The Movie Guru: ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ flawed, while ‘The Old Guard 2’ a fantastic first half
Universal/Courtesy photo
Jurassic World: Rebirth (in theaters)
It would have taken two things to make “Jurassic World: Rebirth” into a good movie.
First, it needed to not be a “Jurassic World” movie. Strip away the IP, and this movie had a pretty good chance to either be a solid “adventurers go to a dangerous island and start getting killed off” movie, or a “family bonds by surviving a dangerous situation” movie. Either version of the movie would have had a couple of suitably dramatic action scenes. With Jurassic World in the title, however, it constantly gets bogged down, either paying too much attention to everything that came before or deliberately ignoring it.
Second, it needed to pick which movie it wanted to be and stick with it. There’s two separate films going on here, and the movie doesn’t spend enough time with either set of characters to do anything interesting with them. Both sets of cast members try their hardest, making the most of hinted moments of characterization that could have potentially been developed into something interesting. Jonathan Bailey is particularly watchable as a scientist dragged into the adventure, possibly the only person in the movie who is still interested in dinosaurs.
With how frantically the movie dashes back and forth between them, however, no one gets the chance to really shine. It feels like the entire script is made out of unfinished thoughts, except for those action sequences. We don’t even get enough time for the dinosaurs.
Maybe, when the inevitable sequel happens, we’ll get the movie “Rebirth” should have been.
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Grade: Two stars
The Old Guard 2 (Netflix)
“Old Guard 2” is a really good half of a movie.
A sequel to 2020’s “The Old Guard,” the sequel is just as thrilling and well done as the original with even higher stakes. Familiar faces are as complex and interesting as the first movie while new characters are integrated well. The world-building has expanded, but in a way that makes sense given everything that came before. If you loved the first movie, everything you loved is back and just as great as ever.
The problem is, this is clearly only the first half of the story. The movie continues the recent trend of releasing movies with huge, sprawling plots as two halves, leaving you stopped short by the credits just as you’re the most sucked in. Though they haven’t admitted a third movie is even coming yet, let alone when, there’s too much story left unfinished for one not to be in the works. The fact that it’s not here yet, though, leaves audiences hanging.
Still, there’s plenty to like in what we’ve already got. The action scenes are great, including a fun opening that’s a fantastic way of checking in with the characters since we’ve last seen them. The cast is wonderful, all of them completely prepared to make you laugh or break your heart as the moment demands. It’s everything fans could hope for.
We just want the rest of it as soon as possible.
Grade: Three and a half stars
Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society. Drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com.
