By Soumyabrata Gupta
The Jurassic Park franchise鈥檚 future hangs in balance as director Gareth Edwards attempts a course correction with his latest soft-reboot starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali. When Jurassic Park debuted in 1993, Steven Spielberg gave the world a massive blockbuster and in the process redefined what the term meant for cinema. Jurassic Park was a perfect blend of stunning visuals, deeply human story of hubris and an awe-inspiring suspense. However, as the franchise evolved into the Jurassic World trilogy, it lost much of its emotional core, trading science and suspense for spectacle and CGI-induced chaos. By the time Jurassic World Dominion, starring Chris Pratt hit theatres in 2022, audiences and critics were markedly divided, if not overtly disappointed. A bloated plotline with too many characters, a meandering convoluted plot and an underwhelming portrayal of a dinosaur-filled world, Dominion is often regarded as the franchise鈥檚 lowest point. With the release of Jurassic World Rebirth, there is a cautious optimism that things might finally turn around. Gareth Edwards Takes the Helm: Will He Thrive? One of the biggest reasons audiences around the world have taken a renewed interest in the franchise is the addition of a new director in Gareth Edwards. Known for Rogue One and Monsters, Edwards is known for his balanced character portrayal and a compelling storytelling with large-scale circumstances. Also Read: Jurassic World Rebirth Review: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Dino Epic Roars But Gets Stomped By Its Titan Legacy Jurassic World Rebirth Has A More Focused Narrative And in many ways Jurassic World Rebirth does deliver. Though not a direct sequel, but rather a soft reboot set five years after the events of Dominion, the film sees dinosaurs still existing, but the focus is more intimate with fewer characters, tighter storylines and no attempts at juggling legacy cast members with new faces. Unlike Dominion, Rebirth witnesses an intentional move to ground the story and return to the franchise’s roots: humans confronting the consequences of their own creations. Jurassic World Rebirth Has A Powerful Cast Jurassic World Rebirth also sees a new ensemble in Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. These are actors known for emotionally intelligent performances. Furthermore, the absence of legacy characters is also telling. It shows that Rebirth is not trying to please fans with cameos or nostalgia but is determined to stand on its own. Also Read: Jurassic World Rebirth: 7 Reasons You Must Watch Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Film 鈥 And 3 Reasons You Might NOT Mutant Dinosaur, But To be honest, despite the early hullabaloo, Rebirth has a very toned down 鈥渕utant dinosaur鈥 addition to the narrative, a far cry from the 鈥榚xperiments鈥 that marred Dominion. There are no genetically modified hyper-predators like the Indoraptor or the Giganotosaurus, but Rebirth is more of a return to scientifically plausible creatures. Rebirth does not do away completely with the mutant dinosaur plotline. To be honest, as a continuation within the dinoverse, mutant dinosaurs like the D-Rex are a large part of the narrative, but their treatment is far better in Rebirth and the director uses the power of suggestion much more than outright CGI creatures. In some ways, Rebirth has a more realistic approach to paleobiology.. Can It Fix the Franchise Fatigue? The biggest challenge for Rebirth remains winning back an audience that has already grown sceptical following the disappointing Dominion. If Rebirth succeeds, it will be by simplifying the story, raising the emotional stakes, and making dinosaurs awe-inspiring again 鈥 not just as monsters, but as animals caught in the wrong world 鈥 something that Steven Spielberg gave with his 1993 original. Unlike Dominion, which had diluted the awe of dinosaurs by showing them as everyday creatures living alongside humans around the world, Gareth’s soft reboot takes the prehistoric beasts back to their original habitat, scales down the human-animal conflict and creates an atmosphere of dread with the way he choreographs these encounters. While Rebirth does have it fair share of dilemmas with many stating the film has strayed too far from the emotional core of the original, it does clear the mess – in many ways – that Dominion created.