Latest news with #D-Rex
New Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' rumbles, but doesn't quite roar
SO, the dinosaurs are back. Again. And if you're anything like me, your inner child (or just the part of you that still secretly wishes for a pet Velociraptor) probably did a little happy dance when 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' first splashed across the screens. Directed by the visually astute Gareth Edwards, whose previous works have always promised a cinematic spectacle, this latest entry into the prehistoric monster mash aimed to, well, re-birth the magic. Did it succeed? Sort of, if you squint and have a generous imagination. Let's get straight to it: the good news is, if you're heading to the cinema for one thing and one thing only – big, stomping, toothy dinosaurs – then 'Rebirth' delivers on the CGI front. Edwards has a knack for making these ancient beasts look genuinely menacing and awe-inspiring, especially when they're caught in tense, shadowy close-ups or tearing through the jungle. The visual feast is undeniable, and on a giant screen, the sheer scale of it all is, frankly, thrilling. There's a particular sequence involving a rather unamused T-Rex and a makeshift raft that had me clutching my popcorn. Pure, unadulterated Jurassic fun for a few glorious minutes. But – and you knew there was a "but", didn't you? – beyond the visual razzle-dazzle, 'Rebirth' feels less like a fresh start and more like a gentle, albeit well-intended, re-tread. The storyline, unfortunately, is as thin as a single strand of ancient mosquito DNA. We've got new characters – a rather charming Scarlett Johansson and a surprisingly enthusiastic Jonathan Bailey as the paleontologist Dr Loomis (who, bless him, tries his best to inject some much-needed life into the proceedings) – embarking on a mission to, wait for it, collect dinosaur DNA. For a heart disease cure. Yes, you read that right. While it's a novel enough premise, it often feels like a rather flimsy excuse to get our protagonists into ever-increasing peril. One of the biggest gripes was the pacing. The film starts off at a leisurely, almost plodding, pace. A significant chunk of the first act is spent on a boat, and while I appreciate a good build-up, this felt more like a gentle cruise than a tension-filled expedition. Then, just as you start to wonder if anyone will ever get eaten, the film suddenly slams on the accelerator in the final act, rushing through what could have been genuinely thrilling set pieces. And the new dinosaurs? The much-hyped "mutated" D-Rex and Mutadons, while visually impressive, felt a tad generic. They roar, they chase, they look scary – but they lack the distinct personality and terrifying ingenuity of the franchise's earlier, more iconic monsters. It's hard to feel genuine dread when the villainous creatures feel like, well, just another CGI monster. So, is 'Jurassic World Rebirth' worth making a trip to the cinema? If you're a die-hard fan desperate for a dinosaur fix on the biggest screen possible, and you're willing to overlook a familiar plot and some uneven pacing, then yes, the visual spectacle alone might justify the excursion. But if you're hoping for a genuinely fresh, innovative, or deeply engaging chapter in the Jurassic saga, you might find yourself wishing for a bit more roar and a little less whimper. It's entertaining enough for a popcorn flick, but don't expect a rebirth of the franchise's golden age. This movie would certainly appeal more to kids than to older mammals out to scratch their cinematic itch. NOW SHOWING JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH STARRING Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, Ed Skrein DURATION: 134 mins CLASSIFICATION: 13
Geek Feed
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
Jurassic World Rebirth D-Rex Based on Classic Star Wars Monster
Every Jurassic movie kind of has to introduce a new kind of dinosaur, and with the recent Jurassic World Rebirth , the film introduces a new mutant dino in the form of the D-Rex. As it turns out, director Gareth Edwards actually took some inspiration from a classic Star Wars monster to give the creature its final look. In a recent interview with Collider, Edwards confirms that the D-Rex is partly inspired from the Rancor in Return of the Jedi . He says: 'Basically, you took everything in a melting pot. It's really hard to come up with a monster idea. We put in a little bit of the Rancor from Star Wars. Don't tell people who work on Star Wars.' For context, the Rancor is the creature that lives in Jabba's Palace and was killed when Jabba tried to feed Luke to it; they also made an appearance in The Book of Boba Fett . Of course, the Rancor wasn't the only thing that inspired the D-Rex; the classic T-Rex is still in its DNA, and Edwards also confirmed that there's some inspiration from H.R. Geiger's designs for Alien . Edwards also asked the designers to have a look at David Lynch's Elephant Man to give the D-Rex a kind of 'suffering monster' feel. Some are actually speculating that Edwards wanted to put a Rancor in Rogue One , but just couldn't find a way to until he needed a giant monster for Jurassic World . Admittedly, Jurassic World Rebirth didn't get the most sparkling reviews, but the movie is still tearing it up in cinemas. I guess people just love to watch dinosaurs regardless of what the critics say. Catch Jurassic World Rebirth now screening in theaters.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Unveiling the D-Rex! Jurassic World: Rebirth director reveals inspiration behind new mutant dinosaur
