Jurassic World: Rebirth Could Save Jurassic Park III’s Legacy

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Summary

  • Jurassic World: Rebirth promises to take the franchise in a new direction with a mysterious location & fresh characters.
  • The return of the Spinosaurus from Jurassic Park III hints at a potential showdown with a mutated dinosaur in Rebirth.
  • Despite past criticisms, new film may redeem overlooked elements with nods to previous movies and fan-favorite moments.

Once more, the Jurassic World series aims to make a significant impact at the box office. Despite some believing that the franchise had reached its end with 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, Universal is hopeful for another roaring success. Although Dominion received the lowest critical ratings in the series, its worldwide earnings of over a billion dollars suggest that a new installment was inevitable. The upcoming adventure, titled Jurassic World: Rebirth, is scheduled for release in 2025.

Based on its title, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is set to introduce a fresh chapter for the Jurassic series. Instead of returning to Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna, director Gareth Edwards seems to be leading audiences towards an uncharted location known as Site C. Rumored to house the most dangerous specimens, “Jurassic World: Rebirth” promises some intense deaths that could rival the franchise’s most memorable moments, while also paying tribute to the iconic elements that have kept the Jurassic name alive for 32 years.

Jurassic World: Rebirth Brings Back Jurassic Park III’s Spinosaurus

In the thrilling trailer for the upcoming movie “Jurassic World: Rebirth”, we meet a fresh batch of characters destined for peril. Among them are Zora Bennett played by Scarlett Johansson, Dr. Henry Loomis portrayed by Jonathan Bailey, and Duncan Kincaid, who is brought to life by Mahershala Ali. There are hints of Laura Dern’s Dr Ellie Sattler and Julianne Moore’s Dr. Sarah Harding in the character of Bennett, while Loomis seems like a blend of Sam Neill’s Alan Grant and Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady. Kincaid, on the other hand, exhibits a hint of Jeff Goldblum’s iconic Dr. Ian Malcolm’s mischievous side. The film isn’t just paying tribute to beloved characters; “Rebirth” also showcases significant references to the franchise’s rich history.

In addition to a reference to Tim (Joseph Mazzello) getting electrocuted in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, there’s also a collapsing banner that mirrors the movie’s dramatic ending. A shot of Zora and Loomis serves as a nod to the warning “Don’t go into the long grass” from The Lost World, while the enormous Mosasaurus in Jurassic World hints at a maritime disaster to come. Flying Quetzacoatlus in Dominion elevate the action to new heights, and it seems that there are Easter eggs acknowledging every film in the series. The research facility’s connection to InGen recalls the feel of Jurassic Park III, and upon closer inspection, there’s a significant link to Joe Johnston’s controversial sequel from 2001.

One of the main highlights in the trailer for “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is the return of the Spinosaurus, a formidable carnivore with large fins, which was previously seen causing chaos for Dr. Grant and the Kirby family in their rescue mission on Isla Sorna during the events of “Jurassic Park III.” Unlike previous installments where a T-Rex often served as the main antagonist, it was the Spinosaurus in “Jurassic Park III” that killed a T-Rex, leaving its fate unclear when the heroes were rescued. In this new film, a group of three Spinosauruses can be seen working alongside a Mosasaurus to protect their territory. It’s important to note that these Spinosauruses are not likely to be a subtle nod or Easter egg like the T-Rex’s return in “Jurassic World” from 2015, as they appear on a different island.

In contrast to the common perception about Jurassic Park III, the lineage of the Spinosaurus has persisted. After a 24-year absence from live-action films, this fearsome creature, which once tormented Dr. Grant, returned in the animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous to wreak havoc once more. In this series, an intriguing twist was introduced as fans discovered that its DNA had been combined with a Sinoceratops to create a new hybrid. While the concept of hybrid dinosaurs was hinted at in Jurassic World’s Indominus Rex, it seems that Jurassic World: Rebirth is set to make a significant emphasis on this theme with the mutated D-Rex, which appears to be inspired by the Xenomorph from Alien and Star Wars’ Rancor. Given that the Spinosaurus has been underappreciated as a potential enrichment for the Jurassic mythos, the presence of at least three of them in Rebirth implies that this undervalued movie monster may finally have its moment to shine.

What Went Wrong With Jurassic Park III?

Similar to how the Spinosaurus might have been expected to surpass its peers in the prehistoric world, there’s a widespread sentiment that “Jurassic Park III” failed to meet its full potential within the dinosaur-filled cinematic universe. Unlike its predecessors, “Jurassic Park III” was not based on any prior source material as it was the first film in the series not written by Michael Crichton. Originally, director Joe Johnston had expressed interest in directing a sequel following the success of “Jurassic Park”, but when Steven Spielberg returned to the helm for the third movie, Johnston had to wait for his chance. Unfortunately, “Jurassic Park III” encountered numerous hurdles, including a convoluted script involving Dr. Alan Grant’s adventures on the island and a string of mainland dinosaur-related incidents being discarded only five weeks before filming began.

In contrast to the initial Jurassic Park movie which had just 15 minutes of dinosaur scenes in its 127-minute length, Jurassic Park III was accused of turning into a typical monster film. Moreover, it marked the introduction of a problematic trope within the franchise. The Jurassic series has been consistently criticized for its repetitive pattern: the creation of an increasingly complex villainous dinosaur that a group of unfortunate humans must evade. This pattern is evident in Jurassic Park III’s Spinosaurus, Jurassic World’s Indominus Rex, Fallen Kingdom’s Indoraptor, and Dominion’s Gigantosaurus. Regrettably, it seems that the upcoming Jurassic Park: Rebirth will follow this pattern with its D-Rex. Despite the Spinosaurus’ fame, it won’t be a match for the new monster set to be the final dinosaur showdown.

Fortunately, the poor reception and box office failure of “Jurassic Park III” put a halt to plans for a fourth installment…temporarily. In the wake of the third film’s release, there were discussions about “Jurassic Park 4” being released as early as 2005, with a plot involving genetically engineered human-dinosaur mercenaries. Thankfully, such human-dino hybrids never came to be, although the concept of weaponized dinosaurs was revisited in both “Jurassic World” and “Dominion”, albeit more subtly. With the action-packed “Jurassic World” movies, “Jurassic Park III” now seems different but still worth revisiting before “Jurassic World: Rebirth” hits theaters.

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2025-02-08 03:05