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The “Rebirth” inJurassic World: Rebirthsuggests more than just dinosaurs being born again. It also hints at a potential clean slate for the franchise. This is a chance for the series to return to the originalJurassic Park’sroots, learning from what makes the original movie work even today, and using that as the foundation for the upcoming movie.
With modern sci-fi specialist Gareth Edwards at the helm,Jurassic World: Rebirthpromises a fresh start, backed by a new cast and crew. Given how much the franchise’s quality has fallen off in recent years, the film is a beacon of hope for fans. But for true success,Rebirthmust look back in time – just over 30 years ago – to find inspiration in Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece that made the franchise beloved in the first place.
Jurassic World: RebirthShould Stick ToJurassic Park’sTheme
AnyJurassic ParkorJurassic Worldmovie is only as good as how well it sticks to the franchise’s core theme. The central message isn’t aboutloud, terrifying dinosaurs, buthumanity’s complex relationship with nature. InFallen KingdomandDominion, this theme is barely felt. Instead, the focus is all on CGI-dependent action set pieces at the expense of organic storytelling. As fun and adventurous as1993’sJurassic Parkwas, it never lacked heart for a single moment. That, more than the spectacle of the dinosaurs, was what led to its legendary status. Though all the sequels minted more than enough money at the box office to remain relevant, they don’t share the original’s landmark impact.
Greed is the True Villain of Jurassic Park
The core theme ofJurassic Parkstill holds strong, because it explores humanity’s dangerous tendency to play God by trying to control and manipulate nature. It raises the age-old question: “How far is too far?” and answers it by showing how life always finds a way, no matter what. The immediate threat to the characters comes from cloned dinosaurs, but the true antagonist of the film is corporate greed. It’s not just hacker Dennis Nedry’s betrayal that leads to chaos, but alsoJohn Hammond’s reckless “spared no expense” approach, which ends in disastrous mismanagement.
What MakesJurassic ParkTimeless?
Jurassic Parkhas an emotional core that works even without the presence of dinosaurs, which goes to show how strong the writing is. For instance,Sam Neill’s character, Dr. Alan Grant,becoming a father figure for Hammond’s grandchildren is a wholesome arc that keeps the film’s humanity intact in the midst of all its grandeur. On the darker side, the film drew inspiration from Walt Disney to shape John Hammond as a symbol of ambition unchecked by responsibility. But at its heart, the central moral lesson is clear: just because science can achieve something doesn’t mean it should.
So Far, Jurassic World Films Have Gotten Lost in the Sauce
The problem with theJurassic Worldmoviesis that they seem to have lost sight of this message. These movies treat the dinosaurs more like monsters than what they truly are – extinct animals revived through the miracle of science. The introduction of new hybrid dinosaurs or genetically modified super-locusts is purely for shock value, which distances these movies from their audience. Furthermore, the newseries of films hasn’t really punched above its weight class in terms of innovation. The movies don’t create much awe in their portrayal of dinosaurs. On the other hand,Jurassic Park’suse of animatronics and CGI in 1993 was unlike anything that audiences had seen before. That’s why it still feels immersive, and went on to inspire countless other films.
TheJurassic WorldFranchise Can Redeem Itself WithRebirth
Jurassic World: Rebirthis set five years afterDominion.Dinosaurs exist only in isolated tropical zones, and humans almost co-exist in this world. Covert ops expertZora Bennett (played by Scarlett Johansson)and her team are on a mission to secure genetic material from three massive dinosaurs, which hold the key to life-saving drugs. This plot is reminiscent of what originally inspired Spielberg toadapt Michael Crichton’s novel, even before it was published. It’s a story about manipulating nature for humanity’s benefit. In the briefReturn to Jurassic Parkdocumentary, Spielberg described the source material as:
[…] a really credible look at how dinosaurs might someday be brought back alongside modern mankind.
If the franchise hopes to keep making new films,Jurassic World: Rebirthneeds to break away from the movies that followedJurassic Park. And there’sno better director than Gareth Edwardsto do this, given his open admiration for Spielberg. In fact, his 1996 graduation film was loosely inspired byJurassic Park. Other promising additions include screenwriter David Koepp, who wrote the screenplay for the original movie andThe Lost World: Jurassic Park. Spielberg also returns as Executive Producer through Amblin Entertainment, alongside longtime franchise producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley. Simply put,Rebirthis the best shot in a long time for the franchise to revisitJurassicroots.
