A sight for saurus eyes, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is a reheated reboot of the fossil franchise.
After a good opening sequence where a litter bug gets his just deserts, JURASSIC PARK REBIRTH settles into formulaic chug up a worrisome waterway, up a murderous mountain with a perilous peak, through a jingle jangle jungle with Jurassic jaws chomping and colossal legs stomping.
It’s another case of demonising dinosaurs although the preposterous plot has these reanimated extinctions the DNA to curb and cure human disease. Hence big pharma putting together a team of mercenaries to extract three specimens of serum from three species of creature – terrestrial, marine and avian – fossil fuelled pharmaceuticals
The band of mercenaries is led by Scarlett Johansson, fresh from franchise Marvel, now playing derring-do dinosaur hunter, Zora Bennett. The mission’s boat is skippered by two time Oscar winner, Mahershala Ali, slumming it in a minor key.
Along for the ride is boffin, Dr Henry Loomis, played with memorable warmth, charm and comic chops by Jonathan Bailey and Big Pharma bad guy, Martin Krebs played with hiss the villain unctuousness by Rupert Friend.
Into the mix is thrown a family rescued at sea by the relic reptile raiders who bring a new species into the narrative -Schmaltzasaurus. Add a cute ET like creature, a cuddlesaurus and you have the total Disneyfication of the dino.
There’s some frisky Brontosaurus necking, some pterodactyl terrorism, and tyrannosaurus tyranny, and finally, mutant monster mauling from a thing that looks like Alien has mated with an Allosaurus.
For a big budget capitalist studio film, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH becomes a socialist manifesto, mandating medicines for all mankind not just the rich and privileged.
At two and a quarter hours, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH, like the dinosaurs, passes its use by date early, making its duration enduring rather than endearing.
