The Biggest Problem With The First Jurassic World Movie Still Lingers In Rebirth

Life finds a way ... and so do spoilers. This article discusses major plot details from "Jurassic World Rebirth."

No matter what twists and turns the "Jurassic" franchise takes with each sequel, the box office success of these movies proves one thing: People love them some dinosaurs. The original "Jurassic Park" helped usher in the era of big-budget blockbusters, and although there was hardly any natural setup for future sequels, we got them anyway. The two that followed in the immediate aftermath did well enough to convince studio bean counters of the property's staying power, but it was truly "Jurassic World" and the trilogy it kickstarted that brought the franchise back from the brink of extinction. These glossy, exorbitant, and thoroughly modern sequels felt like Steven Spielberg's classic on steroids, updated for less patient audiences that simply wouldn't accept waiting around for nearly an hour before all the dino rampaging finally began. That's clearly because nothing in the intervening 30 years dulled our collective obsession with giant reptiles trying to eat us. We just love us some dinos, folks.

So, why does "Jurassic World Rebirth" try to pretend as if we don't? In its very first scene, desensitized New Yorkers look upon a massive, long-necked sauropod escaped from a nearby zoo ... and treat it as if it were no more wondrous or headline-making than a construction zone causing even more traffic on their daily commute. To be fair, this isn't something invented for this sequel. Arguably the most eye-roll-inducing aspect introduced early on in the 2015 "Jurassic World" is the notion that the general public has somehow tired of dinosaurs walking among us. The supposed declining interest in the fully-functioning (though extremely well-attended) titular park, the lack of a "wow" factor with the preexisting attractions, and dissatisfied corporate shareholders are all used to justify the creation of the comically exaggerated Indominus rex — the mutant dinosaur meant to represent the metatextual problems with expensive, four-quadrant crowd-pleasers.

"Rebirth" picks up on this dubious thread, and, to nobody's surprise, it falls just as flat as it did 10 years ago. Tellingly, however, the sequel drops this pretense almost immediately and gets right back to depicting characters with jaws literally dropped at the sight of these magnificent beasts. It's as if even this movie can't fathom a world where we've become that cynical — and, frankly, neither can we.

Of the many reasons why the original "Jurassic Park" stands the test of time, perhaps the most underrated is the fact that it never once loses sight of the appeal of dinosaurs. Yes, they're terrifying and uncontrollable and the ideal movie monster — but they're also spectacular, awe-inspiring forces of nature that are worthy of our love and respect. Make no mistake, the film's main trio — Sam Neill's Alan Grant, Laura Dern's Ellie Sattler, and Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcolm — are as skeptical of a dinosaur theme park as it gets, but even they acknowledge the stirring, one-of-a-kind power these ancient reptiles wield in our collective imagination. It's basically a sneaky commentary on the movie's own existence, best summed up in that one memorable sequence about "coupon days" and the cost of scientific discovery. We crave the extravagance and wonder inherent in these sorts of big-budget blockbusters, the movie argues, but none of that means anything without a little restraint, too.

"Jurassic World" attempts to put its own spin on this concept but can't get past its own confused perspective on dinosaurs. We're asked to buy into the get-off-my-lawn premise that kids these days just don't care enough to look up from their phones and appreciate the beauty of nature all around them — which, yeah, might be true to some extent. But these are dinosaurs, for crying out loud! For centuries, fossils and drawings alone have been enough to fuel countless childhood obsessions. That one xkcd comic about dinosaur feathers succinctly sums up why every scientific discovery only makes them cooler and more fascinating. Heck, our undying love affair with dinos is the entire reason why every "Jurassic World" movie keeps making a billion dollars in the first place, despite very little critical acclaim. You're telling me that the miraculous ability to bring back actual living and breathing recreations of these larger-than-life creatures would ever be met by blank stares and waning public interest? Call me naïve, but I think not.

"Jurassic World" set precisely the wrong tone for these new movies and, unfortunately, "Rebirth" follows suit ... initially, at least.

This makes it all the more amusing that "Jurassic World Rebirth" (which I reviewed for /Film here) tries to maintain continuity with the 2015 film ... before abruptly waving the white flag and throwing its hands up in surrender. It's funny enough that we go from the wide-open ending of "Dominion," where dinosaurs are free to roam the world and coexist alongside humanity across every corner of the globe, to the beginning of "Rebirth" retconning establishing that dinosaurs are only able to inhabit a narrow band of territory close to the equator. But the crux of the issue arrives later in the movie when the main characters finally get their first real encounter with dinosaurs up close and personal. At this point, even the creative team behind the film can no longer pretend that they themselves are buying what they're half-heartedly selling.

The most telling moment of "Rebirth" arrives when the mercenary group, led by Scarlett Johansson's immensely cynical and money-minded Zora Bennett, sets its sights on the towering Titanosaurus. Although their mission is strictly profit-oriented, with the aim of getting some life-saving DNA samples into the hands of a pharmaceutical company that stands to make a fortune, even these hardened characters are won over by the sheer majesty on display in front of them. Like Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park," grown adults are transformed into giddy schoolchildren when confronted by these creatures living in the wild. And this isn't even touching on the subplot involving Dolores, the adorable little Aquilops found by shipwrecked survivor Isabella Delgado (Audrina Miranda). Practically every little kid dreams of having a dinosaur as a pet, which tells me everything I need to know about how even the most 21st century-minded cynic would react to dinos in real life.

As John Williams' soaring theme swells and we can practically feel director Gareth Edwards' adoration of the original "Jurassic Park" permeating off the screen, the silliness of the film's opening feels even more glaring. "Jurassic World" tried to pitch a reality where dinosaurs had to prove themselves all over again, and "Rebirth" at least initially doubles down on this misguided idea. But no matter how many disappointing sequels come our way, one thing remains stubbornly the same: Our love of dinosaurs ain't going anywhere.

"Jurassic World Rebirth" is now playing in theaters.