One of the most anticipated Summer blockbusters of 2025 is Jurassic World Rebirth. The seventh installment in the Jurassic franchise, this film brought back screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Presence) and was brought to life by director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Godzilla). The plot follows a small team illegally going to dinosaur territory to collect specific DNA samples that could lead to a huge medical breakthrough. What begins as a fairly straightforward mission quickly goes awry, leading to dinosaur terror.

Jurassic World Rebirth kicks off in the years after Jurassic World Dominion. Most of the escaped dinosaurs have died off, with the exception of those inhabiting tropical areas near the equator, and these areas have been deemed off-limits by all governments. A pharmaceutical company needs to get into these illegal areas to obtain DNA from three specific dinosaurs. A team is put together to discreetly get to a dinosaur inhabited island, get that DNA, and get out undetected. This aspect of the plot is a great return to basics for the franchise. It harkens back to the first three Jurassic Park films, placing a small group of people in dangerous dinosaur territory with no help from the outside world. Not only do the four core members of the team feel like well-developed characters, but their motivations make for legitimate reasons to enter such a dangerous place. If anything, I wish the filmmakers had explored the pharmaceutical aspect a bit more, really driving home how corrupt and greedy these companies can be, all under the guise of curing the world. Despite this missed opportunity, audiences will fall in love with the subtle nods to the original Jurassic Park and be at the edge of their seat during the beautifully elaborate dino action sequences.

While the story of the team on their quest for dino DNA is great, there is also a lot about Jurassic World Rebirth that doesn’t quite work. Part of that is due to the dinosaurs. The film does a nice job of showing a few fan-favorite dinosaurs, while also adding a few audiences haven’t seen before. Yet, these quick glimpses of the dinosaurs we know is largely overshadowed by new, monstrous hybrids with mysterious genetic origins. They look frightening, but it somehow makes a movie about dinosaurs in the modern world feel even less grounded in reality. The biggest element that feels very out of place in the film is a secondary plot about a family who find themselves with the team on the island. These characters have virtually no character development and appear to be shoe-horned in simply to raise the emotional stakes and add a bit of comedic relief. It’s unfortunate because this family has a couple of the most thrilling dinosaur sequences, but if the family was removed entirely from the film, it would have little to no effect on the rest of the story being told.

There are three characters in Jurassic World Rebirth that are perfectly cast. Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, Lost in Translation) stars as Zora Bennett. Zora is the team lead, specializing in getting people in and out of dangerous places. Johansson is wonderful in this role, conveying the character’s cool and calm demeanor in the face of danger, while also masking her inner trauma with a healthy does of sarcasm. Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Wicked) plays Dr. Henry Loomis. Loomis is a paleontologist tasked with identifying the desired dinosaurs and collecting their DNA. What makes Bailey great in this role is that, despite everything, he maintains a respect and awe for the dinosaurs that most of the world has lost by this point. He’s essentially the stand-in for all the dinosaur loving audience members who would surely shed a tear if they ever got to see one of these majestic creatures alive in real life. Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Leave the World Behind) plays Zora’s friend and boat captain, Duncan Kincaid. This is another character who is good at being in deadly situations, and he certainly knows how to handle himself. Yet Ali makes Kincaid stand apart by having a tragic history, which ultimately makes him find human life more precious and worth protecting, especially when it comes to children. These three actors also have great chemistry between each other, making the audience more invested in their fates.

With Edwards at the helm, it’s no wonder the visuals throughout Jurassic World Rebirth are absolutely breathtaking. From the opening lab scene to the remote jungle landscapes, each set helps to completely immerse the audience in these beautiful yet deadly environments. An obvious highlight is the dinosaurs. While many will undoubtedly wish the filmmakers relied more in practically created creatures, the CGI work still looks great. There is so much fantastic detail work and realistic texture to the dinosaurs that really breathes life into these long dead animals. When it comes to the horrific hybrids, they definitely look more like something from your worst nightmare, rather than dinosaurs. They are striking and add some real horror to the film, but it’s also a bit frustrating to not know what they’re supposed to be hybrids of. A signature of Edwards’s visual storytelling is the use of lighting to introduce creatures, which carries into Jurassic World Rebirth. The way some of these dinosaurs and hybrids are introduced to the screen is so breathtaking it will make people excited about dinosaurs again.

Jurassic World Rebirth is an exciting, action-packed ride with dinosaur mayhem and an uneven plot. Koepp created a screenplay that creates a new story of corporate greed and hubris, with delightful nods to the film that started it all. Unfortunately, by throwing in the family, he ends up taking away from that compelling plot rather than adding to it. Despite this, Edwards still manages to use his unique style to deliver a film that is both eye-catching and truly exciting. Audiences will love the sets, dinosaurs, and action as well as the performances from Johansson, Bailey, and Ali. If you watch the film as a casual moviegoer and let the dinosaur carnage wash over you, then it’s an absolute blast. But the moment one looks deeper at Jurassic World Rebirth‘s plot, it loses some of its luster. You can see all the highs and lows of this dino adventure exclusively in theaters Wednesday, July 2nd.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10