4/5 stars
Ever since Steven Spielberg’s masterly 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel Jurassic Park, the franchise has strived, but never quite managed, to recapture that lightning-in-a-bottle moment.
Gareth Edwards, the British director behind Godzilla (2014) and Star Wars spin-off Rogue One (2016), comes mightily close with Rebirth. Perhaps “Remix” might be a more accurate title, as Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp conjure another Crichton-esque story set on an island.
This time the setting is Ile Saint-Hubert, a tropical locale where research for the original theme park was conducted, including experiments with genetically mutated dinosaurs.
While it is a place where “travel is expressly forbidden”, that does not stop Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a private contractor hired by a pharmaceutical company, from going there to retrieve samples from three of the biggest dinosaurs left in existence.
Joining her is expert Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey, Wicked), boat captain Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and his crew, and pharma rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). Also on the island is the stranded Delgado family, led by father Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo).