The reviews are in for Jurassic World Rebirth, and it looks like the next part of the summer blockbuster season will get off to a bumpy start.
July promises to be a busy month for theaters, with this, Superman, Smurfs, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps all competing for the attention of moviegoers. However, bad news for Jurassic World Rebirth could be good news for the Man of Steel if this first wave of mixed reviews negatively impacts the box office prospects of Gareth Edwards' fresh start for the franchise.
67 reviews for Jurassic World Rebirth have been counted on Rotten Tomatoes as we write this, and it currently sits at a "Rotten" 57%. That makes it far from the franchise's worst-reviewed instalment, though.
2022's Jurassic World Dominion has a dismal 29%, while Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has 47%. Next up are Jurassic Park III (49%), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (52%), Jurassic World (72%) and Jurassic Park, the only "Certified Fresh" entry with 91%.
It's worth noting that the Jurassic franchise is typically critic-proof, meaning there's every chance Rebirth will still be one of the summer's biggest hits.
"Jurassic World Rebirth is unlikely to top anyone’s ranked franchise list," writes The Hollywood Reporter. "But longtime fans (count me among them) should have a blast." Variety notes, "Gareth Edwards rejects the silliness of the previous three films, directing Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey through a series of tense, exciting set pieces that hew closer to Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic."
IGN was less keen, explaining, "For a movie that promises a 'Rebirth,' the latest Jurassic World plays it frustratingly safe, falling back on the blueprint of the original film, but not shedding any of the problems with the more recent movies." IndieWire echoed that sentiment by stating, "Needless to say, 'Rebirth' doesn’t do itself any favors by so frequently harkening back to the original. Bad as some of the previous sequels have been, none of them have been so eager to measure themselves against Spielberg’s masterpiece."
Suggesting that critics are divided, The Guardian counters, "It feels relaxed and sure-footed in its Spielberg pastiche, its big dino-jeopardy moments and its deployment of thrills and laughs. Maybe the series can’t and shouldn’t go on for ever: we need new and original ideas. This one would be great to go out on."
Entertainment Weekly adds, "Jurassic Park Rebirth is one of the more successful and satisfying entries in the franchise precisely because it, uh, finds a way to keep Loomis’ mantra close, foregrounding the film’s sense of wonder above a mere blatant cash grab."
Finally, ComicBookMovie.com's Rohan Patel says, "Jurassic World Rebirth launches a bold new era for the franchise, one that favors tension, scares, and spectacle over lore and exposition. It’s an adrenaline-fueled crowd-pleaser that understands exactly what it is—and delivers exactly what it promises."
Jurassic World Rebirth arrives in theaters on July 2.