Jurassic World Rebirthmay beone of the biggest disappointments of the year, proving that this franchise deserves to be extinct, but blame for the film’s shortcomings cannot be placed on its cast. Even thoughDavid Koepp’s script is riddled with plot holes and shockingly inept dialogue, the characters of Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), and Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) succeed based on the charisma of the performances. However, with so many cooks in the kitchen,no character ends up feeling fully formed, which makes the presence of an entirely needless player all the more infuriating.
Just when the film is starting to get exciting,Jurassic World Rebirthcuts away from Zora’s crew to explore how the single father Reuben Delgado(Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his younger daughter Isabella (Audrina Miranda), his elder daughter Teresa (Luna Blaise), and her boyfriend Xavier Dobbs (David Iacono) are attacked by the mosasaur, and forced to fend for themselves. While this entire storyline is insufferable, the relationship between Reuben and his daughters is at least somewhat heartwarming,as seeing children and families in dangeris a recurring element in this franchise. However,Xavier is an unnecessary character whose removal fromJurassic World Rebirthwould have improved the film.
Xavier Adds Unnecessary Comic Relief to ‘Jurassic World Rebirth'
It makes little sense to add more civilian characters to the franchise, as one of the reasons that the originalJurassic Parkis such a masterpiece is that the heroes Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Ellie Satler (Laura Dern), and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) were all highly intelligent scientists who had a logical reason for being involved in the research. Adding characters that were present purely by circumstance is what has resulted in some of the worst performances in the franchise, such as Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) inJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Amanda (Tea Leoni) and Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) inJurassic Park III,and Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zack Mitchell (Nick Robinson) inJurassic World. While Teresa at least has some knowledge of sailing, Isabella develops an interesting relationship with a young dinosaur, and Reuben is a strong father who wants to protect his family,Xavier has no redeeming qualities that wouldmake him an interesting hero.
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“I’m saying money finds a way.”
Xavier’s storyline wastes time in the film, which never takes advantage of some of the other compelling character backstories. Although both Zora and Duncan allude to tragic events in their lives, they are only mentioned in a single scene and have little to no bearing on the rest of the plot. Similarly, Loomis briefly discusses how he trained under Grant, but isn’t given much time to discuss what he learned. The film may have been able to spend more time developing these characters and making them more vulnerable if it weren’t for Xavier, who seems to exist only to make urine and marijuana jokes. It becomes extremely saccharine when he and Reuben begin to settle their differences, asthis type of melodrama only impedes the tension.
David Iacono Deserved Better Material in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth'
Jurassic World Rebirthdid not need a comic relief character, as the banter between the others was enough to add some levity to the story. A lot of the chemistry between Loomis and Zora is quite funny, as it is amusing to see a scientist have to deal with creatures and actions that he has only read about. Similarly,Friend’s performance as Krebsis so obviously evil that it becomes unintentionally hilarious, and does provide some catharsis when he is met with a gruesome fate. To add in a character that seemingly exists only to provide jokes isa betrayal of the themes of the originalJurassic Parkand seems disrespectful of the earnest performances given by the rest of the cast. It also adds unnecessary “plot armor” to the film that only further erodes the tension, as it is obvious that Xavier is not going to die after Reuben praises him for saving Teresa.
Iacano is a talented actor who deserves a better-written character, as his standout roles inThe Summer I Turned PrettyandDead Boy Detectivesindicate that he is able to bring a surprising amount of complexity to adolescent characters. While it can be overwhelming to work as part of the ensemble within a highly anticipated franchise film, Ianco’s work inJokerandFear Street: Prom Queenindicates that he has the experience necessary. It’s unfortunate that an actor is often judged for elements of a film that are beyond their control, but Iacano’s best efforts couldn’t prevent Xavier from being an obnoxious presence that only further sullied thedisappointing finished product.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth explores the revival of dinosaur attractions with advanced genetic engineering and immersive experiences. As scientists and park staff grapple with ethical dilemmas and unexpected challenges, the balance between human ambition and nature’s unpredictability is tested, leading to unforeseen consequences that impact both the prehistoric creatures and their creators.
