The Stream: Why do people keep going back to these islands?

The Big Screen: The new cast is excellent, and the dinosaurs are still majestic.

The Final Bill: Another fun addition to the Jurassic Park series.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Gareth Edwards
Writers: David Koepp
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Mahershala Ali, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, bloody images, some suggestive references, language and a drug reference.
Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes
Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, India Take One Productions, Latina Pictures, The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Platform: In theaters July 2, 2025
Notable Trailers: Wicked: For Good, F1: The Movie, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Bad Guys 2, Downton Abbey: The Grand Final

What’s up, Streamers?!? We really need to talk to Hollywood about the oversaturation of sequels in the marketplace. I feel like I keep repeating myself as another big budget sequel is released in theaters, and this week it’s the seventh movie in the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World: Rebirth. In this sequel, the Earth’s climate has proven to be inhospitable to the dinosaurs that have been coexisting with the humans since the occurrences of the Jurassic World Dominion. Those remaining dinosaurs are mostly living on remote islands near the equator. Now, Zora (Scarlett Johansson), a covert operative, has been hired by a pharmaceutical representative, Martin (Rupert Friend), to travel to one of those remote islands to retrieve genetic samples from the largest remaining dinosaurs. Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist who can help identify the species, accompanies Martin, Zora and her crew of mercenaries on their top-secret mission to the forbidden island. You know how this goes. T-Rex roaring, jungle trekking hijinks ensue.

It’s a Jurassic Park movie, okay!??! If you like Jurassic Park movies, then you should be satisfied with Jurassic World: Rebirth. The plot is pretty much the same as the plots of most of the other movies, so the biggest variable is the new cast that populates this movie. This cast is quite good. Scarlett Johansson is very adept at action sequences. She gives her character wit and tenacity that make her easy to care about. Jonathan Bailey has a wide-eyed charm that’s perfectly suited for his character. Mahershala Ali plays Duncan, a leader of Zora’s team. He’s always excellent and just lights up the screen whenever he shows up. It is easy and fun to spend two hours with these characters despite the fact that you can tell who will make it out alive and whether their mission will succeed.

Furthermore, the action set pieces are exciting. They will have you on the edge of your seat. The dinosaurs look as marvelous as ever and still scary. There is a lot of propulsive forward momentum in this movie that it is hard to get bored. On a related note, there is a subplot about a family led by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who get caught in all this Jurassic mess, which might test your patience; but, I thought they added some emotional stakes to the movie as a whole. Your mileage may vary, but I doubt their storyline will dampen your overall enjoyment of this movie.

Ultimately, Jurassic World: Rebirth is exactly what it says it is – a Jurassic Park movie. It has a great new cast, awe-inspiring visual effects, and exciting action sequences. This movie isn’t groundbreaking, but it is engaging and entertaining. Grab a big box of popcorn since these majestic creatures should be seen on a big screen.