NEW YORK – Some 35 years ago, author Michael Crichton pondered the disastrous implications of using DNA to revive various species of dinosaurs. Suffice it to say that the consequences of this ill-advised fictional project, as chronicled on screen across the decades, have borne little resemblance to an episode of “The Flintstones.”
Given the blockbuster success of the franchise built on this somewhat outlandish premise, however, the characters who populate it are unlikely to learn their lesson and quit messing with the big beasts anytime soon. Certainly not this summer at any rate, because here comes “Jurassic World Rebirth” (Universal).
Foremost among those failing to get the message this time — Crichton’s 1990 novel and two trilogies of filmed cautionary tales notwithstanding — is pharmaceutical executive Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). Krebs’ corporation is out to use dino DNA for advanced medical research. But retrieving the stuff is not, of course, going to be a one-man project.
So Krebs uses the lure of big bucks to recruit special ops veteran Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) and her longstanding professional partner, Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), to provide security. He also enlists the expertise of paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey).
Global warming, together with the differences in atmosphere between the Earth of the Mesozoic Era and that of the 21st century, have — as David Koepp’s script informs us — taken their toll on dinosaurs. As a result, the only places in which the anachronistic creatures continue to thrive are to be found close to the equator — one such venue being the fictitious Ile Saint-Hubert.
Thither, accordingly, the quartet undertake their quest. They’re interrupted along the way, though, by a distress call from a family of tourists whose sailboat has been attacked by a marine dinosaur.
This development results in expanding the already ensemble cast to include Dad Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his teen daughter Teresa (Luna Blaise), her preteen sister Isabella (Audrina Miranda) and Teresa’s slacker boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono). But it’s not long before a fresh onslaught separates these two groups again.
After each washes up ashore on the targeted island, director Gareth Edwards charts their various brushes with death in a sometimes suspenseful, occasionally humorous but ultimately forgettable story. Is there much of substance to consider amid the hair’s-breadth escapes? Not especially.
Duncan serves as the movie’s moral compass and both he and Xavier demonstrate altruism in protecting others. Swashbuckling Zora and class-A nerd Henry bond but Koepp can’t seem to decide whether they’re soulmates or merely opposites-attract amigos.
Henry briefly gives vent to an environmental sermon in which he portrays humans as the villains of natural history. While this comes across as vaguely out-of-synch with Christian values, it’s too fleeting to make much of an impact.
Speaking of humans, some of them do, predictably, get munched. But Edwards keeps the action mostly stylized — albeit some of the grim results are displayed after the fact. Accordingly, parents may possibly find this diffuse adventure acceptable for older teens.
The film contains much menace and some violence with minimal gore, at least one gruesome image, a scene of urination, mature references, frequent mild swearing, about a half-dozen crude terms and a few crass expressions. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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