Jurassic World: Rebirth is out in the theatres and the latest cast addition to its dinosaur lineup has led many intrigued fans questioning where the inspiration came from. It seems that some eagle-eyed fans hit the target right in terms of theories as director Gareth Edwards has confirmed the origins of one of the movie's scariest and latest additions to the silver screen. This image released by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment shows Luna Blaise in a scene from " Jurassic World: Rebirth." (Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment via AP)(AP) The inspiration In a conversation with Screen Rant, Edwards revealed that the Distortus rex was inspired in design by the Xenomorph from Alien and Rancor from Star Wars. The D-Rex is meant to be a mutant/ hybrid dinosaur that is partly inspired by the original anti-villain of the original Jurassic Park films: the T-Rex. 'I was like, 'Okay, go rewatch David Lynch's The Elephant Man.' It was this idea of someone who didn't choose for this to happen to them. You might be afraid of them and want them gone, but you start to feel a bit of empathy. They've got breathing difficulties and they can't quite walk properly and things like this. And I like that being torn between it's a monster and I want to get rid of it, but I feel a bit sorry for it as well,' revealed Edwards, on being asked how he envisioned the D-Rex's character and animation. Jurassic Park Wiki, a fan page for the franchise, described a hybrid dinosaur as 'genetically engineered dinosaurs that are made of more than one dinosaurs mixed together which did not exist in the paleontological record'. 'In the mainline canon, most of these hybrids were made by Henry Wu such as the Indominus rex, the Indoraptor, and Scorpios rex. Hybrid dinosaurs appear across a variety of Jurassic Park media such as the toyline Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect and the movies Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,' it further adds. If the film were to get a sequel, the use of mutated dinosaurs in the plotline could bear interesting consequences for where the franchise as a whole is taken in the future. Taking inspiration from previous non-dinosaur cinematic aliens is a relatively new trend started by Edwards but was previously used in creating Jurassic World: Dominion's Giganotosaurus as well. The discourse The use of mutant dinosaurs has also prompted an online dialogue among dedicated fans about what this could mean for the future of the franchise. 'Just found out that Jurassic World Rebirth will have a mutant dinosaur that's just created for the film. I really thought we were done with this 'dinosaur antagonists just created for the film' crap after Fallen Kingdom,' one fan wrote. Others, however, seemed excited at the possibility of introducing new and engaging varieties of dinosaurs to the plot. Jurassic World: Rebirth is the seventh movie in the franchise but the first based on a new model and cast. The film was released in theatres in the US on July 2. – By Stuti Gupta
Man of Many
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
‘Jurassic World Rebirth' Review: A Fun But Fairly Forgettable Ride
By Chad Kennerk - Review Published: 7 Jul 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 6 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Let's face it, we all know what we're getting into when we sit down for a Jurassic Park movie. Dinos are hungry, and we're on the menu. While Jurassic World Rebirth might not rewrite the DNA of the franchise, it does deliver an entertaining ride with the kind of dino-filled fun that keeps us coming back for more. Nostalgia Fuel If you've seen any of the six previous Jurassic films, you've pretty much seen this one. If AI were to make a Jurassic movie, it might look something like Jurassic World Rebirth. No disrespect to all the hard-working, talented people behind the scenes, but that's essentially what Rebirth feels like. It takes all the franchise hallmarks, aspects audiences have loved over the last 30-plus years, and works them into one film. It's a loving tribute to the franchise and also a reminder that when it comes to the Jurassic saga, we're essentially on an alternate version of the same ride. Let's talk about the D-Rex (Distortus Rex), the film's bizarre poster child. If you haven't seen the promo shots yet, it looks like a T-Rex hooked up on a blind date with a beluga whale — the results aren't pretty. Poor bloke. We