Every time I rewatch the first Jurassic Park, I wish the titular amusement park could be a reality. Possibly being on the menu for a T. rex or Raptors is a drawback to that fantasy. Still, the spectacular sense of wonder that comes from seeing the Brachiosaurus always makes me forget the deadlier side for just a few minutes. The film’s nostalgia and imagination are a special combination as finely put together as frog and dino DNA. The emotional reaction I get from it is close to extinction in the Jurassic World movies, where loud and cool dinosaur fights have taken over. While I will never miss the chance to watch a new installment, none have quite had the same impact as the original summer blockbuster. Rebirth changes that with one brilliant scene, in the middle of the bigger action scenes, that captures the spirit of the first film.
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Has a Callback to the Gentle Giants of ‘Jurassic Park’
A treacherous encounter with the Mosasaurus and the pack of Spinosaurs doesn’t get the mission in Rebirth off to a good start. Characters are killed, the boat is beached, and Zora (Scarlett Johansson) is stranded on the island with the rest of her team. They navigate the land’s tropical terrain and by the next morning, head into a field of long grass where they meet the gentle giants of the island: a herd of Titanosaurs. Coming after the high of the action-packed scene on the sea, the Titanosaurs are the perfect moment of calm and the scene that captures what I imagine audiences in 1993 must have felt during the memorable introduction to what lives in Jurassic Park. Running away from or hiding from ancient carnivores makes for excellent set pieces, but those scenes have only gotten more time on screen with modern digital effects.
They shouldn’t forget the magic when the vehicles slow down and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) takes off his sunglasses to confirm what he is seeing is really there. A mighty Brachiosaurus eats the leaves from a tree, as the Jurassic Park theme by John Williams rises, then dips, raising the elegant melody to reach the heights of the dinosaur’s 30-foot neck. The teary-eyed, stunned faces of Alan and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), to the subtle admiration of John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) are the performances that work in tandem with the score to make us believe the digital effects. The scene finishes with the extreme wide shot of the dinosaurs in the distance, in and around a body of water, and it’s one of my favorite film shots, ever. The emotional swell that fills me hasn’t truly been matched — until Rebirth.
The Best Scene in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Finds the Beauty in the Dinosaurs
Wide shots and low shots on the ground with Zora and her team emphasize the scale of these colossal creatures. The slow pacing and graceful tone want you to appreciate the view. It’s a nice callback to Alan and Ellie’s heartfelt reaction upon observing the Brachiosaurus or petting the sick Triceratops when astonished laughs and happy tears come from Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey). Rebirth then brings it all together with composer Alexandre Desplat’s “Dino Lovers” before a rendition of the Jurassic Park theme. That score can still make me, after all these years after first hearing it, believe how epic and majestic it would be to see dinosaurs back on Earth.
I don’t even need to be rewatching a Jurassic installment to be flooded with emotion. For several summers, I worked at a golf course where there was an area with a row of trees and lush green grass that reminded me of the land the Brachiosaurus stood on. I played the score in the shuffle of pop songs during my time there, and each time, I felt taken aback, as if one of those dinosaurs could emerge onto the course. But on the screen, the franchise hasn’t always used the theme so well. What Rebirth does is a stark difference from 2015’s Jurassic World.
‘Rebirth’ Fixes One Weakness of the Previous ‘Jurassic World’ Movies
When the theme plays to introduce the fully realized park in Jurassic World, it’s a scene that should wow me, but it leaves me disappointed. The momentum isn’t there to create that crucial sense of awe. The movie cuts from one location to the next, before a sweeping shot out of hotel doors soars above the park. That faster pacing is part of the more action-oriented tone in the Jurassic World trilogy. There is Raptor wrangling and dino fights with bigger CGI effects than the first Jurassic Park could do. Heartfelt moments aren’t gone, but they often come from seeing dinos perish, from injuries or a volcanic eruption. If I want to be devastated, I’ll go back to the final minutes of ABC’s strange prehistoric sitcom. Rebirth goes back to basics: observing the dinosaurs in the landscape is a spectacle on its own.
I didn’t expect the Titanosaurus couple to show affection with their tails and heads for an adorable embrace. Then, as they join the rest of their herd to migrate, it’s as if time really has gone back to 65 million years ago. It’s a touching scene that doesn’t need the giants to suddenly get into a stampede and switch the calm into chaos. By letting the scene breathe, I get to admire the dinosaurs in all their glory. There are many action-packed set pieces in this sequel, but it’s the Titanosaurus scene in Jurassic World Rebirth that I can’t stop thinking about.
Jurassic World Rebirth
- Release Date
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July 2, 2025
- Runtime
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134 minutes
- Director
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Gareth Edwards
- Writers
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David Koepp
- Producers
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Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley