Jurassic World: Rebirth's First Trailer: A Step Backwards?
The first trailer for Jurassic World: Rebirth, the seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, has arrived. This new chapter, directed by Gareth Edwards and featuring a fresh cast including Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali (alongside the return of original screenwriter David Koepp), marks a supposed "new era" following the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard trilogy. However, the trailer suggests a regression for the series. Where's the globally-distributed dinosaur world teased in Fallen Kingdom and Dominion?
The trailer showcases impressive dinosaur visuals, benefiting from Edwards' expertise in large-scale VFX. The dinosaurs are realistically rendered, and the attention to detail is evident. However, the film's apparent return to a familiar island setting overshadows these positive aspects.
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A Familiar Island Setting?
The trailer hints at yet another island teeming with dinosaurs, seemingly neither Isla Nublar nor Isla Sorna. The official synopsis explains that five years after Dominion, the planet's ecology proves largely inhospitable to dinosaurs, forcing their survival in isolated equatorial environments. This feels like an unnecessary retcon, abandoning the exciting potential of a world overrun by dinosaurs established in previous films. The Dominion ending, which largely contained the dinosaurs, is now seemingly disregarded. This creative choice undermines the attempt to relaunch the franchise with new characters and concepts. The Malta chase sequence in Dominion, a highlight of the film, showcasing dinosaurs in an urban setting, is seemingly ignored.
Missed Opportunities
The Jurassic franchise is a Hollywood surefire bet. Audiences love dinosaurs. Why not embrace this opportunity to break from the formula and explore new and exciting scenarios? While Jurassic City, a rumored previous title, suggests a different setting, the trailer's focus on an island setting is disappointing. The franchise needs to move beyond the tired tropical island trope. While not necessarily requiring a full-scale Planet of the Apes style adaptation, the potential for diverse settings remains untapped.
Jurassic World: Rebirth might hold surprises beyond this initial trailer. However, for now, the reliance on familiar tropes is a missed opportunity for innovation.