get the metaphor: as humans, we're always on the hunt for the next big thing and engineering our destruction for the sake of profit. That being said, it's also a reflection of the Jurassic franchise itself, which is always trying to go bigger. The mutant dinosaur is just one of many new species in the film, but none really terrifies in the same way that Rexy did back in 1993. The CGI is top-tier (as you'd expect with ILM on the job), but these over-designed monsters lack a lot of the tangible, visceral punch that made the original Jurassic Park so memorable. Scarlett Johansson in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment New Island, Same Chaos We're back on a remote island again — this time, Ile Saint-Hubert, which looks stunning thanks to the production's on-location shoot in Thailand and Malta. The new setting turns out to be the defunct research facility for the original attraction. How many islands did InGen have, anyway? From a story perspective, it's something of a walk in the park. Written by David Koepp — who penned the screenplay for the original film — Rebirth sticks to the tried-and-true formula, rather than attempting anything new. It makes you wonder what kind of rebirth the series could have if it dared to take a risk. The missed opportunity is when Rebirth flirts with going back to the roots of the Jurassic franchise and original source material. The research and development lab is a reminder of the Frankenstein influences that made the original Jurassic Park novel so compelling. There's an entire sequence that feels ripped straight from the Jaws playbook, and early on, the film is a reminder of how terrifying the Jurassic series can be. As the straightforward plot barrels onwards, the film pivots back into its comfort zone. You know exactly who's going to become dino chow and who's going to make it to the credits. The Jurassic franchise isn't shy about winking at itself either, and Rebirth does its share of nodding along the way, including a Snickers wrapper that recalls the late, great Dennis Nedry. Jonathan Bailey in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment The Dangers of Technology As for the characters, there are some attempts early on to inject emotional depth and backstory, but much of that gets sidelined once the dinosaurs arrive. Zora Bennett's (Scarlett Johansson) personal and professional struggles fade into the background as the action takes over, leaving her arc underdeveloped. Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) is similarly introduced with hints of a troubled past and a complicated relationship with his family, but once the Mosasaurus appears, those layers are barely touched again. Dr Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) has one of the story's more emotional moments as he encounters the source of his studies in the wild, but is also otherwise sidelined. Despite the cast's best efforts to infuse some humanity, the focus on spectacle comes at the expense of the characters. Without the foundation of that strong connection, as soon as the dinosaurs start running, we stop caring. Given the amount of talent at the table, it leaves us wondering what was left on the cutting room floor. Speaking of things being cut, Universal Studio's Jurassic Park River Adventure ride finally makes sense, now that the franchise has returned to a sequence once storyboarded for the original film. It's among the highlights in Rebirth, but after 30 years, it's hard to shake the sense that it doesn't quite capture the kind of nail-biting suspense and action that Spielberg would have delivered decades ago. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment The Upside of Evolution Credit where credit's due: Jurassic World Rebirth deserves a nod for its eco-conscious efforts. The production team leaned into Universal's GreenerLight programme, implementing eco-friendly measures at every stage of filming. From hybrid vehicles to beach cleanups, the team did its part to ensure that while dinosaurs were wreaking havoc on screen, the crew wasn't doing the same behind the scenes. Kudos to them for not leaving the world in worse shape than they found it. Jurassic World Rebirth is a fun but fairly forgettable ride that checks all the boxes for franchise fans and delivers a few decent action sequences. It doesn't add much to the legacy, but it does hit those sweet Jurassic beats that we all love. This is a franchise that's still straddling the line between kid-friendly spectacle and something more complex. How much would you pay to see a real, no-holds-barred, adult-driven Jurassic film that's as terrifying and thought-provoking as it is thrilling? Until that happens, Rebirth scratches the prehistoric itch. Grab a dino-sized popcorn and enjoy the ride. ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars) Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Mahershala Ali in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Scarlett Johansson in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Scarlett Johansson in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Jonathan Bailey in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment Mahershala Ali in 'Jurassic World Rebirth' (2025) | Image: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
