Commentary: ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ Jumped The Dino Shark
by Frank Martin
Right from the start, the Jurassic Park franchise always had a leap of imagination. Its premise centered on bringing dinosaurs back to life using genetic material found in mosquitoes. Despite appearing far-fetched, it was actually rooted in science now closer to reality than when the film first premiered. As the series went on, though, the stories took more and more scientific liberties in order to keep the films fresh and audiences engaged. When it came to Jurassic World: Rebirth, the creation of a dino called the “D. Rex” was so far from where the series began that the franchise has moved into wild sci-fi territory.
The film begins many years ago, when scientists were experimenting with dinosaurs to create new species that would draw a crowd. One such species was a very dangerous carnivore called a D. Rex. Eventually, the facility was abandoned, and, years later, Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) leads a team to the island in order to collect blood samples from specific dinosaurs. Afterward, the team tries to escape via a helicopter, but the D. Rex has other plans.
This isn’t the first time the Jurassic movies dealt with genetically mutating dinosaurs, but they’ve never quite gone this far. The D. Rex is a creature that devolves completely from standard dinosaurs that science has uncovered and into a complete science fiction venture. Besides containing relatively useless Tyrannosaurus arms, the altered dinosaur also has fully functioning arms that can grab and hurl with incredible strength. Seeing a dinosaur with two completely different sets of arms and a bulbous head feels more akin to an alien. In a series that’s always trying to push the envelope to stay fresh, the D. Rex feels as if the series jumped the shark.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is now streaming on Netflix.