Jurassic World Rebirthis the latest entry in the long-runningJurassicfranchise, which has come under fire in recent years for a series of underwhelming and uninspired sequels. However, I’m expecting Gareth Edwards’ upcoming movie to break the unfortunate trend ofJurassicsequels with a fresh, exciting new story that goes back to the series’ roots and focuses on what made the original movie so good: rich, atmospheric horror. If the movie succeeds in this regard, it could end up being thebestJurassic Parkmoviein a long time.
Thestory ofJurassic World Rebirthfollows a group of adventurous scientists as they travel to the abandoned research facility for the original Jurassic Park, where several dangerous creatures have been left to survive and breed in isolation. It marks aninteresting departure from the typical formula of these movies, taking the humans into the wilderness instead of bringing the dinosaurs into captivity. This structural subversion is exactly what theJurassic Parkfranchise needs to shed its past and try something completely new, hopefully breathing life into an otherwise tired saga.
Another Jurassic World Movie Wasn’t Appealing After Dominion
The track record ofJurassic Parksequels in general isn’t great, but theJurassic Worldseries really struggled to find its niche. Instead of bringing a new story to the table, much of the sequel trilogy felt like rehashed ideas from Spielberg’s 1993 original. That’s why I was dubious when the concept ofRebirthwas announced –a newJurassic Parkmovie felt like thelastthing audiences neededafter the underwhelming conclusion ofJurassic World Dominion.
While there are certainly things to enjoy in the sequel trilogy, the movies ultimately relied more heavily on nostalgia forJurassic Parkinstead of actually presenting original ideas of their own. This wasn’t strictly the case in the firstJurassic World, which admittedly feels like a fresh expansion of the boundaries of this fictional universe, butFallen KingdomandDominionare much less inspiredin their storytelling.
However,Jurassic World Dominionstill managed to thrive at the box office- just like all the entries that came before it. It seemed like this financial success was the only reason for theJurassicfranchise continuing to exist, as the movies showed there are very few new ideas to explore in this world. Thankfully, the latest trailers forJurassic World Rebirthhave finally convinced me that, despite the film’s title, this sequel is going to be very different from the otherJurassic Worldmovies that preceded it.
Jurassic World Rebirth’s Second Trailer Really Sells The Movie
The Tone Is Clear Right From The Beginning
The first trailer did a great job of establishingRebirth’s story, but certain elements still created the impression that it was leaning on nostalgia instead of forging an identity of its own. The idea ofreturning to the research site of the original Jurassic Parkis definitely an interesting concept, but it leaves the door open for all the excessive references and Easter eggs that made theJurassic Worldsequels so underwhelming. However, thesecondtrailer gave me much more hope thatRebirthwas willing to step outside the franchise’s comfort zone and try something totally new.
From the opening sequence with the trapped Distortus rex to the open-water action scenes, it really seems likeRebirthis leaning more heavily into the horror side of this franchise, which is an excellent sign. TheJurassicseries hasn’t been truly scary since the original trilogy, and the trailers have already teased multiple scenes that have the potential to be real nail-biters. Of course, there are also going to be countless sequences that haven’t been revealed yet, meaning there’s a lot of potential for this sequel to outshine the previous few.
Jurassic World Rebirth Feels More Like Spielberg’s Movies
The Focus On Horror And Practical Effects Is A Welcome Return
The main reason that I’m excited forRebirthis that it feels more like aJurassic Parkmovie than aJurassic Worldmovie. The sequel trilogy often felt very heavy on action and spectacle, with lots of CGI and grand set pieces to showcase the advanced special effects. In contrast, Spielberg’s original film was much more atmospheric and frightening, drawing its atmosphere from theunseeninstead of theseen.Jurassic World Rebirthalready feels like a Spielberg movie, using its major set pieces to facilitate rich character moments rather than for pure spectacle.
Instead of focusing on special effects and large-scale action, the set pieces in the trailer seem to prioritize atmosphere and tension above all else.
When audiences think ofJurassic Parkas a franchise,the set pieces from Spielberg’s original movie are usually the first things to come to mind:the kitchen scene with the raptors; the T-Rex escaping its enclosure; the team’s arrival on Isla Nublar. The reason these moments are so memorable is because of their sharp direction and use of practical effects. This seems to be something that Gareth Edwards is weaving into his sequel, and it already looks like the filmmaker has done a brilliant job of following in Spielberg’s footsteps.
Jurassic World Rebirth Looks Like It’s Avoiding The Last Trilogy’s Mistakes
As mentioned, theJurassic Worldmovies got off to a pretty strong start with Colin Trevorrow’s 2015 movie, but the sequels quickly lost their way in their pursuit to get bigger and bolder with every passing story.This is a huge misjudgment of what makes the franchise so exciting- it’s the smaller, more intense set pieces that audiences remember, not those with stakes so immeasurable that viewers end up feeling distanced from the story.
Jurassic World Rebirthshould make the franchise scary again, avoiding this key obstacle that brought the previous movies down. Instead of focusing on special effects and large-scale action, the set pieces in the trailer seem to prioritize atmosphere and tension above all else. Whether it’s the dinosaur slowly swimming towards the boat or the technician begging for his life in the opening moments, there’s a real sense of tension and apprehension to this second trailer that will hopefully be mirrored in the final product.