Elle
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
The 'Jurassic World Rebirth' Ending Says a Lot About Our World
Spoilers below. In the universe of Jurassic World Rebirth, access to proper health care is so bad that we have to hunt dinosaurs for medicine. No, really. The premise of the latest entry in the beloved dinosaur franchise is a little ridiculous, but it's also rooted in some truth. When the film begins, we learn that the last living dinosaurs on Earth carry a rare material in their DNA—one that doubles as a life-saving drug capable of curing heart disease. The only thing is, the dinos are isolated in islands on the equator where humans are forbidden. So, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), the head of a pharmaceutical company called ParkerGenix, recruits mercenary Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) to arrange a crew, including her longtime friend Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) for the impossible mission. They also bring along scientist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey, arguably the highlight of the film!) to advise them on their secret quest. It must be done quickly and clandestinely, so they can beat other companies to the punch and capitalize on the discovery. Oh, and they can't kill the dinosaurs, because their blood is only potent when extracted from a living beast, which makes their mission even more difficult. And of course, they're going after the three biggest species by sea, land, and air: the Mosaurus, the Titanosaurus, and the Quetzalcoatlus respectively. It's insanely dangerous, but Zora and her team believe it's worth it—for the cash, naturally. Not long after they begin their mission, Dr. Loomis starts to ask an important question: Should we really be giving this drug to a private corporation? He understands that Zora and her colleagues need the money, and that this quest will mark an unbeatable milestone for his scientific career, but is that really worth helping a company profit off sick people? Throughout the crew's video game-like adventures, from rescuing the stranded Delgado family, whose sailing trip was interrupted by a ship-sized dinosaur, to climbing into a Quetzalcoatlus's nest, Loomis starts to get Zora to second-guess their end goal too. Wouldn't it be better to open-source the medicine and democratize the knowledge so that it isn't reserved for a select few? In the final confrontation, Loomis, Zora's crew, and the Delgados reunite at their end point, an abandoned town center, where a rescue team is scheduled to pick them up via helicopter. But there is a mutated monstrosity on the loose, otherwise known as the Distortus Rex (or D-Rex), in the way of their exit plan. However, what the film wants to make clear is that the real threat that emerges from the bushes—as dinosaurs in this franchise often do—is Martin Krebs. He stood by when innocent teenager Teresa Delgado (Luna Blaise) fell off their boat and is now pointing a gun at the rest of the group to hand over the DNA samples. He seems eager to keep them to himself. The group has hope for their ride, but the helicopter gets devoured by the D-Rex. There are also a couple of raptors hunting them down through buildings and underground tunnels. The best way out is a life raft waiting on the dock—but the Distortus has them cornered. Martin is eaten by the dinosaur, and Duncan lures it away into the brush so the rest of the team can make their escape. Somehow, Duncan survives too. As the survivors make their way back across the ocean, Loomis asks Zora who they'll give the DNA samples to. 'Everyone,' she replies. It's meant to be a quietly triumphant ending—victory over human greed, as many films have shown us before. But depending on your situation, it might come off as inspiring or insulting the moment you step out of the theater. Aside from the dinosaurs, hybrid monsters, and impossible survival statistics, the prospect of democratized medicine seems depressingly unrealistic in our current world. Just today, the House of Representatives passed a domestic policy bill that includes Medicaid cuts and benefits for drugmakers. In the non-Jurassic world, to quote Jeff Goldblum in the original films, 'Life finds a way…' But, it seems, only for those who can afford it. Of course, it's possible that Zora's altruistic choice is really just a wink at the potential for extending the franchise—this time with Johansson, Bailey, and Ali leading the charge. It also isn't all smooth sailing from here; while open-sourcing life-saving DNA sounds great in theory, it's also very possible that it ends up in the wrong hands and some bad actors exploit the dino data to create their own monsters. But if that battle comes in a future film, at least those characters won't have to worry about heart disease.
