koepp said they were going for the “spirit of the first movie, which is the tone that we would like to get closest to.” Meanwhile, leading star Scarlett Johansson told Variety that the film’s latest chapter is a homage to Spielberg’s masterpiece. She revealed: “So I think it really is a love letter to Steven’s work. Fans of the Jurassic universe can expect to really feel the DNA of the original Jurassic Park in this film.”
While the essence of Jurassic Park is definitely seen and felt in Jurassic World Rebirth thanks to its tributes to iconic scenes and colorful cinematography, it just didn’t have the same nostalgia as the very first movie.
Jurassic World Rebirth is a new era to one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises with a new cast, new director (Gareth Edwards), new story and even new dinosaurs. Set several years after Dominion, the movie sees a team of skilled operatives venture to a forbidden island to collect DNA from dinosaurs which can provide life-saving medical benefits for humans. However, their top-secret mission becomes even more dangerous when they find mutant dinosaurs roaming the land.
The gang is mainly made up of Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend. We also simultaneously follow the Delgado family’s desperate bid for survival on the island after being attacked by an aquatic dinosaur on their sailing trip. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays the father of two daughters and he also has his hands full with his older daughter’s foolish boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono).
Although Jurassic World Rebirth doesn’t bring back any of the original cast like Dominion does, this movie plays with the nostalgic themes of Jurassic Park a lot more, especially through its striking color palette of the tropical island and prehistoric behemoths. But where it’s most noticeable is when it copies some of the most iconic scenes from the cult classic.
In one scene, we see Zora Bennett (Johansson) and Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) look completely amazed when they witness two Brachiosaurus in the wild – much like when Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) witness this same spectacle for the very first time in Jurassic Park.
Another Jurassic Park sequence that’s referenced is the infamous raptors in the kitchen scene where siblings Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello) are relentlessly pursued by two raptors in a restaurant kitchen. Jurassic World Rebirth copies this when the Delgado family are trapped with mutated raptors in an abandoned garage at a research facility. They play a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the creatures, catching a sight of the raptors’ sharp talons – something that’s lifted right out of Jurassic Park.
The legendary Jurassic Park flare scene also comes out to play in Jurassic World Rebirth. The original sequence features Alan Grant using a flare to distract the ferocious T-Rex and save the children. History repeats itself this time around when Duncan Kincaid (Ali) does exactly the same to rescue the kids from the mighty mutant D-Rex aka the Distortus Rex.
The classic score tops it all off to try and emulate the sense of wonder and adventure from Jurassic Park, but I’m sorry to say that this new story just can’t compete with its predecessor. While it’s nice to see Jurassic World Rebirth pay homage to its 90s origins, it tries too hard to inspire the same nostalgia as the groundbreaking Jurassic Park, which I think is an impossible feat.
The authenticity of Jurassic Park just can’t be copied with modern iterations, even if it does pay respect to famous scenes. But despite this, Jurassic World Rebirth still provides fun dino entertainment that guarantees a few laughs – just don’t expect it to have the same magic as its one-of-a-kind source material.
Jurassic World Rebirth releases exclusively in movie theaters on Wednesday, July 2.