JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH
“Evolution of Change”

An essay from: “No Movies are Bad”


“Change is inevitable,” a phrase we hear repeated our entire lives, and yet, despite its nauseating redundancy, it never makes embracing it any easier. In some instances, the mere thought of having to accept change is infuriating. But as terrible as it may be sometimes, we always have to. And if we attempt to avoid it, there is a life lesson that we unavoidably have to accept. A lesson that Jurassic Park taught us way back in 1993: “life finds a way”.
While it is easy to diminish this film (and any film, mind you) by attempting to rank it against your favorite predecessor in the series, you would be doing yourself a disservice to what this picture offers.

With the action and terror deftly paced and presented, this movie was a popcorn rollercoaster from start to finish. Many times, I found myself jumping, instinctively lifting my legs as if I were avoiding the attacks myself. Then allowing myself the relief of tension in the pauses, only to return to terror just moments later. 

All of these sensations were amplified by the thunderous sounds of the Dolby cinema and the perks of being in the third row. Paired with the whimsical score during the slow beats, I frequently found myself nostalgic for the theme park experience. 

To put it simply, the movie was fun.

But as fun as it was, the emotional beats were still there. But unlike a dramatic film that delivers the histrionics with forced flair, the drama here was so subtle that if one weren’t paying attention, it would be easy to dismiss this movie entirely for having heart. 

To be frank about it, everyone in this picture was dealing with the pains of change, and none of them were handling it well. It was the common thread that wove all of their stories together, the thread that inevitably brought them all to the island. This even pertains to the family that was forced into this story by happenstance and tragedy. 

We often forget how difficult the transition of our aging is for others. As our age rises in digits, we build a higher sense of social autonomy, separating ourselves more and more from not only who we were, but also who the people we loved knew us to be. This is explored with Reuben and his eldest daughter, Teresa. There is no better example of the pains of time than a father having to accept that his daughter will choose the partner she wants and the school she wants— even if he disagrees. 
But now imagine the pain of never getting to experience that, and even worse, being responsible for your child’s death. That was our ship captain's plight. 

While never explicitly said, the tragic death of Duncan’s son was likely due to his own negligence. Subtlety was abundant with his tragedy, but it didn’t make it any less apparent. Duncan’s pain was deep-rooted and was delivered beautifully by Ali’s eyes. His irises delivered exposition with every glare, and you not only understood his pain, you wanted to save him from it. And when he makes that final decision to heal himself of it— you sadly agree with it. And not because you want him to die, but because you want him to be at peace. 

Although Duncan felt responsible for the pain he carried, Zora felt like an unfortunate casualty of someone else’s. Despite her glowing strength, she never lost her femininity. Often, in action pictures like these, to be a strong woman means to be masculinized and then overly sexualized to balance it out. But ScarJo’s portrayal of Zora was anything but masculine. She cared for her team with a maternal instinct, knowing when to push forward, no matter how hard the pain was, but also when to rest and seek comfort.

While there was a bit of chemistry between Zora and Dr. Loomis, it was never built on. I deeply appreciated the lack of romance in the movie, as I feel like the Jurassic Park series has never needed it. Reflecting back on the first film, these movies have always been deeply grounded in the transitions of life and the internal struggles it causes. 

A point always made by the presence of children. 
The pains of familial change radiated throughout the story. Whether your family was blood, self-appointed, or your work, the loss of normalcy was destructive to them all. From a museum curator who has to accept that his life's work is just not important to the world anymore, to a pharmaceutical company desperate for the next step in medicine to avoid obscurity, the drastic despise and desire for change loomed over this movie like an eclipse. For better or for worse, like the current in the sea of life, these characters were forced to accept the change they hopelessly dreaded. 

And with that in mind, like the title of this installment, there is no better example of evolution than rebirth. *


Jurassic World: Rebirth - “Evolution of Change”